Dear Friends,
The reality is sinking in. Someone who has been so familiar, so fundamental to our lives, someone who has been so integral and such an inspiration to us for almost a century, is no longer there with us or there for us. She is moving on, we are moving on.
The tiny figure of the Queen, standing beside the fireplace in her beloved Balmoral, Scotland, only a few days ago, seemingly still radiant, still with that bright, warm smile, as she welcomed Liz Truss and commissioned her to be her 15th Prime Minister, within 48 hours was our Head of State no longer. Homage is now paid to Charles, her son, our King.
It has been extraordinary to sense in the ordinary events of recent days the extraordinary sense of history being written in the pages of our nations life and in the lived experience of us all.
In just a matter of days we have digested the news of Her late Majesty`s death, we have heard her heir`s broadcast to the nation, Commonwealth and to the world just 24 hours later and some of us will have witnessed the Proclamation of Charles as our new Monarch, at St James`s Palace on Saturday. Now we await her Funeral, which I hope will be a chance to celebrate an extraordinary life, extraordinarily lived, and pray her into her new life in Christ`s Resurrection Kingdom, in which she believed so fervently. I would now like to invite you to be part of the events at St Mary`s which knit our own individual stories into the larger story going on around us, moments where we can be part of something greater than ourselves in the history which is unfolding in our midst. The following is our pattern of events and services over the coming days:
SUNDAY 11th September: At St Mary`s Church, there will be a Solemn Eucharist for the repose of the soul of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll at 9.30am. (Readings: Psalm 23 and John Ch 14 v 1-6) At 2.30pm, on the steps of York House Twickenham, there will be the Proclamation of Charles our new and undoubted King. Monday-Saturday, 12th-17th September inclusive: The church will be open for prayer and for the signing of the Book of Condolence from 10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm. There will also be a Solemn Eucharist celebrated at 10am on Wednesday 14th September. SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER: At St Mary`s Church there will be the third of our Solemn Eucharists for the soul of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll at 9.30am (Readings: 1 Thess Ch 4 v 13-18 & John Ch 20 v 11-18) And at 6pm we at St Mary`s will be hosting the Borough Service of Thanksgiving, for the life of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll, which will also be live streamed, the link for which I will send out in advance of next weekend should you prefer to watch remotely.
I warmly encourage you to come to St Mary`s over the coming days to be part of these services and events and look forward to seeing you there.
God Save The King.
With Blessings and best wishes
Jeff