Revelation 20:11-12; 21:1-8 When someone dies, one of the many realities that strike at the soul is the paperwork that is issued by civic authorities – the death certificate. It is a stark document, perfunctory and precise, stating simply that someone has died and that it is now official. It is also a necessary document, for without it funeral arrangements … Read More
The word ‘caravan’ has been in the news lately the caravan travelling through Mexico from Central America – all those people heading north to the United States in the hope of finding a better life in the wonderland that is Trump’s America. Whatever the wonders of Trump’s America may or may not be, there are a large number of people … Read More
We come together in church where the names of departed loved ones and those in our Memorial Book are read out. When their name is read out we go forward and light a candle in their memory. Some churches, including the Catholic Church, hold special services with music and prayers focused on All Souls’ Day on or around November 2 … Read More
Just under 2 weeks ago I watched a programme all about loneliness. Perhaps you saw it too. It was late on a Monday night, and it followed a documentary about the Aberfan disaster. You’ll no doubt have followed the half-century commemorations of that in the news in recent days – Carl Jenkins wrote a wonderful cantata and Prince Charles visited … Read More
This service has been happening here for many years now – I inherited the tradition from my predecessor over ten years ago, and it was established by him. Some of you have been coming here for many years, each and every year coming to remember and light a candle. Others of you are perhaps here for the first time, and … Read More
