A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - Friday 9th April 2021 at 6 pm
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A Service of Thanksgiving
for the Life of
His Royal Highness The Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh
Friday 9th April 2021 at 6 pmA Pastoral Introduction
God’s love and power extend over all creation and every single life is precious
to God. Christians have always believed that there is hope in death as in life, and
that there is new life in Christ over death.
Even those who share such faith find that there is a real sense of loss at the death
of someone special to us, especially when that individual has been as significant a
part of our lives as Prince Philip. We will each have our own memories of
seeing him on television or at a particular event – perhaps even meeting him in
person – and have different feelings of love, grief and respect. To acknowledge
this at the beginning of the service helps us to use this occasion to express our
faith and our feelings as we say farewell, acknowledge our loss and our sorrow,
and to reflect on our own mortality. We all need support and consolation and
our presence here today is part of what we can do to help one another at this
time of great national sorrow.
2The Bidding
The Reverend Canon David Stone, Precentor and Sub-Dean, welcomes the congregation
and introduces the service.
We meet in the name of Jesus Christ, who died and was raised to the
glory of God the Father. Grace and mercy be with you.
In our shock and sadness, we come to this Cathedral Church today in
gratitude for the life of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth the Second’s consort and loyal companion since their marriage
and her accession to the throne in 1952. We give thanks and praise to
Almighty God for Prince Philip’s long life of committed and selfless
service to our country, shown through his deep concern for the
environment, wildlife, education, and by ensuring we are at the
forefront of scientific advancement. We celebrate his work with young
people through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and all that he
did to help the monarchy adapt and embrace change over the years.
Comfort us in our mourning and give us grace to follow his good
example so that we may come with him to your everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died and rose again and opened the
gate of glory. To him be praise now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 23
The cantor sings
The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.
My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e’en for his own name’s sake.
3Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale,
yet will I fear none ill;
for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.
My table thou hast furnishèd
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God’s house for evermore
my dwelling-place shall be.
cf. Psalm 23 from the Scottish Psalter (1650)
Tune CP 594 Crimond Melody by David Grant (1833-1893)
The Bible Reading
The Sub-Dean says
A reading from the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John,
beginning at the first verse.
1
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.
2
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the
way to the place where I am going.’ 5Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do
not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ 6Jesus said
to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.’
John 14.1-6
4At the end the reader says
This is the word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Pie Jesu
The cantor sings
Pie Jesu Domine,
dona eis requiem sempiternam.
Gracious Lord Jesus,
grant them eternal rest.
from the Requiem, by Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
The Sermon
The sermon is preached by The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of
Coventry.
The Prayers
The prayers are led by the Bishop.
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
His Royal Highness Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for the love he 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
your servant Philip that clearer vision, promised to us in the same
Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
5Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: deal
graciously, we pray, with all who mourn, the members of the Royal
Family, this Nation and all the Nations of the Commonwealth, that
casting all our care on you, we may know the consolation of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
Eternal God, our maker and redeemer, grant us, with your servant
Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and all the faithful departed, the sure
benefits of your Son’s saving passion and glorious resurrection: that, in
the last day, when you gather up all things in Christ, we may with them
enjoy the fullness of your promises; through Jesus Christ your Son our
Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
All 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.
6Nunc dimittis
The cantor sings
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :
according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen : thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared : before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
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.
Music by Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)
An Act of Entrusting and Commending
The Bishop says
Lord Jesus, our redeemer,
you willingly gave yourself up to death,
so that all might be saved and pass from death to life.
By dying you unlocked the gates of life
for all those who believe in you.
So we commend Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
into your arms of mercy,
believing that, with sins forgiven,
he will share a place of happiness, light and peace
in the kingdom of your glory for ever.
All Amen.
7The Blessing
The Bishop says
God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth, and all humankind,
peace and concord;
and to us and all his servants, life everlasting;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
All Amen.
The National Anthem
The cantor sings
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.
The Voluntary
Nimrod (from ‘Enigma Variations’) Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Those playing the organ and singing as cantor today are Oliver Hancock, Director of
Music at St Mary’s Church, Warwick, and Rachel Mahon, Director of Music at Coventry
Cathedral.
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