Funeral reading
Nearer, My God, to Thee
Sarah Flower Adams, 1841
“Nearer, My God, to Thee” by Sarah Flower Adams, 1841 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 too long to print in a ceremony script, so this page points at a full text rather than reproducing one.
Why the words are not printed here
Public domain. Many people know it only from the Titanic, which may or may not help.
Pieces still in copyright are listed by title and author only — we name them and tell you where to get them, but we do not reproduce the words. Public-domain text is printed in your script in full.
What it is about
Solemn and old. Expect the Titanic association in at least one head.
Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: traditional · the Titanic · an older congregation · solemn.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Nearer, My God, to Thee” take to read aloud?
“Nearer, My God, to Thee” 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 “Nearer, My God, to Thee”?
Everyone together, rather than one reader. “Nearer, My God, to Thee” 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 “Nearer, My God, to Thee” be printed in a ceremony script?
Not in full here. Public domain. Many people know it only from the Titanic, which may or may not help.
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
- Abide With Me4 minutesHenry Francis Lyte, 1847
- The Old Rugged Cross4 minutesGeorge Bennard, 1913
- What a Friend We Have in Jesus4 minutesJoseph Scriven, 1855
- Amazing Grace4 minutesJohn Newton, 1779
- The Lord's My Shepherd (Crimond)4 minutesScottish Psalter, 1650
- How Great Thou Art5 minutesStuart K. Hine (English text, 1949)