The Value of Hymns at a Funeral
Hymns have made their way into our culture and churches. They give flavor and reverence to a church service. They express the feelings and faith of people through the generations. Funeral programs hymns provide the following for those attending the service in memory of a loved one.
- Solace
- Comfort
- Hope
- God’s love
- Promise of heaven
- Provision by God
- Forgiveness
- Resurrection of the body
- Faith of the deceased
- Faith of those left behind
Titles of Popular Funeral Hymns
The following are hymns that are at funeral programs or memorial services.
- God Be in My Head
- Amazing Grace
- When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
- O God, Our Help in Ages Past
- O Strength and Stay
- Nearer My God to Thee
- The Day of Resurrection
- Jesus Loves Me
- The Lord’s My Shepherd
- Be Thou My Vision
- I’ll Walk With God
O, God, Our Help in Ages Past
A familiar and popular hymn written by Issac Watts in 1719, is often sung or played in protestant funeral programs services today. The last stanza speaks of heaven being our eternal home and for this reason, it is a hymn that brings hope.”O 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 defense 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 guide while troubles last,
and our eternal home!”
Accompaniment
Since funerals programs come in all shapes and sizes, the hymns need to be diverse as well. A variety of instruments may be used such as piano, organ, flute, harp and violin.
More contemporary services may have a guitarist play the music. Some funerals may not have hymns at all and one of the reasons could be because the church where the deceased attending did not use hymns in their Sunday services.
If this is the case, other songs will be played and sung. Family members do try to honor the wishes of the one who has died. If a particular song or hymn was well-liked by the deceased, it will usually be selected to be part of the funeral programs service. Personalizing a funeral is always a good idea.