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Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired September 12, 2022 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:30:00]
REVEREND CALUM I. MACLEOD, MINISTER, ST. GILES' CATHEDRAL: Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. The eternal God is our refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.
Eternal and ever blessed God, receive us in your mercy and grant us the comfort and peace of your holy spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord. Almighty and everlasting God, you send forth your spirit and we are created. You richly endow us each with gifts to bring blessings to ourselves and to others. You enrich the life of our communities and our world. And at life's completion, you rejoice to welcome us into your nearer presence.
We gather at this time, a sorrowing nation yet remembering with gratitude the long life and reign of your servant, Elizabeth, our queen. And for the many gifts and graces with which you endowed her, for her faithfulness to the trust committed to her and for all the benefits which through her you have conferred upon this people.
High king of heaven, help us by the faith in which she lived and died to cherish those virtues which were dear to her heart and mind and bring us with her when our days on earth are ended into your heavenly presence and glory, through Jesus Christ our lord, amen.
[10:35:00]
NICOLA STURGEON, FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND: For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to throw away stories and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to seek and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to sort, a time to keep silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What to gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has begin to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time. Moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds. Yet we cannot find out what god has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. Moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures forever. Nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it. God has done this so that all should stand in awe before him, that which is already has been, that which is to be, already is. And God seeks out what has gone by. Here ends the first lesson.
[10:40:00]
MOST REV LEO CUSHLEY, ARCHBISHOP OF ST. ANDREW AND EDINBURGH: A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God who are called according to his purpose.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
[10:45:00]
He who did not withhold his own son but gave him up for all of us, will he not also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies who is to condemn. It is Christ Jesus who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ, will hardship or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sort, as it is written for your sake, we are being killed all day long.
Know in all these things were more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rules, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here ends the epistle.
MOST REV. MARK STRANGE, PRIMUS OF THE SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH: A reading from the gospel according to St. John, do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house, there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told that I go to prepare a place for you? And 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.
[10:50:11]
And you know the way to the place where I'm going. Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I did not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.
Here ends the gospel. RT. REV. DR. IAIN GREENSHIELDS, MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND: Death has been overcome. These are the words of hope expressed and centered around Jesus who died and rose again. And this is clearly something her majesty Queen Elizabeth acknowledged and personally embraced.
These last few days as tributes to her majesty have poured in, and we have watched images of her on screen from her earlier years capturing that remarkable life, yet now beginning to sink in that she is gone from us, gone home, to express her own words.
Today, we gather in this place of worship and throughout the nation to express or thanks to God for her majesty, Queen Elizabeth's extraordinary life. We are united in sorrow at the death of our monarch but we are also so aware that his majesty King Charles and all of his family are not just grieving the loss of their queen, but their mother, grandmother and great grandmother too.
Her majesty Queen Elizabeth began her reign like King Solomon by asking for wisdom, something that she demonstrated in large measure and to which was added duty, honor, commitment and faith. These are the ones that we reach out for today to describe the life and the reign of Queen Elizabeth whose passing is mourned not only in her native land, but across the commonwealth and the world, as has been so evident to us in these recent days.
Most of us cannot recall a time when she was not our monarch. Committed to the role she assumed in 1952 upon the death of her beloved father, she has been a constant in all of our lives for over 70 years. She was determined to see her work as a form of service to others. And she maintained that steady course until the end of her life, people who were in her company always felt that they were being listened to carefully and attentively and with compassion.
She possessed a sharp, intelligent mind with amazing recall, a kindly heart and a gentle sense of humor.
[10:55:00]
She understood the breadth of world affairs and also cared about what happened to all of her people. And although sometimes buffeted by events around her, she continually and resolutely and cheerfully fulfilled her responsibilities. And so today we give thanks not only for the length of her reign but for the qualities she displayed so steadfastly.
We recall also with gratitude the many who have supported her throughout her reign. We thank especially of the duke of Edinburgh who stood faithfully beside her through they are 73 years of marriage, bringing his own energy and intellect to the service of the monarchy.
Much has been said about the queen's contribution to the life of the United Kingdom and the commonwealth which meant so much to her. But here in Scotland, we acknowledge with gratitude her deep links with our land and its people. Her love of the Balmoral estate is well- known. And being there latterly brought her great comfort. There she was valued as a neighbor and a friend. And there, she drew strength and refreshment during the summer months.
She was active in the life of civic Scotland, traveling across the country to support numerous causes, entertaining guests at Holyrood Palace and presiding at ceremonial many of which took place in this church. Here, she received the Scottish crown in 1953, an event vividly memorialized in the painting by our artist, Stanley Cursiter.
Her link with the Scottish churches were also deep and lasting. She was the supreme governor of the Church of England but she worshipped in the church of Scotland, here, north of the border, in Canongate Kirk, especially at Kathie Kirk, where she took her pew each Sunday morning, prevented from doing so latterly only by infirmity. She perceived little difficulty in belonging to two churches and appreciating the strength of each.
It is clearly evident and without doubt that the queen's Christian faith was genuine and often gave clear and sincere expression when there were those remarkable Christmas broadcasts. She spoke unashamedly of her trust in God and of the example and teaching of Jesus Christ whom she sought to follow as best she could. Indeed, of that faith, she said she had no regrets. Her focus on family, on community, on reaching across divisions and differences were evident to us throughout these short yet meaningful festive messages.
For 70 years, she reigned as our queen. She has been present among us as a follower of Christ and as a member of his church. And for that, I'm much else beside we give thanks to God together here this day.
Today, we mourn her passing but we also celebrate the long and happy reign that we experienced with her. And we pray God's blessing upon King Charles, who will surely draw strength from his mother's example and the many affectionate tributes of these days and from assurance us to him as a church of our steadfast prayers at all times and of our unstinting support to him as was offered to his mother, the queen.
[11:00:00]
