Musical Interlude - Adagio in C for Glass Harmonica 
by Mozart

 This is being played by Phoebe (all by memory too!)  of the St Hilary's Sunday School on her beautiful spinet which has been brought into St Hilary's especially for this occasion.     
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Opening Scripture

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope  through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1Peter 1 v3-5
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 The Prayers

We join together to say the following prayers:

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day
Our daily bread
And forgive us 
Our trespasses
As we forgive those
Who trespass
Against us
And lead us not
Into temptation
But deliver us
From evil.
For thine is the kingdom
The power and the glory
For ever and ever
AMEN.

We now listen to some more music during which you are all invited to reflect on the memory of those loved ones that you have also lost and see no longer. 

 Batsford Arboretum enjoyed a glorious Autumnal glow in October 2003 (below), shortly before Hilary died.  We are sure she would have enjoyed our visit as much as we did:-)

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Musical Interlude - Mozart Requiem -Kyrie 

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The Reading

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.   John 14 v1-3.

The Address

GOD CARES! WE CARE!

God has shown his love for us in many ways but none greater than by sending his Son Jesus to be our Saviour.

  He allowed Jesus to experience human suffering in its many forms,

• Separation from his family through his ministry,

• Loss of loved ones  - we are told how he felt when his friend Lazarus died,

• And physical suffering when he was tortured, suffered extreme pain and death by crucifixion.

Because he was human and loved those around him Jesus suffered in the same ways we suffer during our lifetime.  He really can relate to how we feel.  God, through Jesus, has suffered what we suffer.  So he comforts us when we need his healing, love and forgiveness. 

In Isaiah 57:18,19 we hear these words from God,

“I know what you are like!  But I will heal you, lead you, and give you comfort until those who are mourning start singing my praises.  No matter where you are, I, the Lord, will heal you and give you peace.” 

What wonderful words of comfort!  Here God is telling us that although we are mourning we have hope.  We have the sure hope that he will heal us, lead us and comfort us no matter where we are.  

“My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died.  Then you won’t grieve over them and be like people who haven’t got any hope.  We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life.  We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died.” (1Thessalonians 4:13-14)  

We are called to suffer as Christians who are willing to stand up for what we believe. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1, “the more I suffer the more I experience comfort through Christ”. The particular emphasis here is on the experience of comfort in the midst of suffering, not being comforted by being removed from suffering.  As Christians, we have learned to rely on Christ and not ourselves. 

This doesn’t mean we won’t grieve because we miss the person who has died.  But it does mean that we can be happy even in our grieving and give comfort to others who have recently suffered any loss.  We must also remember that we should not allow others to make us feel guilty about what we did or didn’t do while we shared our life with the ones we have lost.  God knows what we did and he is far kinder to us than we are to ourselves. 

Since God has shown us his love and comfort, he wants us to love and comfort others who grieve through the death of someone they loved, because of a lost job, when they are separated from friends and family by moving away or because of an argument, and also through the trauma of divorce.  People need encour­age­ment. People need the Lord. People need to know the comfort of God. 

Since God has comforted us, we can bring this comfort to others even while we still grieve.  

The result of all that God does is praise.  Praise for being ready to help in every situation.  Remember in your life that all praise goes to God, our Creator, Saviour and Comforter, for he has done everything for us! 

Copyright © 2004 Raelene Falland
November 15, 2004

Psalm 121.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills:
From whence cometh my help.
My help cometh even from the Lord:
Who hath made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
And he that keepeth thee will not sleep
Behold, he that keepeth Israel:
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord himself is thy keeper:
The Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
So that the sun shall not burn thee by day:
Neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
Yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in:
From this time forth for evermore.

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The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you
The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
And give you peace
Now and for evermore.
Amen.