Funeral reading

Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)

William Whiting, 1860

“Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)” by William Whiting, 1860, 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, but we do not set the words here — the note below says what to bring instead, and why.

Why the words are not printed here

Public domain. Standard at a naval or Coast Guard funeral. If there are military honors, agree with the funeral director exactly where this sits relative to Taps.

Where it comes from

William Whiting wrote Eternal Father, Strong to Save in 1860, inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psalm 107, and it was popularized by the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in the late nineteenth century. Within a year it appeared in the first edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861, and versions have been adopted by many services, including the United States Coast Guard and Marine Corps.

What it says

God who binds the restless waves and sets the limits of the ocean is asked to hear the people who cry out for those in peril on the sea. Each verse ends with the same prayer for sailors. Many services have added verses for airmen, soldiers and others in danger. It is a prayer of protection, sung at a funeral as honor to someone who served.

The Navy Hymn. Coordinate it with the honor guard, not around them. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: navy · military honors · a sailor · service · veterans.

Who it suits

A naval, Coast Guard, Marine or other military funeral, and families of sailors, fishermen and anyone who worked on the water. It is standard at naval funerals and may be expected. It suits a veteran’s service even outside a church.

Where it goes in the ceremony

Often the closing hymn, or played as the coffin is carried out. With military honors, agree with the funeral director and the honor guard exactly where it sits relative to Taps, the flag folding and any salute.

Reading it aloud

Sung through by the room, allow about 4 minutes, depending on how many verses the venue’s book carries and how slowly the organist takes it.

Coordinate with the honor guard rather than planning around them. They have their own order and may expect the hymn at a set point.
Ask which verses the family want, including any service-specific verses for the person’s branch.
It may be played by a band rather than sung. If so, you need only stand still and wait.
If the person served, a single line about their service before it starts is enough.

Questions about reading it aloud

How long does “Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)” take to read aloud?

“Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)” 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 “Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)”?

Everyone together, rather than one reader. “Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)” 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 “Eternal Father, Strong to Save (the Navy Hymn)” be printed in a ceremony script?

Not by us. Public domain. Standard at a naval or Coast Guard funeral. If there are military honors, agree with the funeral director exactly where this sits relative to Taps.

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.

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