St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney

Founded 1819

Consecrated 1868

Restored 2000

With thanksgiving for the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 4th August 1900 – 30th March 2002

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Tuesday 9th April 2002

Human beings have experienced the mystery of death, and the pain of grief, since time immemorial. Every society has developed rites to mark the passage from life through death, and to commemorate the dead. Today we do that through this service.

Christians believe in God, the source and giver of life. God’s good news proclaims Jesus Christ to be our living Lord, who laid down his life for us. He knew death, yet triumphed over it, drawing its sting, and was raised by God to new life. Christians affirm the presence of the Spirit of Christ, who helps us in our weakness. Yet we, with all mortals, still face death. Those who put their trust in Christ share the sufferings of their Lord, even in the midst of God’s love and care.

In this service we proclaim the Christian hope in the face of death – Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is the promise of our own.

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ORDER OF SERVICE

Stand as the choir enters and remain standing

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

Sentences (sung by choir)

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall se for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

(Funeral Sentences, The Book of Common Prayer)

Greeting

The Most Reverend Harry Goodhew

Acting Dean

Royal Anthem

God save our gracious Queen,

long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen!

Send her victorious,

happy and glorious,

long to reign over us:

God save the Queen!

Prayer (said by all)

Loving God, you alone are the source of life.

May your life-giving Spirit flow through us,

and fill us with compassion, one for another.

In our sorrow give us the calm of your peace.

Kindle our hope, and let our grief give way to joy;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sit

Psalm 121 (sung by the choir)

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. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

Bible Readings

Isaiah 6:1-7

His Excellency the Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

Hymn (sung by all, standing) Thaxted

1

I vow to thee, my country –

all earthly things above –

Entire and whole and perfect,

the service of my love;

The love that asks no question,

the love that stands the test,

That lays upon the altar

the dearest and the best;

The love that never falters,

the love that pays the price.

The love that makes undaunted

the final sacrifice.

2

And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago –

Most dear to them that love her,

most great to them that know;

We may not count her armies,

we may not see her King,

Her fortress is a faithful heart,

her pride is suffering;

And soul by soul an silently

her shining bounds increase,

And her ways are ways of gentleness

and all her paths are peace. Amen.

Reading 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC Governor of New South Wales

Hymn (sung by all, standing) St Denio

1

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

almighty, victorious, your great name we praise.

2

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

nor wanting, nor wasting, but ruling in might;

your justice like mountains high soaring above,

your clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3

You give life to all, Lord, to both great and small;

in all life now living, the true life of all;

we blossom and flourish as leaves on a tree,

then wither: but ever unchanged you will be.

4

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

your angels adore you, all veiling their sight;

of all your rich graces this grace, Lord, impart –

take the veil from our faces, the veil from our heart.

5

All praise we would render: reveal to our sight

what hides you is only the splendour of light;

and so let your glory, Almighty, impart,

through Christ in the story, your Christ to the heart.

Walter Smith

Sermon

The Most Reverend Peter Jensen Archbishop of Sydney

Anthem (sung by the choir, congregation seated) Brahms

How lovely are thy dwellings fair, O Lord of Hosts. My soul ever longeth and fainteth sore for the blest courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh do cry to the living God; blest are they that in thy house are dwelling, they ever praise thee, O Lord. (Psalm 84:1,2,4)

Prayer

Let us entrust the Queen Mother to the mercy of God

Holy and loving Father,

by your mighty power you gave us life,

and in your love you have given us new life in Christ Jesus.

We entrust Elizabeth to your merciful keeping:

in the faith of Jesus Christ,

who died and rose again to save us,

and now lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit

in glory for ever. Amen

Hymn (sung by all, standing) Cwm Rhondda

1

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,

pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but thou art mighty;

hold me with thy powerful hand:

bread of heaven, bread of heaven,

feed me now and ever more,

feed me now and ever more.

2

Open now the crystal fountain

whence the living waters flow:

let the fiery, cloudy pillar

lead me all my journey through:

strong deliverer, strong deliverer,

be thou still my strength and shield,

be thou still my strength and shield.

3

When I tread the verge of Jordan

bid my anxious fears subside;

death of death, and hell’s destruction,

land me safe on Canaan’s side:

songs and praises, songs and praises

I will ever give to thee,

I will ever give to thee.

William Williams

THE PRAYERS

The Venerable Trevor Edwards, Archdeacon of South Sydney

Let us pray with confidence to God our Father,

who raised Jesus Christ from the dead for the salvation of all.

Of thanksgiving

The Reverend Shirley Maddox Past Moderator, Uniting Church of Australia

O God, from whom comes everything that is upright and true: accept our thanks for the gifts of heart and mind that thou didst bestow on thy servant Elizabeth, and which she showed forth among us in her words and deeds; and grant that we may have grace to live our lives in accordance with thy will, to seek the good of others, and to remain faithful servants unto our lives’ end; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Most Reverend George Pell Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney

Merciful Father and Lord of all life, we praise you that we are made in your image and reflect your truth and light. We thank you for the life of Elizabeth the Queen Mother, for the love she received from you and showed among us. Above all, we rejoice at your gracious promise to all your servants, living and departed, that we shall rise again at the coming of Christ. And we ask that in due time we may share with our sister that clearer vision, when we shall see your face in the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those who mourn

Mr Ray Hoekzema President, New South Wales Council of Churches

Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: deal graciously, we pray, with all 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.

For ourselves

Archdeacon Edwards

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: increase and multiply upon us thy mercy that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not our hold on things eternal; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one, God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (Said by all)

THE DISMISSAL

National Anthem

1

Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free;

We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil, our home is girt by sea.

Our land abounds in nature’s gifts of beauty rich and rare;

In history’s page, let every stage advance Australia fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing, advance Australia fair!

2

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross we’ll toil with hearts and hands

To make this Commonwealth of ours renowned of all the lands.

For those who’ve come across the seas we’ve boundless plains to share

With courage let us all combine to advance Australia fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing, advance Australia fair.

The Blessing

The Archbishop

Remain standing for the departure of the choir, clergy and Vice-Regal parties

Pipers from Scots College

Andrew Campbell and Duncan Roberts

Michael Deasey, Organist and Master of the Choristers, St Andrew’s Cathedral

Organist: Mark Quarmby

Copyright hymns from Together in Song reproduced with permission under Licence No 679 LicenSing.

Copyright 1995, The Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. From the text of A Prayer Book for Australia, published under the imprint of Broughton Books by E J Dwyer (Australia) Pty Ltd. Reproduced with permission.

You can shed tears that she is gone

or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back

or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone

or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back

or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

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