The Death of the Queen - a death at home

The Death of the Queen - a death at home

Martin Down

The many reviews of the year coming up in the next three weeks will certainly contain reviews of the death of Queen Elizabeth.  These below are taken from the blog of one of the authors of Talking about Dying, Martin Down.

We had all been aware for some time of the Queen’s increasing frailty, but nevertheless her death yesterday came as a surprise and a shock. Much will be said and written about her life, her times, her character, her legacy, above all her constancy. I will only reflect on what a lovely way to die: at home, surrounded by her family, quickly and easily, without hospitalization, a peaceful slipping away into the everlasting arms of her heavenly Father, hers and ours.

In the last few years we have seen the intrusion into funeral services of too many eulogies and tributes. It is appropriate for the service to include thanksgiving for the life of the deceased and the blessings that he or she may have imparted to others, but this does not imply that any of us have earned our salvation by our own good works. Our salvation and our hope are found only in the sacrifice of Christ, reconciling us to God by his death on the Cross, and by his resurrection from the dead, opening for us the gate of everlasting life.

The Queen believed in Jesus, as she often said in her Christmas broadcasts, and as she showed in the godly way in which she lived her life, fulfilled her destiny, and served her people. Did you ever hear her blowing her own trumpet? She lived for God’s glory, not her own. I believe that she has gone to be with Jesus in Paradise, and that she has been welcomed into the everlasting arms of her heavenly Father. We can rejoice with her and for her in the infinite love and mercy of God that has made a way to reconcile us all to himself and to one another in life everlasting.

A dream: a man dreamt that he had died, and woke up in a queue waiting to enter the pearly gates. The way in was through a turnstile operated by St Peter. As people drew near they were fumbling in their pockets for the money to pay the price of admission. The first person only had a small handful of coins to offer: the coins were the good deeds that he had done on earth. Peter sorrowfully shook his head and the man turned away in despair. The next person had a wad of bank-notes that he proudly presented, his prestige and success in the world. But Peter again shook his head, and the man turned away in despair. Then a woman came forward and said to Peter, “Jesus has paid for me,” and Peter smiled, opened the gate and let her in. There, she was greeted by the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The full reflections are on his Blog www.thecountryparson

Archbishop Justin Welby’s sermon at the Queen’s funeral is also a good read. He closed by saying

"We will all face the merciful judgement of God: we can all share the Queen’s hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership.

Service in life, hope in death. All who follow the Queen’s example, and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: “We will meet again.”

Read here