×

In his book, Worship Seeking Understanding, John Witvliet cites a worship leaders who spoke of weekly congregational singing as “rehearsing the congregation for a future funeral.” Witvliet comments: “What if we planned our music with this as a primary goal? ‘Musician, why did you choose that piece of music?’ ‘Well, it fit the texts of the day, it was well crafted, it challenged us musically—but mostly I picked it because you’ll need to know that piece when your family is preparing to bury a loved one.”

This made me want to ask a few godly leaders I trust and respect for one song that they would like to have played at their funeral.

Below is an entry from Michael Reeves, president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology in Bridgend and Oxford, United Kingdom, and the author most recently of Rejoice and Tremble.

[See the other entries: Joni Eareckson Tada, Russell Moore]


As a teenager, I wanted to have Elgar’s “Nimrod” played at my funeral, as Winston Churchill had at his. Its poignant, melancholic grandeur appealed to my towering pride, for I wanted people to think much of me.

Now I would choose “Thine Be the Glory.”

My reasoning is simple: in the face of death I want people to look to the living, loving Jesus, conqueror of sin and death, and so sing a gospel hymn of triumph. Looking to him they will find the comfort they need. I also love how the tune captures the sense of the truth that death has lost its sting, and the feel of Jesus scattering our fear and gloom.

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb.
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let His church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting.

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life!!
Life is nought without Thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

LOAD MORE
Loading