From politics reporter Harvest Prude: Like everyone else who watched the state funeral service for America’s 39th president, Jimmy Carter, I’m very curious what President-elect Donald Trump and former president Barack Obama could have been whispering about. Unlike other reporters, I was also trying to name all of the hymns.

There’s often a religious angle to political ceremonies, especially ones with a lot of high pomp and circumstance. At the Carter funeral, religion was front and center. Prayers, readings from Scripture, and testimonials about the centrality of the late president’s faith in his life and legacy abounded. I was very grateful to be able to refer to the comprehensive funeral sequence by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and the US Army Military District of Washington to pinpoint the names of the songs. Most were familiar, but some were new to me, such as the modern hymn “The Road Home.”

The simple lyrics describe someone wandering for years through rain, darkness, and wind and seeking a road that will “lead me home.” The lyrics end on a hopeful note, with a call that echoes Christ’s call to his disciples: “Rise up; follow me. / I will lead you home.”