Some of you will know The Revd Joseph Leonard Ladd Fagerson and will be sad to know of his passing. Please continue to pray for his family at this time of their loss. There will be a service of Thanksgiving at Kenmore Church, Aberfeldy on Friday 23rd September at 2pm.
The Liturgy Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church has produced three prayers, approved by the College of Bishops, to mark the death of the monarch, the repose of the deceased monarch, and the accession of the new monarch.
They are as follows:
Prayer for the death of the monarch
Almighty and eternal God,
you uphold and govern all things
both in heaven and on earth,
and by your grace alone kings and queens do reign.
We thank you for all the blessings which you have bestowed upon us through our late sovereign lady, Queen Elizabeth, whom you have called from this life (in recent days).
We thank you for the wisdom of her guidance and her love of peace, for the care and devotion with which she served her people, for the example of her gracious life.
We pray that you would fill our hearts with gratitude for all these good things, and give us grace that we may use the memory of them as a perpetual call to live according to your will, for the good of all the world, and the glory of your great name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for the repose of the deceased monarch
Eternal Lord God, you hold all souls in life:
Shed forth upon your faithful servant, Queen Elizabeth, the bright beams of your light and heavenly comfort; And grant that she, and we with her, may at length enter into the joys of your eternal kingdom; Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Prayer for the accession
O God, you govern your people by your creative love:
we hold before you your servant Charles, our King, praying that, guided by your Spirit, under him this nation may be wisely and justly governed, and your Church proclaim your Gospel in peace; may he be dedicated to you in heart, and mind, and soul,
persevering in good works to the end,
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Dear friends,
Today is the first day of the reign of our new King. Which means that it is also the last day of the life of our Queen, the longest serving monarch in our history. Queen Elizabeth’s passing is something that many will feel deeply. We may feel sadness not only at the death of someone who gave their life to serving their country, but the death of someone who represented continuity for us in a world of change, who connected us with our own pasts, whether we had ever met her or not. For me, as for so many others, Queen Elizabeth has been there through my whole life, and today marks the loss of that part of my life’s journey.
But it also is a day to grieve for a person who gave such commitment to her role as Queen, such dedication to her faith in God, and such love to her family. As we grieve, we give thanks for a person who brought the humanity she lived as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to her duty as Queen and the people she met.
We pray for Queen Elizabeth as she journeys deeper into life in the loving hands of God, and we pray for her family and those who love her. We pray for our country, which has lost a dedicated friend, and gained an example of steadfast faith to live by. And we pray for our new King, who enters into his new responsibilities at the same moment in which he grieves the loss of his beloved mother.
May Queen Elizabeth rest in peace, and rise in glory.
Gracious God,
we give thanks for the life of your servant
Queen Elizabeth,
for her faith and her dedication to duty.
Bless our nation as we mourn her death
and may her example continue to inspire us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
September 8, 2022
The Scottish Episcopal Church is deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96 after reigning for 70 years. The Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, said:
“Today we will gather in prayer and sorrow as we mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. For nearly all of us, she is the only monarch we have known, she has been part of our lives and part of our prayers always.
“The Queen came to the throne at a moment of great hope. A time of rebirth following the difficulties of war. She dedicated herself to the service of this country and she has honoured that pledge, especially so when things were difficult. She never wavered from her service.
“Queen Elizabeth was steadfast in her faith, in her prayers and worship. She spoke openly and often of her devotion to God, and to the Christian message of respect and the value of people, of all faiths and none.
“Here in Scotland we know that the Queen found space to relax and to be amongst family and friends, we cherish the knowledge that she loved this place as much as we do. That knowledge brought a shared connection that many of us felt deeply.
“Today we will share memories and sadness. Her Majesty understood and believed in the promises of God. In her many statements over the years she spoke always of moving forward, serving the country that she loved, and giving thanks to God for the life she lived.
“May she rest in peace and rise in glory.”
Go forth upon your journey from this world,
dear child of God,
into the hands of the Father who made you,
to find life in Christ who redeemed you.
to rejoice in the Spirit who renews you.
May the heavenly host sustain you
and the company of the redeemed enfold you;
may peace be yours this day,
and the heavenly city your home.
What a great afternoon we had in the cathedral on Sunday 4th September at our Global Gathering! We shared in fellowship, drank teas and coffees, learned about different global initiatives in our diocese, and heard Bishop Ian reporting on the Lambeth Conference.
We also received a special video greeting from Bishop Marinez from our Global Partner Diocese of Amazonia.
The Gathering ended with Choral Evensong, using some material from worship at Lambeth.
See highlights from the day HERE.
THIS SATURDAY 20th AUGUST
A fabulous start to the great weekend that is Perthshire Pride! Starting with prayers in the cathedral, our group lined up with others on the South Inch in Perth, then processed up Tay Street to the Mill Street Plaza, where the Pride Market and a stage were already set up.
Please plan to attend our next Diocesan Gathering, at the Cathedral on the afternoon of Sunday 4th September.
Like the last Gathering we had, in October 2019, everyone is invited to come to the Cathedral following their Sunday morning worship, and to bring a picnic lunch (teas and coffees will be provided) around 1.30pm.
Displays from around the Diocese can be viewed from 1.30pm and throughout the day.
From 2.30pm there will be activities and a plenary session, and at the end of the afternoon there will be tea.
The Gathering will close with Choral Evensong, from 17.00 until approximately 17.45.From 2.30pm there will be activities and at the end of the afternoon there will be tea. The Gathering will close with Evensong, from 16.45 to 17.30.
Please ensure that your congregation know they are invited, and post and distribute the poster below.
This will be a ‘Global Gathering’ at which Bishop Ian Paton will give the Diocese a report about the Lambeth Conference, taking place in Canterbury at the end of July into early August. We hope that our partner bishops from Amazonia and Calcutta will join us by video link – they will not be able to visit us before Lambeth as they did last time, because of Covid.
The theme of Lambeth this year is ‘God’s Church for God’s World.’ Please let your congregation know about the Lambeth Conference website – www.lambethconference.org – where there is much more information about the theme, the scripture set for the conference (1 Peter), and a guide to praying for the Conference and the Bishops who are coming from all around the world to attend.
IMPORTANT INVITATION FOR YOUR CONGREGATION’S PARTICIPATION:
Our Global Gathering will be about more than Lambeth, as Bishop Ian hopes that every church in the Diocese will come prepared with some photos and stories to contribute to an exhibition around the Cathedral celebrating any links they have with the worldwide Church. These can be ‘official’, but also personal links people have made. Bishop Ian hopes there could be many to be seen on 4th September.
Please complete a registration form here if you can contribute to the exhibition display with your own stories or materials about your congregation’s engagement with the worldwide church!
And please get in touch if you have any ideas or suggestions for the Global Gathering.
Bishop Ian looks forward to seeing you and many of your congregation on 4th September!
The Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops from around the world is taking place in Canterbury from 26 July to 8 August. It was postponed in 2020, but is going ahead this year instead. However, because of pandemic travel concerns, visiting bishops have been requested to travel directly to Canterbury, and dioceses in Britain are no longer being asked to offer hospitality. That means, very regretfully, that Bishop Marinez of Amazonia (Brazil) and Bishop Paritosh of Calcutta (India) were not after all be able to visit us in the Diocese before Lambeth.
The Global Partnership Committee is planning a Diocesan Global Gathering on the Lambeth Conference theme (‘God’s Church for God’s World’) after the Conference on 4th September – celebrating our global partnership links, including a report of the Conference from Bishop Ian and, possibly, online participation by Bishop Marinez and Bishop Paritosh.
For information about the Lambeth Conference see www.lambethconference.org
To see updates about the Lambeth Conference from Bishop Ian, visit our Diocesan Facebook page.
For information on our Diocesan Global Gathering click here.
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