John 6:37–40 — Him That Cometh to Me I Will in No Wise Cast Out

Why families choose it

This is the reading for the quiet worry that attends many funerals — the unspoken question of whether the one who has died is safe. Its answer is a promise with no exception clause: him that cometh, however slowly or late or falteringly, ‘I will in no wise cast out.’ Twice the passage promises a raising up at the last day, and once, in the middle, comes the sentence a grieving family most needs: of all that was given, ‘I should lose nothing.’

Reading it aloud

Two phrases carry the whole reading and must not be hurried: ‘I will in no wise cast out’ — in no wise means never, under no circumstances — and ‘I should lose nothing.’ The sentences are long, so take them a clause at a time and do not fear the commas. Both halves end at ‘the last day’; let the repetition stand, landing the final one as the end of the matter, because it is.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Scripture Reading — John 6:37–40” with the reader’s name beside it. The full text is public domain and may be printed on the life-story or back page.