Planning My Own Funeral

Perhaps it's the recent experience of another Holy Week of services, but I have been thinking about planning my own memorial service. I won't be physically rising from the dead, and I've donated my body to the Vanderbilt School of Medicine; so it will be a memorial service rather than a funeral. Having selected and provided music for so many funerals over my years as a church musician, this is not a new task. But since I'm talking here about my own final service and very likely the last chance I'll ever have to determine what the worshiping congregation sings, I'd like to go out by putting songs on their lips and in their hearts that have brought me great joy and meaning.

Planning my own memorial is a rather strange experience. All the things that were once so important in planning worship and music — the lectionary, the sermon theme, the liturgical season, the day of the year, worship flow and unity, the basic four-fold pattern of worship — don't even cross my mind. They have been replaced by an overwhelming desire to select music and Scriptures that say to those who have joined me in my last earthly worship service, "This is who I was. This is what shaped and formed me in my faith. This is what comforted, inspired, and strengthened me. This is what carried and now literally carries me into God's presence."

There's more here than can go into one service. I'd actually be pleased if the service consisted of little more than these Scriptures (2 Chronicles 5, Psalm 146, Romans 8:28-39, 1 Corinthians 13), a prayer, a time for anyone present to share a short remembrance, with the rest of the time given over to congregational singing of as many of these songs as the people will sing. (No flowers — just a single red amaryllis, a purple iris, or a yellow chrysanthemum. And take an offering for the local rescue mission or hospice.) With one exception the hymns are from The United Methodist Hymnal (UMH) and The Faith We Sing (TFWS) and are listed here in alphabetical order. Please note the absence of "Amazing Grace," "How Great Thou Art," "Softly and Tenderly," "The Old Rugged Cross," and "In the Garden."

• UMH 363, "And Can It Be that I Should Gain"
• UMH 163, "Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know"
• UMH 369, "Blessed Assurance" (only if done in a Black Gospel style)
• UMH 728, "Come Sunday"
• UMH 400, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
• UMH 641, "Fill My Cup, Lord" (just the chorus)
• UMH 140, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"
• UMH 377, "It Is Well with My Soul"
• UMH 584, "Lord You Give the Great Commission"
• UMH 733, "Marching to Zion"
• UMH 368, "My Hope Is Built" (use tune, MELITA, in The Faith We Sing, no. 2191))
• UMH 715, "Rejoice, the Lord Is King"
• UMH 706, "Soon and Very Soon"
• UMH 347, "Spirit Song"
• UMH 334, "Sweet, Sweet Spirit"
• UMH 380, "There's Within My Heart a Melody"
• UMH 98, "To God Be the Glory"
• UMH 349, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
• UMH 370, "Victory in Jesus"
• UMH 68, "When in Our Music God Is Glorified"
• UMH 185, "When Morning Gilds the Skies"
• UMH 629, "You Satisfy the Hungry Heart"
• TFWS 2152, "Change My Heart, O God"
• TFWS 2185, "For One Great Peace"
• TFWS 2133, "Give Me a Clean Heart"
• TFWS 2036, "Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart"
• TFWS 2060, "God the Sculptor of the Mountains"
• TFWS 2219, "Goodness Is Stronger than Evil"
• TFWS 2163, "He (God) Who Began a Good Work"
• TFWS 2270, "I Will Enter His Gates"
• TFWS 2282, "I'll Fly Away"
• TFWS 2195, "In the Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful"
• TFWS 2007, "Santo, Santo, Santo"
• TFWS 2031, "We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise"
• "Take, O Take Me As I Am"

And if someone decides my memorial service can have only four hymns, here are my choices:

• UMH 363, "And Can It Be That I Should Gain"
• UMH 68, "When In Our Music God Is Glorified"
• TFWS 2152, "Change My Heart, O God"
• "Take, O Take Me As I Am"

A friend once told me that you can't really know someone until you know the books that he or she has read. I think equally revealing would be to know the person's list of funeral songs and Scriptures. Making such a list is probably a healthy thing to do, as well. It causes you to think not only about those favorite songs you like to sing but also the songs that have helped to make you the person you are and that can serve as a witness to your own faith and Christian experience.

I've been told there will be no need for preachers or pastors in heaven, but perhaps those angelic choirs will need directors and accompanists. I just can't imagine heaven without a piano or a good praise band.