Top 10 Christian Funeral Hymns

Christian funeral hymns are integral to funeral services, providing comfort, hope, and a profound sense of connection to the divine. These hymns often encapsulate themes of eternal life, God's loving presence, and the peace that surpasses all understanding, offering solace to mourners through beautifully crafted melodies and deeply spiritual lyrics.

Selecting Hymns for a Christian Funeral

The choice of funeral hymns for a Christian funeral is crucial as it helps express the theological beliefs of the deceased and their loved ones while offering comfort during a time of grief.

Here are ten hymns that are particularly meaningful for Christian funeral services:

1. "Amazing Grace"

Undoubtedly one of the most beloved hymns across denominations, it speaks of profound personal transformation through God's mercy. When someone dies, this is one of the first funeral hymns that comes up as an option. 

Lyric: "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!"

2. "How Great Thou Art"

This hymn offers praise to God for the beauty of creation and His redemptive work, providing comfort and a reminder of God's sovereignty and love. The text of this hymn is often used as a funeral quote or on a funeral invitation. 

Lyric: "Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee: How great thou art, how great thou art!"

3. "Abide With Me"

A hymn that pleads for God's presence during life's trials and especially in death's shadow, offering reassurance that God does not abandon His faithful.

Lyric: "Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide."

4. "In the Garden"

This hymn speaks to personal communion with Jesus, evoking a sense of peace and intimacy with Christ that transcends even death.

Lyric: "And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own."

5. "Be Still, My Soul"

Offering words of comfort and reassurance, this hymn reminds mourners of God's unchanging grace and faithful guidance through every trial.

Lyric: "Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain."

6. "The Old Rugged Cross"

Reflecting on the sacrificial love of Christ, this hymn emphasises the hope of heaven promised through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Lyric: "So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down."

7. "Ave Maria"

Particularly important in Catholic funerals, this hymn is a prayerful invocation to Mary for comfort and intercession in times of sorrow. Ask your funeral director if you need help picking out the hymns for the funeral service. 

Lyric: "Ave Maria, gratia plena."

8. "Blessed Assurance"

This hymn celebrates the certainty of faith and the joy of salvation, providing reassurance to those mourning that their loved one rests in Christ.

Lyric: "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine; Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!"

9. "Jerusalem"

Often used to reflect a sense of a better place where there is no suffering, this hymn can evoke a powerful sense of hope and national pride.

Lyric: "And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?"

10. "It Is Well with My Soul"

Born from personal tragedy, this hymn expresses a profound faith in God's goodness, even in the face of overwhelming sorrow.

Lyric: "When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well with my soul.'"