Here are some suggested hymns for use at a funeral: Abide with me: fast falls the eventideAbide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
when other helpers fail and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see:
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need thy presence every passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight and tears no bitterness:
where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still if thou abide with me.
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
H F Lyte 1793-1847
Tune: Eventide All things bright and beautifulAll things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
each little bird that sings,
he made their glowing colours,
he made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
the river running by,
the sunset and the morning,
that brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden,
he made them every one:
He gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well.
Mrs C F Alexander 1848
Tune: All things bright and beautiful Amazing grace! how sweet the soundAmazing grace! how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me;
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
God's grace first taught my heart to fear,
his grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear,
the hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil
a life of joy and peace.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise
than when we first begun.
John Newton
Tune: Amazing Grace
And did those feet in ancient timeAnd did those feet in ancient time
walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
on England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
among those dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
till we have built Jerusalem
in England's green and pleasant land.
William Blake (1757-1827)
Tune: Jerusalem
Dear Lord and Father of mankindDear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind;
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up and follow thee.
O Sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!
With that deep hush subduing all
our words and works that drown
the tender whisper of thy call,
as noiseless let thy blessing fall
as fell thy manna down.
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm.
J G Whittier 1872
Tune: Repton
Eternal Father, strong to saveEternal Father, strong to save,
whose arm doth bind the restless wave,
who bids the mighty ocean deep
its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.
O Saviour, whose almighty word
the winds and waves submissive heard,
who walkedst on the foaming deep,
and calm amidst its rage did sleep;
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.
O sacred Spirit, who didst brood
upon the chaos dark and rude,
who badst its angry tumult cease,
and gavest light and life and peace;
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.
O Trinity of love and power,
our brethren shield in danger's hour;
from rock and tempest, fire and foe,
protect them wheresoe'er they go;
and ever let there rise to thee
glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
W Whiting 1860 and others
Tune: Melita
Great is thy faithfulnessGreat is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee:
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not,
as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided,
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth;
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
T O Chisolm
© 1923, 1951 Hope Publishing Co
Tune: Great is thy faithfulness
Guide me, O thou great RedeemerGuide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow:
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
Strong Deliverer, Strong Deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fear subside;
death of deaths and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side;
songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee.
W Williams 1745 tr. P Williams 1771 and others
Tune: Cwm Rhondda
Immortal, invisible, God only wiseImmortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above,
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish, but nought changeth thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
'tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.
W Chalmers Smith 1867
Tune: St Denio
Jesus, lover of my soulJesus, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high:
hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
till the storm of life be past:
safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last.
Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah, leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me:
all my trust in thee is stayed;
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenceless head
with the shadow of thy wing.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
more than all in thee I find:
raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
heal the sick and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name;
I am all unrighteousness:
vile and full of sin I am;
thou art full of truth and grace.
Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound,
make and keep me pure within:
thou of life the fountain art,
freely let me take of thee:
spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.
Charles Wesley
Tune: Aberystwyth
Lord of all hopefulnessLord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Jan Struther, 1901-1953 © Oxford University Press
Tune: Slane
Love divine, all loves excellingLove divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown:
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty, to deliver,
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing;
serve thee as thy hosts above:
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing;
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be:
let us see thy great salvation,
perfectly restored in thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place;
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise.
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
Tune: Blaenwern
Morning has brokenMorning has broken
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
Fresh from the Lord!
Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning
Here in the bright light
Of this fair day!
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning
God's re-creation
Of the new day!
© Eleanor Farjeon
David Higham Assoc. Ltd
O God, our help in ages pastO God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure:
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.
Isaac Watts 1719
St Anne
O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonderO Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder
consider all the works thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art! how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art! how great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
sent him to die ? I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
he bled and died to take away my sin.
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home ? what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
Russian hymn
On a hill far away stood an old rugged crossOn a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I?ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ?twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He?ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I?ll share.
George Bennard, 1873-1958
Praise, my soul, the King of heavenPraise, my soul, the King of heaven,
to his feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who like thee his praise should sing?
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise him for his grace and favour
to our fathers in distress;
praise him still the same for ever,
slow to chide and swift to bless.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.
Father-like, he tends and spares us,
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows.
Angels, help us to adore him,
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him;
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.
John Goss, 1800-80
Tune: Praise, my soul
Rock of Ages, cleft for meRock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy riven side which flowed
be of sin the double cure,
cleanse me from its guilt and power.
Not the labour of my hands
can fulfil thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears for ever flow,
all for sin could not atone:
thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly:
wash me, Saviour, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
when my eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Augustus M Toplady 1740-1778
Tune: Petra
The King of love my Shepherd isThe King of love my Shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
and he is mine for ever.
Where streams of living water flow
my ransomed soul he leadeth,
and, where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death's dark vale I fear no ill
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth;
and, O, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all the length of days
thy goodness faileth never:
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house for ever.
H W Baker 1868
Tune: Dominus regit me
The Lord's my ShepherdThe Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want,
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e'en for his own name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through death's dark vale,
yet will I fear no ill;
for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.
My table thou hast furnishèd
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God's house for evermore
my dwelling-place shall be.
W Whittingham c. 1524-79,
F Rous 1641 and others
Tune: Crimond
There is a green hill far awayThere is a green hill far away,
outside a city wall,
where the dear Lord was crucified,
who died to save us all.
We may not know, we cannot tell,
what pains he had to bear,
but we believe it was for us
he hung and suffered there.
He died that we might be forgiven,
he died to make us good,
that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.
There was no other good enough
to pay the price of sin,
he only could unlock the gate
of heaven and let us in.
O dearly, dearly has he loved,
and we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.
Mrs C F Alexander 1848
Tune: Horsley
Thine be the gloryThine be the glory,
risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory
thou o'er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment
rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes
where thy body lay.
Thine be the glory,
risen, conquering Son,
endless is the victory
thou o'er death hast won.
Lo, Jesus meets us,
risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets us,
scatters fear and gloom.
Let the Church with gladness
hymns of triumph sing,
for her Lord now liveth,
death hast lost its sting.
No more we doubt thee,
glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without thee:
aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors,
through thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan
to thy home above.
E L Budry 1885 tr R B Hoyle 1904
Tune: Maccabaeus
To God be the glory! great things he hath doneTo God be the glory! great things he hath done;
so loved he the world that he gave us his Son;
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear his voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice:
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son
and give him the glory; great things he hath done!
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To every believer, the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
but purer and higher and greater will be
our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.
Fanny J Crosby
Tune: To God be the glory
When I survey the wondrous crossWhen I survey the wondrous cross,
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the death of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down;
did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all!
Isaac Watts 1707
Tune: Rockingham |
