A library of resources for funerals

Now Is Eternal Life

George Wallace Briggs (1875 – 1959)

Now is eternal life,
If ris’n with Christ we stand,
In Him to life reborn,
And holden in His hand;
No more we fear death’s ancient dread
In Christ arisen from the dead.

Man long in bondage lay,
Brooding o’er life’s brief span;
Was it, O God, for naught,
For naught, thou madest Man?
Thou art our hope, our vital breath;
Shall hope undying end in death?

And God, the living God,
Stooped down to man’s estate,
By death destroying death
Christ opened wide life’s gate.
He lives, who died; He reigns on high;
Who lives in Him shall never die.

Unfathomed love divine,
Reign thou within my heart;
From thee nor depth nor height,
Nor life nor death can part;
My life is hid in God with thee,
Now and through eternity.

Now Thank We All

Martin Rinkart (1586 – 1649) Translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827 – 1878)

Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mother’s arms
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still it’s ours to-day.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us;
and keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore,
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

Now that the daylight fills the sky

Iam lucis orto sidere, Anonymous Latin translated by John M Neale (1818-1866)

Now that the daylight fills the sky,
We lift our hearts to God on high,
That He, in all we do or say,
Would keep us free from harm today.

O Lord, restrain our tongues from strife,
From wrath and anger shield our life;
And guard with watchful care our eyes
From earth's absorbing vanities.

O may our inmost hearts be pure,
From thoughts of folly kept secure,
And all our powers devoted be
To deeds of love, for love of Thee.

So we, when this day's work is o'er,
And shades of night return once more,
Our path of trial safely trod,
Shall give the glory to our God.

All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, Eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore,
One God alone, for evermore.

Now The Green Blade Rises From The Buried Grain

John Macleod Campbell Crum (1872-1958)

Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

In the grave they laid him, Love whom men had slain,
Thinking that he never would awake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Chorus

Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for the three days in the grave had lain,
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Chorus

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Then your touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Chorus

Now The Labourer's Toils Are O'er

Gerard Moultrie (1829-1885)

Now the labourer's toils are o'er,
Fought the battle, won the crown:
On life's rough and barren shore
Thou hast laid thy burden down:
Grant him, Lord, eternal rest,
With the spirits of the blest.

Angels bear thee to the land
Where the towers of Sion rise;
Safely lead thee by the hand
To the fields of Paradise:
Chorus

White-robed, at the golden gate
Of the new Jerusalem,
May the host of Martyrs wait;
Give thee part and lot with them:
Chorus

Friends and dear ones gone before
To the land of endless peace,
Meet thee on that further shore
Where all tears and weeping cease:
Chorus

Rest in peace: the gates of hell
Touch thee not, till he shall come
For the souls he loves so well, -
Dear Lord of the heavenly home:
Chorus

Earth to earth, and dust to dust,
Clay we give to kindred clay,
In the sure and certain trust
Of the Resurrection day:
Chorus

O Brother Man

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)

O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother!
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other,
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.

For he whom Jesus loved hath truly spoken:
The holier worship which he deigns to bless
Restores the lost, and binds the spirit broken,
And feeds the widow and the fatherless.

Follow with reverent steps the great example
Of him whose holy work was doing good;
So shall the wide earth seem our Father's temple,
Each loving life a psalm of gratitude.

Then shall all shackles fall; the stormy clangour
Of wild war-music o'er the earth shall cease;
Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger,
And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.

O Christ The Same, Through All Our Story's Pages

Timothy Dudley-Smith (b.1926)

O Christ the same, through all our story's pages,
our loves and hopes, our failures and our fears;
eternal Lord, the King of all the ages,
unchanging still, amid the passing years:
O living Word, the source of all creation,
who spread the skies, and set the stars ablaze,
O Christ the same, who wrought our whole salvation,
we bring our thanks for all our yesterdays.

O Christ the same, the friend of sinners, sharing
our inmost thoughts, the secrets none can hide,
still as of old upon your body bearing
the marks of love, in triumph glorified:
O Son of Man, who stooped for us from heaven,
O Prince of life, in all your saving power,
O Christ the same, to whom our hearts are given,
we bring our thanks for this the present hour.

O Christ the same, secure within whose keeping
our lives and loves, our days and years remain,
our work and rest, our waking and our sleeping,
our calm and storm, our pleasure and our pain:
O Lord of love, for all our joys and sorrows,
for all our hopes, when earth shall fade and flee,
O Christ the same, beyond our brief tomorrows,
we bring our thanks for all that is to be.

O Christ Who Holds The Open Gate

Christ who holds the open gate, O Christ who drives the furrow straight. O Christ the plow, O Christ, the laughter Of holy white birds flying after

Lo, all my heart’s field red and torn, And thou wilt bring the young green corn, The young green corn divinely springing, The young green corn forever singing

And when the field is fresh and fair, Thy blessèd feet shall glitter there, And we will walk the weeded field, And tell the golden harvest’s yield.

The corn that makes the holy bread By which the soul of man is fed, The holy bread, the food unpriced, Thy everlasting mercy, O Christ.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

William Thomas Brooke (1848-1917) and others

O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him,
born the King of angels:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

God of God,
Light of light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
very God,
begotten, not created:
Chorus

See how the shepherds
summoned to his cradle,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
we too will thither
bend our joyful footsteps:
Chorus

Lo, star-led chieftains,
Magi, Christ adoring,
offer him incense, gold, and myrrh;
we to the Christ-child
bring our hearts' oblations;
Chorus

Child, for us sinners
poor and in the manger,
fain we embrace thee with love and awe;
who would not love thee,
loving us so dearly?
Chorus

Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above:
'Glory to God
in the highest:'
Chorus

7Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given:
word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing:
Chorus

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Latin 13th Century tr T. A. Lacey

O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
That into exile drear is gone
Far from the face of God’s dear Son
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou branch of Jesse! draw
The quarry from the lion’s claw;
From the dread caverns of the grave,
From nether hell, they people save.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
Dispel the long night’s ling’ring gloom,
And pierce the shadows of the tomb.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Lord of David’s Key!
The royal door fling wide and free;
Safeguard for us the heav’nward road,
And bar the way to death’s abode.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Adonaï,
Who in thy glorious majesty
From that high mountain clothed with awe
Gavest thy folk the elder law.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Comfort My People And Calm All Their Fear

O comfort my people
and calm their fear,
And tell them the time
of salvation draws near.
O tell them I come
to remove all their shame,
They will forever
give praise to my name.

Proclaim to the cities
Of Juda my word
That gentle yet strong
Is the hand of the lord
I rescue the captives,
My people defend,
And bring them to justice
And joy without end

All mountains and hills
Shall become as a plane
For vanished and mourning
And hunger and pain,
And never again,
Shall these war against you
Behold I come quickly
To make all things new

O Day Of Rest And Gladness

Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885)

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
most beautiful, most bright;
on thee the high and lowly
before the eternal throne
sing 'Holy, Holy, Holy',
to the great Three in One.

On thee, at the creation,
the light first had its birth;
on thee for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
on thee our Lord victorious
the Spirit sent from heaven;
and thus on thee most glorious
a triple light was given.

Thou art a cooling fountain
in life's dry dreary sand;
from thee, like Pisgah's mountain,
we view our promised land:
a day of sweet reflection,
a day thou art of love,
a day of resurrection
from earth to things above.

Today on weary nations
the heavenly manna falls,
to holy convocations
the silver trumpet calls,
where Gospel-light is glowing
with pure and radiant beams,
and living water flowing
with soul-refreshing streams.

New graces ever gaining
from this our day of rest,
we reach the rest remaining
to spirits of the blest:
to Holy Ghost be praises,
to Father, and to Son;
the Church her voice upraises
to thee, blest Three in One.

O For A Closer Walk With God

William Cowper (1731-1800)

O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is that soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove! return,
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
And drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

O For A Closer Walk With God

William Cowper (1731-1800)

O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

Where is the blessedness I knew
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is that soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove! return,
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
And drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

O gentle presence, peace and joy and power

O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;
O Life divine, that owns each waiting hour,
Thou love that guards the nestling’s faltering flight!
Keep Thou my child on upward wing tonight.

Love is our refuge; only with mine eye
Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall;
His habitation high is here, and nigh,
His arm encircles me, and mine, and all.

O make me glad for every scolding tear,
For hope deferred, in gratitude, disdain!
Wait, and love more for every hate, and fear
No ill, since God is good, and loss is gain.

Beneath the shadow of His mighty wing;
In that sweet secret of the narrow way,
Seeking and finding, with the angels sing:
“Lo, I am with you alway,” watch and pray.

No snare, no fowler, pestilence or pain;
No night drops down upon the troubled breast,
When heaven’s aftersmile earth’s teardrips gain,
And mother finds her home and heav’nly rest.

O God Beyond All Praising

Michael Perry (1942-1996)

O God beyond all praising,
we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
and wait upon your word,
we honour and adore you,
our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Saviour,
accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favour
may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
be filled with good or ill,
we'II triumph through our sorrows
and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
our sacrifice of praise.

O God Of Jacob, By Whose Hand

Jubilate Hymns Ltd

O God of Jacob, by whose hand
your children still are fed;
who through this earthly pilgrimage
your people safely led:

Our vows, our prayers, we now present
before your gracious throne;
as you have been their faithful God,
so always be our own!

Through each perplexing path of life
our wandering footsteps guide;
give us today our daily bread,
and for our needs provide.

O spread your covering wings around
till all our wanderings cease,
and at our heavenly Father's home
we shall arrive in peace.

O God Our Father, Who Dost Make Us One

William Jenkins (1868-1920)

O God our Father, who dost make us one,
heart bound to heart, in love of Thy dear Son,
now as we part and go our several ways,
touch every lip, may every voice be praise-

Praise for the fellowship that here we find,
the fellowship of heart and soul and mind,
praise for the bonds of love and brotherhood,
bonds wrought by Thee, who makest all things good.

Lord, make us strong, for Thou alone dost know
how oft we turn our faces from the foe;
how oft, when claimed by dark temptation's hour,
we lose our hold on Thee, and of Thy power.

Go with us, Lord, from here; we only ask
that Thou be sharer in our daily task;
so, side by side with Thee, shall each one know
the blessedness of heaven begun below.

O God, Our Help In Ages Past

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

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 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 troubles last,
And our eternal home!

O Happy Day That Fixed My Choice

Philip Doddridge (1702-1751)

O happy day that fixed my choice
On thee, my Saviour and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.
O Happy day, O happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away!
He taught me how to watch and pray,
And live rejoicing every day.

O happy bond that seals my vows
To him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill his house,
While to that sacred shrine I move.
Optional chorus

Tis done, the great transaction's done
I am my Lord's, and he is mine;
He drew me, and I followed on,
Charmed to confess the voice divine
Optional chorus

Now rest, my long-divided heart,
Fixed on this blissful centre, rest;
Nor ever from thy Lord depart,
With him of every good possessed.
Optional chorus

High heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear,
Till in life's latest hour I bow,
And bless in death a bond so dear.
Optional chorus

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Resources for funerals

Browse Hymns, Songs, Poems, Readings, Imagery and Literature

Now Is Eternal Life

Now Thank We All

Now that the daylight fills the sky

Now The Green Blade Rises From The Buried Grain

Now The Labourer's Toils Are O'er

O Brother Man

O Christ The Same, Through All Our Story's Pages

O Christ Who Holds The Open Gate

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O Comfort My People And Calm All Their Fear

O Day Of Rest And Gladness

O For A Closer Walk With God

O For A Closer Walk With God

O gentle presence, peace and joy and power

O God Beyond All Praising

O God Of Jacob, By Whose Hand

O God Our Father, Who Dost Make Us One

O God, Our Help In Ages Past

O Happy Day That Fixed My Choice