September 8, 2022

Dear Friends,

It is with deep sadness that I write to you upon the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second. The Queen has lived fully and completely within the commitment she made on the occasion of her 21st birthday when she declared that her whole life, whether it be long or short, would be devoted to our service. Service was the hallmark of her reign and the powerful example she laid down for all of us to follow.

Complementing the Queen’s life of service was the depth of her faith as a follower of Jesus Christ which sustained her throughout her long reign, in times of difficulty and times of celebration. She often spoke of her faith, particularly as part of her annual Christmas messages.

Here are but a few of the quotes from those addresses which have spanned the seventy years of her reign. We would all do well to keep these words close to our hearts and minds as we give thanks for the life of Queen Elizabeth and contemplate the remarkable legacy she has left“Mighty things from small beginnings grow as indeed they grew from the small child of Bethlehem.”

“Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.”

“For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.”

“Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.”

Over the next few days , plans will come together for us to gather and give thanks for the life of Queen Elizabeth and for the gift of eternal life in which she rejoices today. We will share those plans with you in due course. In the meantime, I would ask that the Churches of our diocese offer prayers of thanksgiving during services of worship for the Queen’s long life and reign and for the Royal Family in their grief. Please hold King Charles the Third in your prayers as he prepares to take up his duties even in the midst of his own personal grief. Churches with bells are asked to toll their bells 96 times to honour the Queen’s life which should take place as soon as practicable or in the context of Sunday worship.

O God, from whom comes everything that is upright and true:
Accept our thanks for the gifts of heart and mind thou didst bestow on thy servant Elizabeth,
And which she showed forth among us in her words and deeds;
Deal graciously we pray thee, with those who mourn, especially the members of the Royal Family,
that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

May our Sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth II Rest In Peace and Rise in Glory. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest In peace. Amen.

Yours in the Hope of the Resurrection.