Traditional Funeral Hymns

Traditional funeral hymns play a crucial role in funeral services, offering comfort and solace through their profound lyrics and solemn melodies.

These hymns often carry themes of hope, resurrection, and the eternal peace that awaits in the afterlife, providing mourners with a sense of closure and reflection during the ceremony.

Choosing Hymns for a Traditional Funeral

The selection of traditional funeral hymns is vital to set a respectful and reflective tone, helping attendees connect with their faith and the memories of the loved one they have lost. Ask your funeral director to help you pick out the hymns for the service. 

Here are ten hymns that are revered for their depth and resonance at traditional funeral services:

1. "Amazing Grace"

Perhaps the most iconic funeral hymn of all time, its message of redemption and hope is universally comforting and uplifting. It's also a popular funeral reading.

Lyric: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."

2. "Abide With Me"

This hymn pleads for God's presence during life's trials and especially in the hour of death, which should provide a strong sense of comfort and companionship. The lyrics of this hymn can be used as a funeral quote. 

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

3. "How Great Thou Art"

Celebrating God's majesty observed in creation, this hymn is often sung to express awe at the divine and comfort in the promise of eternal life.

Lyric: "O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made."

4. "The Lord's My Shepherd" (Psalm 23)

This hymn provides profound reassurance of God's guidance and provision, drawing directly from the beloved Psalm 23.

Lyric: "The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want; He makes me down to lie in pastures green."

5. "Be Thou My Vision"

An ancient hymn asking for God's leadership in life, its comforting and poetic verses make it ideal for funerals.

Lyric: "Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art."

6. "Ave Maria"

Often chosen for Catholic funerals, this hymn is a beautiful, solemn prayer to the Virgin Mary for intercession and comfort.

Lyric: "Ave Maria, gratia plena."

7. "Old Rugged Cross"

A hymn that reflects on the sacrifice of Jesus and looks forward to the Christian hope of heaven, often providing comfort in mourning.

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

8. "Nearer My God to Thee"

Said to be the last hymn the band played on the Titanic, this song's yearning for closeness to God resonates with many at funerals.

Lyric: "Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!"

9. "In the Sweet By and By"

It is a hymn that offers a comforting view of heaven, filled with peace and joy. It is perfect for soothing grief and offering a hopeful outlook on the afterlife.

Lyric: "In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore."

10. "Rock of Ages"

This hymn is a plea for divine grace and salvation, offering powerful solace with its assurances of the steadfast nature of God's care.

Lyric: "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee."