Friday, September 21, 2012

Wanted: the Perfect Funeral Song

At a church small group meeting on Monday evening, a friend shared how she had gone to a funeral with a coworker.  En route to the funeral, they had discussed what song they would like to have sung at their funeral.

What a great question!  Our deaths will be a great platform from which to proclaim Jesus to our family and friends.  Don't squander your final "sermon" on songs and messages that present a fuzzy God who will let a man into heaven as long as he is kind to his friends, raises civilized kids, and doesn't cheat on his wife. 

This is also a great question to use in evangelism.  When you ask people, "What song would you like sung at your funeral?" you'll gain insight into what they value in life.  They'll probably ask you what song you would pick too--and this will give you an opportunity to share about Jesus.

I posted this question on Facebook a few days ago, and I got a lot of interesting song suggestions.  Here are some of them to get your own thoughts going:
So what song have I picked?  I am still trying to decide, actually!

I want a song that:
  • Expresses the gospel clearly: that Jesus, God in the flesh, died for sinners and rose from the dead, and that by trusting in Him and turning from sin we receive forgiveness of sins and a new heart.
  • Expresses joyful confidence in the promise of the resurrection (that death, for a Christian, is just a shadow)
  • Doesn't use overly-archaic language
  • Doesn't have a melody that is overly complex or beyond the vocal range of an average person.  (I want my funeral attenders to sing the song, not just a soloist or choir.)
These are a few I am considering (but, all of these have weaknesses too):

Got any more ideas for me?

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