Common Worship Funeral Service: Structure, Prayers, and What to Expect

What Common Worship Is

Common Worship is the Church of England's modern liturgical resource, authorised in 2000 alongside the historic 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Its funeral rites appear in the "Pastoral Services" volume and are used in the majority of Church of England funerals today. Where the Book of Common Prayer uses Elizabethan English and a fixed, unchanging structure, Common Worship offers contemporary language with built-in flexibility — choices between prayers, optional elements, and space for personal tributes.

Both are equally authorised. The vicar decides which to use, though most will accommodate a family's preference. If the deceased loved the rhythms of Cranmer's prose ("earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust"), the 1662 form is still available. For most families, the modern language of Common Worship feels more natural and accessible.

The Structure of the Service

A Common Worship funeral follows this sequence:

The Gathering. The minister meets the coffin at the church door with the opening sentences: "We meet in the name of Jesus Christ, who died and was raised to the glory of God the Father." The coffin is carried to the front of the church, often accompanied by a hymn or organ voluntary. A tribute or eulogy may be given here — Common Worship places the personal element early, before the formal liturgy begins.

Readings and Sermon. One or more Bible readings are chosen by the family in consultation with the minister; two or three are common. The most common choices: Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd"), John 14:1–6 ("In my Father's house are many rooms"), Romans 8:35–39 ("Who shall separate us from the love of Christ"), and 1 Corinthians 15:51–57 (the resurrection passage). Between or after readings, a hymn is usually sung. The minister then preaches a short sermon — typically 5–10 minutes — connecting the readings to the hope of resurrection and the life of the deceased.

Prayers. Common Worship provides several sets of prayers for different circumstances. The prayers thank God for the deceased's life, commit them to God's mercy, and ask for comfort for the mourners. The congregation may join in the Lord's Prayer. This section also includes space for specific intercessions — prayers for the family by name, for anyone who is ill, or for others who have recently died.

Commendation and Farewell. The minister stands beside the coffin and commends the deceased to God. The congregation may say together: "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." This is the emotional peak of the service — the formal letting go.

The Committal. If the burial or cremation follows immediately, the committal happens at the graveside or crematorium. The minister says the familiar words: "We have entrusted our brother/sister [name] to God's mercy, and we now commit their body to the ground / to be cremated: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life." At a graveside, earth is scattered on the coffin. At a crematorium, the curtains close or the coffin descends.

Key Prayers Families Should Know

Three prayers from the Common Worship funeral rites that families often find meaningful:

The Collect (opening prayer): "Merciful Father, hear our prayers and comfort us; renew our trust in your Son, whom you raised from the dead; strengthen our faith that all who have died in the love of Christ will share in his resurrection."

The Nunc Dimittis (sometimes sung): "Lord, now you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people." This ancient canticle is sometimes used at the moment of death itself, when a minister is present.

The Post-Communion prayer (if Holy Communion is celebrated): "God of all consolation, in your unending love and mercy you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life."

How It Differs from the Book of Common Prayer

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer funeral is shorter, more austere, and theologically stark. Its language confronts mortality head-on: "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery." There is no eulogy in the traditional form — the service is entirely about God's judgement and mercy, not the deceased's biography.

Common Worship softens this. The language focuses on hope and comfort alongside honest acknowledgement of death. It builds in a place for the personal tribute. It offers choices where the older rite offers none. For families who find the 1662 language too bleak or formal, Common Worship provides the same theological substance in a warmer, more participatory form.

That said, the Book of Common Prayer has a weight and beauty that many families find profoundly comforting precisely because it doesn't try to be modern. "In the midst of life we are in death" lands differently from a contemporary paraphrase.

What the Family Can Choose

Within the Common Worship framework, the family typically chooses:

• The readings (from an approved list, though the vicar may allow additional readings)
• The hymns (2–4, depending on the length of the service)
• Whether to include a eulogy and who delivers it
• Whether to celebrate Holy Communion as part of the service
• Music for the entry and exit of the coffin
• Whether the committal happens at the church, the graveside, or the crematorium

The vicar retains authority over what happens in the church — they can veto music or readings they consider inappropriate — but most clergy are accommodating when families explain their choices thoughtfully.

For the complete service planning process — including a comparison of denominations, statutory fees, and a meeting checklist for your vicar appointment — our Protestant Funeral UK guide covers everything from first notification through to the committal.