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Question: Is How Great Thou Art for funeral services?
How great the art is a very powerful, multipurpose hymn that is used for worship, celebration of life, understanding of God's creation, and the like.
It is very often used at funerals as it is during the times of our greatest grief that we need to realize that:
- There's One who is greater than our grief.
- There's One who is greater than our sorrow.
- There's One who is greater than our pain.
Encouragement for Times of Grief
Sometimes our pain can sit and fester on the inside without us being aware of it. Bible Verses About Praise and Worship (Powerful)
Often times, someone on the outside has to reveal to us that we're hurting and need to pay attention to our mental health. But in everything, we know that we're more than conquerors through Him Who loves us and gave Himself for us!
It can get very hard in life, but we can gain strength from the Lord in difficult times. How Great Thou Art is often used for this purpose because in seeing how great God is we can put our pressing and hurtful experiences in the right perspective.
How Great Thou Art expresses the Christian doctrine of God’s majesty through creation, redemption, and final consummation, drawing upon theological themes articulated long before the hymn’s modern form emerged. Although the familiar hymn derives from Carl Boberg’s Swedish poem “O Store Gud” (1885), its theological substance is deeply rooted in pre-20th-century Christian thought.
The opening contemplation of nature—“When through the woods and forest glades I wander”—reflects natural theology, a tradition articulated by John Calvin in the Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536). Calvin argued that creation acts as a “theater of God’s glory,” revealing divine power and wisdom even to those without formal instruction. The hymn’s cosmic imagery mirrors Psalm 19, long interpreted by theologians as evidence that creation points beyond itself to the Creator.
The movement from creation to awe—“Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee”—aligns with Jonathan Edwards’ understanding of true worship. In The End for Which God Created the World (written c. 1755), Edwards taught that God’s ultimate purpose is the magnification of His glory in the joyful response of redeemed humanity. The hymn gives voice to this doxological response, where contemplation naturally leads to praise.
The Christological stanza—“And when I think that God, His Son not sparing”—echoes classic substitutionary atonement theology found in Anselm’s Cur Deus Homo (1098) and reaffirmed by Reformers such as Martin Luther, who emphasized the costly nature of divine grace. The hymn presents redemption not sentimentally but as a staggering act of divine self-giving.
Finally, the anticipation of Christ’s return reflects the eschatological hope expressed by Isaac Watts in Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1707), where worship looks forward to the visible reign of Christ.
Thus, words to How Great Thou Art stand as a modern hymn built upon ancient and Reformation-era theology, translating enduring doctrines of creation, redemption, and glory into timeless praise.
Listen and Watch The Founder Quinson Thomas play It is well with my soul - lyrics included.
Conclusion: How great thou art is a multipurpose and very popular hymn that is frequently used for funerals, Celebration of Life services and memorial services.
In addition to How great thou art, It is well with my soul, Amazing Grace, Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus and And can it be, are also songs that are used during times of funerals and loss.
