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Choice of Hymns

You may already know what hymns you want to use in the service. For those who would like some help in choosing appropriate hymns, here is a selection. You may also find some 8,000 hymns at www.cyberhymnal.org . In addition MIDI files on that web site are shown. In many cases the sheet music is also attached. The full verses are outlined here but feel free to reduce the number of verses to suit your particular requirements. Please add your own favourite hymn if not found here.

INDEX OF HYMNS

Hymn Index

Title Page Number

1. Abide with me 2

2. .All people that on earth do dwell 2

3. Amazing Grace 3

4. Be Still for the presence of the Lord 3

5. Be Thou my vision 4

6. Blessed Assurance 4

7. Eternal Father, strong to save 5

8. Great is Thy faithfulness 5

9. In heavenly love abiding 6

10. Love Divine all loves excelling 6

11. Majesty, worship his majesty 6

12. O God, Our Help In Ages Past 7

13. O Lord my God when I in awesome 7

14. Rock Of Ages 8

15. Saviour again to thy dear name 8

16. The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended 9

17. The King of love my shepherd is 10

18. The Lord’s my shepherd 10

19. The Old Rugged Cross 10

20. Thine be the glory 11

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1. Abide with Me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile; And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee, On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

2. All people that on earth do dwell

All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.

Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell; Come ye before Him and rejoice.

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed; without our aid He did us make;

We are His folk, He doth us feed, and for His sheep He doth us take.

O enter then His gates with praise; Approach with joy His courts unto;

Praise, laud, and bless His Name always, for it is seemly so to do.

For why? the Lord our God is good; His mercy is forever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood, and shall from age to age endure.

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To Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the God whom heaven and earth adore,

From men and from the angel host be praise and glory evermore.

3. Amazing Grace

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

I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;

'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine;

But God, Who called me here below, Shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we'd first begun.

4. Be still for the presence of the Lord

Be still for the presence of the Lord The Holy One is here Come bow before Him now With reverence and fear

In Him no sin is found We stand on holy ground Be still for the presence of the Lord The Holy One is here

Be still for the glory of the Lord Is shining all around

He burns with holy fire With splendour He is crowned How awesome is the sight Our radiant King of Light Be still for the glory of the Lord Is shining all around

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Be still for the power of the Lord Is moving in this place He comes to cleanse and heal To minister His grace No work too hard for Him In faith receive from Him

Be still for the power of the Lord Is moving in this place

5. Be Thou my Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my

light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight; Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight; Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower: Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power

of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

6. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine

Blessèd assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour, all the day long; This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Saviour, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels descending bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Refrain

Perfect submission, all is at rest I in my Saviour am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Refrain

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7. Eternal Father, strong to save,

Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm hath bound the restless wave, who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep its own appointed limits keep:

O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.

O Christ, whose voice the waters heard and hushed their raging at thy word, who walkest on the foaming deep, and calm amid the storm didst sleep;

O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.

Most Holy Spirit, who didst brood upon the chaos dark and rude, and bid its angry tumult cease, and give, for wild confusion, peace:

O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and power, our brethren shield in danger's hour; from rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them wheresoe'er they go;

thus evermore shall rise to thee glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

8. Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

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9. In Heavenly Love Abiding

In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear. And safe in such confiding, for nothing changes here.

The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid, But God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?

Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back. My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack.

His wisdom ever waking, His sight is never dim. He knows the way He’s taking, and I will walk with Him.

Green pastures are before me, which yet I have not seen. Bright skies will soon be over me, where darkest clouds have been.

My hope I cannot measure, my path to life is free. My Saviour has my treasure, and He will walk with me.

10. Love Divine all Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down; Fix in us thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown!

Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit, Into every troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit; Let us find that second rest. Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its Beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver, et us all Thy life receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more Thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee;

Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

11. Majesty, Worship His Majesty

Majesty, worship his majesty; Unto Jesus be all glory, honour, and praise. Majesty, kingdom authority, Flow from his throne unto his own, his anthem raise.

So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus. Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus, the King.

Majesty, worship his majesty, Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings.

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12. O God, our help In ages Past

Our 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.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust, "Return, ye sons of men:"

All nations rose from earth at first, And turn to earth again.

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.

Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,

Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.

13. O Lord my God

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Refrain

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

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Refrain

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

Refrain

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Refrain

14. Rock Of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labour of my hands can fulfil Thy law's demands;

Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.

15. Saviour Again Thy dear Name we raise

Saviour, again to Thy dear Name we raise With one accord our parting hymn of praise;

We stand to bless Thee ere our worship cease; Then, lowly kneeling, wait Thy word of peace.

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Grant us Thy peace upon our homeward way; With Thee began, with Thee shall end the day.

Guard thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame, That in this house have called upon Thy Name.

Grant us Thy peace, through this approaching night; Turn Thou for us its darkness into light;

From harm and danger keep Thy children free, For dark and light are both alike to Thee.

Grant us Thy peace—the peace Thou didst bestow On Thine Apostles in Thine hour of woe;

The peace Thou broughtest, when at eventide They saw Thy piercèd hands, Thy wounded side.

Grant us Thy peace throughout our earthly life; Peace to Thy church from error and from strife;

Peace to our land, the fruit of truth and love; Peace in each heart, Thy Spirit from above.

Thy peace in life, the balm of every pain; Thy peace in death, the hope to rise again;

Then, when Thy voice shall bid our conflict cease, Call us, O Lord, to Thine eternal peace.

16. The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,

The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended, the darkness falls at thy behest; to thee our morning hymns ascended, thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank thee that thy Church, unsleeping while earth rolls onward into light, through all the world her watch is keeping and rests not now by day nor night.

As o'er each continent and island the dawn leads on another day, the voice of prayer is never silent, nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking our brethren 'neath the western sky, and hour by hour fresh lips are making thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; thy throne shall never, like earth's proud empires, pass away; thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever, till all thy creatures own thy sway

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17. The King of love my Shepherd is,

The King of love my shepherd is Whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his And he is mine for ever.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, But yet in love he sought me, And on his shoulder gently laid, And home rejoicing brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill With thee, dear Lord, beside me; Thy rod and staff my comfort still, Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight; Thy unction grace bestoweth; And O what transport of delight From thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days Thy goodness faileth never: Good shepherd, may I sing thy praise Within thy house for ever.

18. The Lord’s my shepherd

The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green; He leadeth me The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again; And me to walk doth make Within the paths of righteousness, Even for His own Name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, Yet will I fear no ill; For Thou art with me; and Thy rod And staff my comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished In presence of my foes; My head Thou dost with oil anoint, And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life Shall surely follow me; And in God’s house forevermore My dwelling place shall be.

19. The Old Rugged Cross

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.

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O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see,

For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

20. Thine be the glory, Risen Conqu’ring Son

Thine is the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son; Endless is the victory, Thou o’er death hast won; Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,

Kept the folded grave clothes where Thy body lay.

Refrain

Thine is 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 the church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing; For her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting.

Refrain

No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life; Life is naught 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.

Refrain

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BIBLE READINGS

The reading of Scripture is often a very great help to those in the congregation who may be grieving. Words of comfort and strength often bring back memories of former days The statements of faith that are contained in the Scripture readings are in themselves an inspiration to many.

You may select any number of readings. They can be read separately or linked together. Friends and relatives are at liberty to read them or request the minister to include them as part of the service.

There is a time for everything, Eccl 3:1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

The powerful God, the God of Jacob is our refuge and strength

Psalms 46:1-10

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Job had complete confidence that after a long-time of physical death of the body he would see God in his own flesh!

Job 19:25-27

25 I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I

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shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

A cry out of the deep recesses of the heart

Psalms 130:1-2

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

The compassion and mercy of God

Lamentations 3:22-23

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Jesus himself will comfort the mourners

Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

The greatest message and promise ever broadcast to human beings

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The promise of eternal life

John 6:40

And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Jesus is the resurrection and the life

John 11:25-26

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

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The Way, the Truth, and the Life

John 14:1-3

14 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to

prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

The certainty of knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The ‘God of all comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

A promise if our earthy body is destroyed

2 Corinthians 5:1

5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The promise of the Second Coming of Christ

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

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A warning about possessions

1 Timothy 6:7

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

A glimpse of heaven where there is no more sorrow, pain or death

Revelation 21:3-6

3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

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Poems and other readings

Poem Title of poem Author if known No. 1. After my father gave me his blessing 2. A Gaelic Farewell 3. A Prayer of Peace 4. Death for one ought not mean death for two. 5. Death is nothing at all Canon Henry Scott Holland 6. Death Is Nothing but a Moment's Rest 7. Do not stand at my grave and weep Mary Elizabeth Frye 8. Each moment of love remains like a song 9. Early on, there's a point to regret: 10. Farewell, sweet dust Eleanor Wylie 11. Happy birthday, dearest one! 12. How lucky to have had so good a father! 13. Her life was not as glorious as some, 14. I cannot think that 15. Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore

William Shakespeare 16. Miss me, but let me go 17. Mom lived her life 18. My Adam (add other name) Tracy Lamont 19. My Sister 20. Neither mourn nor celebrate 21. No Sorrow To Die Amelia Josephine Barr 22. Remember me when I am gone away Christina Rossetti 23. She died soon after many years of pain, 24. The Divine Weaver 25. The Pilgrim’s Progress (extract) John Bunyan 26. To a Stillborn Sister 27. What is Dying Bishop Brent 28. You can shed tears that she is gone

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Poems and other readings

1. After my father gave me his blessing

After my father gave me his blessing For the first time, saying, "God bless you"

As I left him to the darkness, He held me there and kissed my hand.

For the first time saying, "God bless you" In all the years that I had loved him,

He held me there and kissed my hand, And the child shivered with delight.

In all the years that I had loved him, We understood no need to speak.

The child shivered with delight; The man in silence turned away.

We understood no need to speak As I left him to the darkness.

The man in silence turned away After my father gave me his blessing.

Birthdays do not end with death, But last as long as love,

A maelstrom of memories That grace and honour move.

And so we celebrate your day By visiting your grave,

A place that you have left long since, But is all that we have.

Dear spirit, come and join us here, Your loved ones by your stone! Come sweep across the barrier

To claim us as your own!

2. A Gaelic Farewell

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rain fall softly upon your fields until we meet again,

And may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

3. A Prayer of Peace

Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love;

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Where there is injury, your pardon; Where there is discord, union;

Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy;

O divine master, grant that we may not so much seek To be consoled as to consoled,

To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love,

For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

St Francis of Assisi (1181- 1226) 4. Death for one ought not mean death for two.

Death for one ought not mean death for two.

We cannot die of grief unless we will. Love requires us to love life still,

Lest love be less than life and death are due. We cannot choose but choose for others, too, For what we choose does what we are distill,

And open fields with inner sweetness fill, That those who pass might hope or faith renew.

So may your love for loved ones that remain Bring you through this season of despair To some unquiet, sad, but gentle spring.

Emerging from your chrysalis of pain, May you find a new world blossomed there

With new songs bittersweet that pleasure bring.

5. Death is nothing at all

Death is nothing at all I have only slipped away into the next room

I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other

That we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name Speak to me in the easy way which you always used

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes

We enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me, Let my name be ever the household word that

It always was.

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Let it be spoken without effort, Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant It is the same as it ever was

There is absolutely unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am Out of sight? I am but waiting for you

For an interval Somewhere very near

Just around the corner . All is well.

Canon Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)

6. Death Is Nothing but a Moment's Rest

Death is nothing but a moment's rest Until the Second Coming of the Lord

When He shall gather to Him of the best To take them to the place of their reward.

I've felt the power of Jesus in my soul Shining like a golden sun within,

Melting my hard heart to make me whole, Burning out the remnants of my sin.

I've felt Him work within me, so I know The glory that will come when I awake.

I'll sleep just like a child who'll homeward go, And in my dreams of love great pleasure take. So do not mourn my death, and do not grieve.

The Lord will come for me: This I believe.

7.Do not stand at my grave and weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die

Mary Elizabeth Frye – 1932

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8. Each moment of love remains like a song

Each moment of love remains like a song In the flow of our lives, in the lilt of our years,

Gripping our thoughts in its simple refrain, Healing with beauty our unanswered pain,

The hymn of our hearts and the bed of our tears, Your melody ancient, which we will pass on.

9. Early on, there's a point to regret:

Early on, there's a point to regret:

In creative pain, one can make changes. Grief is a wild, foolish, helpless rebellion,

Heart against stone, desire smashing against The locked fact, the impenetrable event,

Yielding nothing but the wash back into life.

For one who grieves, there's no point to regret: One lives through pain, it's not a time for changes,

Undoing in one's heart what one must accept in life, Repositioning the precise stones one smashes and smashes against.

10. Farewell, sweet dust

Now I have lost you, I must scatter All of you on the air henceforth; Not that to me it can ever matter

But it’s only fair to the rest of the earth.

Now especially, when it is winter And the sun’s not half as bright as it was,

Who wouldn’t be glad to find a splinter That once was you, in the frozen grass?

Snowflakes, too, will be softer feathered, Clouds, perhaps, will be whiter plumed;

Rain, whose brilliance you caught and gathered, Purer silver have resumed.

Farewell, sweet dust; I never was a miser:

Once, for a minute, I made you mine: Now you are gone, I am none the wiser

But the leaves of the willow are as bright as wine. Elinor Wylie (1885-1928)

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11. Happy birthday, dearest one!

Happy birthday, dearest one! Oh, happy, happy day!

Not even the most bitter night Can take this joy away!

Dear son, I cannot speak, and yet

I have so much to say to you, Too much for time and will to net. Life goes with just this last adieu.

I have so much to say to you, Far more than I can now convey. Life goes with just this last adieu To serve as what I want to say.

Far more than I can now convey, I love you with a love that yearns To serve as what I want to say,

Ablaze with joy that bleeds and burns.

I love you with a love that yearns Too much for time and will to net.

Ablaze with joy that bleeds and burns, Dear son, I cannot speak, and yet . . .

12. How lucky to have had so good a father!

How lucky to have had so good a father!

On us his warm, unstinting sun long shone. We were, of his hardworking life, the centre,

Loved for the pure joy of love alone. Uncanny are the requisites of pleasure,

Coming as they do within the will. Knowing well where lay his greatest treasure,

Years on years of love he laboured still.

13. Her life was not as glorious as some,

Her life was not as glorious as some, Devoted to her children and their children,

Taken up by quiet tedium: What's left when dreams are scattered to the wind. She loved too well, perhaps, and fought too hard

To make a marriage work that wasn't right. She was, of all bright loveliness, a shard

Struck off to bring our lives the gift of light. There are those whose lives are shaped by love;

Whose pleasures, rich and full, are found in giving;

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Who make our wild hearts bloom and passions move Into measured fields made lush by living.

Without her all the gold's gone from the day; She will be missed far more than we can say.

14. I Cannot Think You're Not Alive Somewhere

I cannot think you're not alive somewhere.

I think of you just as I did before. No sudden gust of wind has closed the door

Or made your presence vanish in thin air. I write you this because I know you're there; That even after death there must be more.

So does faith one's inner sun restore After bitter darkness few can bear.

My mind and heart have not yet lost a friend Even though my senses are bereft,

For you remain the witness of my soul. No mere accident our love can end long as I have will and memory left,

And you lie silent on some unknown shoal.

15. Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore

Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end,

Each changing place with that which goes before, In sequent toil all forwards do contend.

Nativity, once in the main of light, Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown’d,

Crooked eclipses ‘gainst his glory fight, And Time, that gave, doth now his gift confound.

Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth, And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow;

Feels on the rarities of nature’s truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow. And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,

Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

16. Miss me, but let me go

When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me

I want no rites in a gloom filled room Why cry for a soul set free

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Miss me a little - but not too long And not with your head bowed low

\Remember the love that we once shared Miss me - but let me go

For this is a journey that we must all take And each must go alone

It's all a part of the Master's plan A step on the road to home

When you are lonely, and sick of heart Go to the friends we know

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds Miss me - but let me go

17. Mom Lived Her Life for Love of Friends and Family

Mom lived her life for love of friends and family, Neither asking for nor wanting a return.

Her days became a sunlit homily, With others' joy her joy and main concern. When we were ill, she also became sick;

When we were cut, she, too, began to bleed. Of our oil lamp she was the wick,

Drawing her bright flame from our need. Some say that such behaviour’s out of date:

That self-fulfilment is the way to grace. But Mom, without much choice, then chose her fate,

Finding greater truth in an embrace. She lives on in the sparkle in our eyes:

Laughing, quiet, gentle, loving, wise.

18. My Adam

(add a different name as required)

I walked away that morning, without a backward glance, I didn't know that moment was going to be our last.

The last time I would hold you or see your lovely face, The last time I would kiss you and feel your strong embrace.

So solid and so real, so vibrant and alive, A happy face with twinkling eyes, my fine young man/woman, my child.

My first-born son, my Adam/name , the apple of my eye, so cruelly taken from me, I never said goodbye.

The shattered remnant of my heart is strangely beating still, with holes so black and fathomless no light could ever fill. I don't know how I face each day without my darling boy.

Gone is all the happiness, the love of life, the joy.

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The years stretch on before me, so bleak and dark and long, I pray you walk beside me,/son/daughter and help to keep me strong.

And when my life is over, come to me on that day, and smile at me and hold me tight and carry me away.

The wind that whispers through the trees, the brightest star at night, a rainbow on a dismal day, a shaft of golden light,

All these are signs you send to me, a message from above, that even death can't break the bonds of son/daughter and mother love...

Tracy Lamont

19. My Sister

Life's a burst of joy and pain, Life's a burst of joy and pain,

And then, like yours, it's done.

I love you, little sister, Just as if you'd lived for years.

No more, no less, I think of you, The angel of my tears.

You were my mother and my friend, Which was unusual.

Somehow our characters still blend: Your wisdom and my will.

I turned, and you were there for me; I spoke, you understood.

I felt cared for, but also free; You loved, and I was good.

I'm fortunate that I was born To someone just like you;

I love you still. Though you are gone, You live in what I do.

20. Neither mourn nor celebrate

Neither mourn nor celebrate This day that fathers should be kings,

But let it be appropriate To sing of sunlight sorrow brings.

This day that fathers should be kings Our child's death has all undone. To sing of sunlight sorrow brings

Brings back in tears our dearest one.

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Our child's death has all undone Our joy in life, and yet our pain

Brings back in tears our dearest one That we might hold him once again.

All joy in life must end in pain, So let it be appropriate

That we might hold him once again And neither mourn nor celebrate.

21. No Sorrow To Die

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die. I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.

I have run and leaped with the rain, I have taken the wind to my breast. My cheek like a drowsy child to the face of the earth I have pressed.

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.

I have kissed young Love on the lips, I have heard his song to the end, I have struck my hand like a seal in the loyal hand of a friend.

I have known the peace of heaven, the comfort of work done well. I have longed for death in the darkness and risen alive out of hell.

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.

I give a share of my soul to the world where my course is run. I know that my another shall finish the task I must leave undone.

I know that no flower, nor flint was in vain on the path I trod. As one looks on a face through a window, through life I have looked on God,

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die. Amelia Josephine Barr (1878 - ?)

22. Remember me when I am gone away

Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned:

Only remember me, you understand It will be too late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad. Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

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23. She died soon after many years of pain,

She died soon after many years of pain, A remnant of the person she once was.

Yet in the days of peace before her death We shared a pleasure brief but undismayed.

How strange is time! The precious days so slow Passed like a sunset seeming without end,

Agonizing in its aching beauty, Distillate of joy before the darkness.

She was the single parent of three sons, Leaving them just past the door to manhood,

Herself not old, still ripe with postponed passion, Never now to know again its treasure.

But love was like a dancer in those days, Filling every moment with its grace,

An evanescent feeling, yes, but present As sunlight on a green and open field;

A love that felt just like the pith of being, Naked and alone, but unashamed,

Knowing with the certainty of sorrow That life is no more rich than at its end.

24. The Divine Weaver

A man’s life is laid in a loom of time

To a pattern he does not see. While the Weaver works and the shuttles fly

Till the end of eternity.

Some shuttles are filled with silver thread, And some with threads of gold; While often but the darker hue

Is all that they may hold. But the weaver watches with skilful eye

Each shuttle fly to and fro, And sees the pattern so deftly wrought

As the loom works sure and slow.

God surely planned that pattern Each thread – the dark and the fair –

Was chosen by his master skill And placed in the web with care.

He only knows the beauty And guides the shuttles which hold

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The threads so unattractive As well as the threads of gold.

Not till the loom is silent.

And the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the pattern And explain the reason why

The dark threads are as needful In the weavers skilful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern he had planned.

25. The Pilgrim’s Progress (extract)

I see myself now at the end of my journey; my toilsome days are ended. I am going now to see that head which was crowned with thorns, and that face which was spit upon for me. I have formerly lived by hearsay and faith, but now I go where I shall live by sight, and shall be with Him in whose company I delight myself. I have loved to hear my Lord spoken of; and wherever I have seen the print of his shoe in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot too. His name to me has been as a civet-box; yea, sweeter than all perfumes. His voice to me has been most sweet; and his countenance I have more desired than they that have most desired the light of the sun. His word I did use to gather for my food, and for antidotes against my faintings. He has held me, and has kept me from mine iniquities; yea, my steps hath he strengthened in his way.

Now, while he was thus in discourse, his countenance changed; his strong man bowed under him; and after he had said, “Take me, for I come unto Thee!” he ceased to be seen of them.

But glorious it was to see how the open region was filled with horses and chariots, with trumpeters and pipers, with singers and players on stringed instruments, to welcome the pilgrims as they went up, and followed one another in at the beautiful gate of the city.

John Bunyan (1628-1688)

26. To a Stillborn Sister

How do you love a person Who never got to be,

Or try again to see a face You never got to see?

How do you mourn the death of one Who never got to live,

When there's nothing to feel good about And nothing to forgive?

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I love you, little sister. You're a person of the wind,

Free to be the memory Of all that might have been.

I love you, little sister, My companion of the night,

Wandering through my lonely hours, Beautiful and bright.

What does it mean to die before You ever can be born,

To live the lovely night of life And never see the dawn?

Ah! My little sister, You lived like anyone!

27. What is Dying?

A ship sails and I stand

Watching till she fades on the horizon And someone at my side says,

“She is gone”. Gone where?

Gone from my sight, that is all; She is just as large as when I saw her.

The diminished size and total loss of sight Is in me, not in her,

And just at the moment When someone at my side says

“She is gone” There are others who are watching her coming,

And other voices take up a glad shout “There she comes!”

And that is dying Bishop Brent

28. You can shed tears that she is gone

You can shed tears that she is gone Or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that she’s left.

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Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her

Or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back

Or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on. Anon