Funeral reading
Abide With Me
Henry Francis Lyte, 1847
“Abide With Me” by Henry Francis Lyte, 1847 is a hymn read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 4 minutes read aloud, usually by everyone together. It is in the public domain, and the opening verse is printed on this page — the rest is in the hymn book the venue sings from.
The opening verse
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.
Public domain, so this verse can be printed in a script or an order of service. The rest of the hymn is in the book the venue sings from — printing a full hymn text is a separate permission from singing it.
What it is about
Traditional and slow. Suits an older congregation who will actually sing.
Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: eventide · traditional · an older congregation · evening · comfort.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Abide With Me” take to read aloud?
“Abide With Me” takes about 4 minutes read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “Abide With Me”?
Everyone together, rather than one reader. “Abide With Me” runs about 4 minutes and needs the words in front of the room — in an order of service, on a screen, or led line by line by the officiant.
Can “Abide With Me” be printed in a ceremony script?
The opening verse is on this page and is public domain, so it can be printed. For the rest, use the hymn book or order of service the venue sings from — printing a full hymn text is a separate permission from singing it.
Where this text was checked
Checked word for word against a full-text edition that is itself the authority — a Project Gutenberg or Wikisource transcription, a publisher’s own edition, or the issuing body’s page.
Checked
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- Nearer, My God, to Thee4 minutesSarah Flower Adams, 1841
- What a Friend We Have in Jesus4 minutesJoseph Scriven, 1855
- Amazing Grace4 minutesJohn Newton, 1779
- The Old Rugged Cross4 minutesGeorge Bennard, 1913
- The Lord's My Shepherd (Crimond)4 minutesScottish Psalter, 1650
- How Great Thou Art5 minutesStuart K. Hine (English text, 1949)