Deciding on the best funeral readings for your loved one’s service can be one of the most overwhelming choices you face when planning a service. Not only are there countless options to choose from, but knowing which funeral readings will best memorialize and celebrate your loved one can be a daunting decision.
There are questions you might ask, like Is it ok to have uplifting funeral readings? Or What bible verse to read at a funeral? You might even wonder if your readings can be non-religious choices, like poems or passages from favorite books.
Funeral Readings: How to Decide
The first thing to remember is that the readings at the funeral of your loved one can be whatever you want them to be. The readings, like a eulogy or music, are a way to personalize the service. This is important for several reasons.
First, your loved one was a unique person and you loved them for specific reasons. Conveying this through the readings chosen for the funeral service is a way to honor your loved one in a way that feels personal and maybe even private.
Second, funeral services are an important part of the grieving process for those still living. It’s how we come together to process our grief, and how we express our grief in a communal way. Choosing specific readings can not only set a tone for the service, but it can provide a way for those in attendance to grieve by putting words around the feelings they’re having but might not be able to express.
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Funeral Scripture Readings
Many people follow religious traditions in the grieving process, meaning their faith helps guide the funeral or memorial service. A person’s religious convictions might dictate when a funeral is held and where it’s held; but it can also influence what is read at the service and which songs are played.
If it’s important to you to include scripture readings at your loved one’s funeral, there are different ways to choose which scripture passages will be read. The first is to defer to your funeral director. Letting a professional who understands your faith and works with countless others to plan services can lift a burden from your shoulders but still ensure that the funeral will be planned with careful and thoughtful details that reflect you and your loved one’s religious beliefs and practices.
If this seems like the best option for you, your funeral director might suggest some of the most popular scripture readings at funerals, including:
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 14: 1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
2 Corinthians 1: 3-4“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Matthew 25:23
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!'”Psalm 4:8
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalm 34: 17-20
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Unique Funeral Readings
If you’d prefer to choose your own readings, of course you can choose your favorite scripture. You could also choose something less conventional: a poem, song lyrics, a passage from a beloved book, diary entries from your beloved’s childhood, excerpts from letters, or something you write specifically for the service.
Poetry provides myriad options for funeral services. Options include sharing a poem beloved by you or your loved one, or choosing one that was written specifically to address death, grief, or sadness. This helpful resource includes classic poets and their poems about death and grieving.
You could also choose a passage from a book, children’s books tend to be recommended often for poignant, relatable passages that can be especially fitting for a funeral or memorial service. Examples from favorites like Charlotte’s Web, The Wind In the Willows, and No Matter What can be found here.
Perhaps having so many choices is part of why choosing a funeral reading can seem to be such an impossible task for many people. If that’s the choice, we can help. We’ve been working with families for decades to plan funerals and memorial services that honor and celebrate loved ones in a personal, meaningful way. We’d be honored to do the same for you. Get to know us a little better or reach out with your questions. We’re alway
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