5 Hymns to Sing at the End of Life
A Glimpse of Eternity
I am often asked, “What’s the most memorable event you have ever played?” Expecting me to say a location like the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville or New York’s Carnegie Hall, my response always surprises them. “My most memorable event was at Arbor Trace Assisted Living Community in May 2023.” There were no lights, no stage, no pre-rehearsed set list, no audience per se. The family of my friend, Carl Wilhelm, asked me to come and sing hymns over Carl and with the family as he was passing to glory. As we sang together, our eyes and hearts were lifted heavenward.
In those late-night moments, we caught a glimpse of eternity, and Carl and his family were comforted in their time of grief. Hymns were the soundtrack as they walked that hard road. But what is it about the singing of hymns that aided my friend in releasing his grip on this earthly life and entering the eternal embrace of Jesus? How did these songs comfort his family in such a sorrowful season?
Here are five of the hymns we sang that evening, with a brief explanation as to why I chose each.
1. “It Is Well”
I have lost track of how many times I have sung this song at funerals and services of lament. It is a familiar classic that speaks to sorrow. First, it reminds us of the truth that a soul that is stayed upon the Lord is well, both in this life and the next. Our circumstances may tempt us to despair, but the One who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Horatio Spafford, in the wake of losing both his family and his livelihood, penned these words, reminiscent of Job’s sentiments: “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him” (Job 13:15). When our souls are crushed, this hymn gives us words to sing, much like David in Psalm 34: “I will bless the Lord at all times” (Ps. 34:1). Yet the hymn writer doesn’t just encourage us to grin and bear it in the sorrow of this life. The last two verses below are the anguished heart cry of every believer who has endured deep pain and loss:
The Sing! Hymnal
Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, John Martin, Dan Kreider, Douglas Sean O'Donnell
Curated by award-winning hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty, The Sing! Hymnal features timeless hymns to deepen corporate worship and unity among believers. With liturgical readings and a durable cover, this edition is ideal for regular church use.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
We yearn for the day of the Lord’s return. Every day he tarries, we remind our hearts that, as those whose lives are hidden in the cross, the sky, not the grave, is our goal!
2. “How Great Thou Art”
This hymn of praise and adoration may feel like the last thing we want to sing in a season of grief, but that may be the very reason we need it. John Witvliet describes the Psalms as “scripts” that help us pray the prayers we need to pray when we can’t find the words. Though I am certainly not putting man-made songs on the level of God’s word, the principle is the same: Even in our hardest seasons, God is worthy of our praise. Consider the three most-popular verses of this hymn. In the first verse, the hymn writer lifts our eyes from our present situation to gaze upon the cosmos, the galaxies upon galaxies that our God has fashioned with a spoken word (Gen. 1). “O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made.” Yet our God didn’t stop there as a majestic, yet distant being. In verse two, we consider, “God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die. I scarce can take it in”. As the hymnwriter continues to lay out the principles of the gospel with such clarity and affection, our hearts soar with gratitude as we return to this chorus of adoration. The last verse combines the holiness and majesty of God in verse one with the sacrifice of his Son in verse two, celebrating the glory that awaits us when we come to the end of our lives.
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”
These words bolster the faith of both the one who leaves and the one who is left. For the believer who passes from this life, they are headed home and will immediately experience more joy than any of their brightest moments here on earth. For those left behind, we long for that day as well, but we wait in “humble adoration,” trusting God’s good plan and his perfect timing in all things.
3. “Be Still, My Soul”
There is simply no song that ministers to the grieving soul as this hymn does. Consider the words of verse 3:
Be still, my soul! when dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shall you better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears.
Be still, my soul! your Jesus can repay
From his own fullness all he takes away.
This hymn echoes the prayer of David written in grief and anguish, calling upon the Lord to bring stability to his soul. God, through the psalmist, acknowledges our humanity. God knows that we will face moments in this life of such fierce loss and loneliness that our hearts will feel like they are splitting in half. David wrote as someone who knew the anguish of losing a child, the sorrow of betrayal, and despair that refuses to be lifted.
Even in our hardest seasons, God is worthy of our praise.
But this hymn reminds us, as David does, of our responsibility as believers to choose faith over feelings. We must speak (and sing) to our souls the truth of our unchangeable God. He is still good. He is still loving. He is “guiding the future as he has the past.” We must remind ourselves of his promise to bring us safely home to be with him forever.
4. “I Need Thee Every Hour”
One of the prayer practices of the Eastern Orthodox church is something known as “breath prayers.” Simply put, these are short prayers spoken throughout the day in moments of need. Though this hymn does not offer a theology of death and lament the way that others do, its contribution is still significant as it reminds us of our need for God. Though most believers are relatively conscious of our daily need for God, in our times of trial, we tend to experience that need more than just daily. We feel our desperation for his presence every moment, looking to him for wisdom and strength to care for loved ones, for a holy bracing during unexpected tragedy, and for courage to face the remainder of our earthly lives without a friend or family member who leaves a gaping hole. This hymn gently reminds us that our deepest need, in every situation, isn’t answers to our seemingly endless why questions; our deepest need is the steadfast presence of the Lord. In Christ, we have everything we need, even in the wake of tremendous loss.
5. “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go”
The last hymn in this short list is “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.” This hymn reminds me of when I used to walk along the beach with my firstborn, Josie. As a toddler, she loved dipping her toes in the surf, enjoying the excitement of each breaking wave. And as tightly as she would hold my hand, her safety did not rest in her ability to hold on to me, but my ability to hold on to her.
Grief can be tricky for those who are trying their best to seek God. Some days we wake up feeling hopeful, and the next day is filled with despair. Some mornings we can read our Bibles with clarity and say our prayers with confidence; yet on other days, we feel too weak and despondent to even speak his name. Yet the beauty of belonging to the Lord is that our “closeness” to him isn’t reliant upon our efforts. Yes, there are ways we can experience his presence more fully, but the chasm between us and God has already been bridged. Despite how we feel, the Lord is close even when he feels far away. He is near to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18), and his grip upon our wavering souls is secured by Christ’s work on the cross, not our efforts towards spirituality. In our time of grief, we trust the greater hand that holds us. And we sing of his goodness, his promises, and his presence until our weary souls begin to feel it again.
This short selection of hymns is a sampling of how God can use hymns in times of grief. As our hearts sing of the great truths of God’s faithfulness, his character, and the assurance of the future that awaits us, we know our trust is not misplaced.
Other Favorite End of Life Hymns, Old and New:
“Like a River Glorious”
“I Set My Hope on Jesus”
“He Will Hold Me Fast”
“’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
“Come Unto Jesus”
“In Christ Alone”
“When We All Get to Heaven”
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
“Abide with Me”
“I Need Thee Every Hour”
“Blessed Assurance”
Laura Story is a contributor to The Sing! Hymnal created by Keith and Kristyn Getty.
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