30 Popular Hymns for a Funeral Service

Funeral planning is accompanied by a barrage of hasty arrangements. Seeking funeral insurance, and selecting your urn or casket might require a lot of your time. In this rush, you must not forget to pick out your perfect funeral hymns. Here is a list of hymns that might help you narrow down the selection process and suggest the perfect hymn for your loved-ones funeral service. 

Baptist Funeral Hymns

Baptist Funeral Hymns come with the message that people who believe in the Lord will join him in Heaven. 

• Amazing Grace: Perhaps one of the most popular and iconic funeral hymns, Amazing Grace instills an uplifting feeling when mourners are feeling despairing. 
• I Need Thee Every Hour: This Baptist Hymn is from the 19th century and is an ode to devotion to the Lord. 
• It is Well With My Soul: This hymn reflects a strong faith. 

Funeral Hymns for Mom and Dad

If you are confronted with the heartwrenching task of burying your mother or father and are not sure of their choices, here are some hymns for you to consider:

• Abide with Me: Speaks of God as a father figure who takes your father’s hand and guides him in death as he did for you through your life. 
• Lord of the Dance: This is a reflection of a happy and uplifting force in your life, perfect for your mother or father’s funeral. 
• Dear Lord and Father of Mankind: Calling on the heavenly father, this hymn may be an ideal fit for your beloved father. 
• Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise: It looks at endless love and wisdom, qualities of the Lord and also mothers and fathers alike. 
• I Watch the Sun: This John Glynn’s hymn eludes comfort and strength from looking up at the sun. You may imagine feeling this when you would look at your mother. 
• The Lord is My Shepherd: Written in as a musical arrangement, this hymn might remind you of your mother with her grace and warmth. 

Non-Traditional Funeral Hymns

If you are looking for a fresh take on funeral hymns, there are plenty of non-traditional funeral hymns for you to choose from:

• Old Rugged Cross: Alan Jackson’s country take to this offers modern textures this evangelical classic. 
• Guide Me, O Though Great Redeemer: This hymn is often sung at rugby games. Playing this at a funeral for your sports-fanatic loved one adds great character to the funeral. 
• Jerusalem: Wiliam Blake’s poem Jerusalem is a popular hymn despite its rejection of traditional religion and links to philosophy.

Modern Funeral Hymn

• Death: Peppered with satire and ironies, Sean Hugh describes his vision of the perfect funeral. 
• Shine, Jesus, Shine: This praise song proves to be funeral-suitable and joyous. 
• A Chant Against Death: It talks about the difficulties and strength behind battling a terminal illness. It alludes to an acceptance that death is an integral moment of the circle of life.

Along with funeral hymns, one might expect there to be funeral poems and verses at the service. Modern poems are gaining more popularity as they avoid the solemness of the formal variant. They are more relatable to the people and offer a new take on classical funeral and memorial service traditions. Here are some modern funeral poems you might want to note:

• His Mother’s Hair, by April Ossman
• A Long Cup of Tea, by Michael Ashby 
• Your clothes, by Judith Kroll 

Old Funeral Hymns:

There are hymns that date back several decades and others that have been around for centuries. Nevertheless, they continue to be played even today. 

• Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me: This hymn dates back to 1775. It is Augustus Toplady’s autobiographical story based on the metaphor of taking shelter from the storm.
• Our God, Our Help in Ages Past: Issac Watts, in 1708, reminds us that the moments we are living are short-lived compared to what has happened and is to come.
• Be Thou My Vision: This Irish hymn dates back to the 8th century.

Episcopal Funeral Hymns:

These are some hymns sung in Episcopal churches: 

• The Servant King: It is played at different religious services. 
• All Things Bright and Beautiful: This is an ode to the Lord’s beautiful creations. 
• Morning has Broken: The imagery here is of an early dawning– the end of mortal life leads to a quest for eternal life. 

Methodist Funeral Hymn

Methodists believe that the end of mortal life leads to a quest for eternal life.

• The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended: It reflects a trust in God to lead through darkness into a bright new day. 
• Blessed Assurance: It dates back to the 1800s, and it stands as a staple in the United Methodist hymnal. 
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: This is a Methodist hymn loved by many. 

Military Funeral Hymn

Here are three popular military hymns

• Make Me a Channel of your Peace: This is the official anthem of the Royal British Legion, and an appropriate choice to play for your loved-one with a military background.
• Eternal Father, Strong to Save: This is a hymn amongst the U.S. Navy. Its many versions are played by different branches of the armed service.
• The Battle Hymn of the Republic: One of Winston Churchill’s favorites, this military funeral hymn was played at his funeral.