Book of Common Prayer Funeral Service

Two Liturgies, One Church

The Church of England authorises two funeral liturgies: the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the 2000 Common Worship: Pastoral Services. Both carry equal legal authority. The parish priest decides which to use, though families can express a preference — and most clergy will accommodate the request if it is made early enough.

The BCP service is compact and formal. Its language is Elizabethan English ("earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust"), and the service follows a fixed order with almost no variation. There are no optional readings, no space for a eulogy within the rite itself, and the prayers assume a traditional theology of judgement and mercy. Families who want the gravitas of centuries-old English prose — the same words spoken over their grandparents and great-grandparents — tend to request the BCP.

Common Worship is the modern alternative. The language is contemporary, the structure is flexible, and the service explicitly makes room for a tribute from a family member or friend. Most Church of England funerals today use Common Worship because it allows clergy to adapt the service to the family's circumstances — adding a favourite reading, adjusting the prayers, or incorporating a brief reflection on the life of the deceased.

Structure of the BCP Funeral

The 1662 order runs in three movements, each tied to a physical location:

The Sentences and Procession. As the coffin enters the church, the minister walks ahead and recites a series of biblical sentences: "I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord" (John 11:25) and "I know that my Redeemer liveth" (Job 19:25). These are not optional — they are prescribed, and their order is fixed.

The Church Service. Psalm 39 or Psalm 90 is read (or both), followed by the lesson from 1 Corinthians 15:20–58 — Paul's extended argument for bodily resurrection. The minister then leads the congregation in the Lesser Litany and the Lord's Prayer. There is no sermon unless the minister chooses to add one, and no eulogy.

The Committal. At the graveside or crematorium, the minister commits the body with the famous formula: "We therefore commit this body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life." The service closes with a collect and the grace.

The entire rite can be completed in under twenty minutes. Its brevity is intentional — Cranmer designed it for an era when burial followed death within days, and the parish priest might conduct several funerals in a week.

Structure of the Common Worship Funeral

Common Worship expands the framework while keeping the same three-movement architecture:

The Gathering. The minister meets the coffin at the door with sentences of scripture. A hymn follows, then a prayer of thanksgiving and a collect. The tribute — a personal reflection from a family member — is placed here, near the start, so the congregation hears about the person before turning to God's word.

The Readings and Sermon. Two or three readings from scripture, chosen by the family in consultation with the minister. Common Worship provides a wide selection: Old Testament passages like Isaiah 25:6–9 ("He will swallow up death for ever") sit alongside New Testament readings such as Romans 8:35–39 and Revelation 21:1–7. The minister preaches a short sermon connecting the readings to the life and faith of the deceased.

The Prayers and Commendation. Intercessions for the bereaved, prayers of penitence (optional), the Lord's Prayer, and then the formal commendation — "We commend [Name] to the mercy of God, our maker and redeemer." The committal at the graveside or crematorium follows, using language closely based on the BCP formula but rendered in modern English.

A Common Worship funeral typically runs thirty to forty-five minutes in church, plus ten to fifteen minutes at the graveside or crematorium.

Prayers Families Ask About Most

Three prayers generate the most questions from families planning a CofE funeral:

The Commendation hands the deceased over to God's care. In Common Worship, the minister says: "God our creator and redeemer, by your power Christ conquered death and entered into glory. Confident of his victory and claiming his promises, we entrust [Name] to your mercy."

The Committal happens at the point of burial or cremation. The words vary slightly depending on whether the body is buried or cremated, but the core formula — "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" — appears in both BCP and Common Worship versions.

The Nunc Dimittis ("Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace") is sometimes sung or said as the coffin leaves the church. It is optional in Common Worship but traditional in many parishes, particularly those with Anglo-Catholic practice.

Families sometimes ask whether they can write their own prayers. Common Worship allows additional prayers chosen or composed by the family, subject to the minister's approval. The BCP does not — its prayers are prescribed and cannot be altered.

How to Request a Specific Liturgy

Contact the parish priest as early as possible — ideally within the first day or two after the death, when the funeral director makes the initial booking. Let the priest know whether you prefer BCP or Common Worship, and whether there are readings, hymns, or a tribute you want included. The priest will explain what is possible within each rite and help you make choices that honour both the deceased and the tradition.

If the deceased lived in the parish, the parish priest has a legal duty to conduct the funeral regardless of church attendance. This right extends to BCP and Common Worship equally — you are not limited to one liturgy because the deceased was not a regular churchgoer.

For families navigating the full planning process — from death registration through the Medical Examiner system to choosing between burial and cremation — our Protestant Funeral UK planning guide walks through every step with statutory fee breakdowns and a pre-clergy-meeting checklist you can print and bring to your first consultation.