Last Saturday, Marilyn and I watched the beautiful, poignant funeral of Prince Philip in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle from start to finish.
It struck me, a few days before the annual observance of Earth Day, how evident Philip’s lifelong dedication to conservation of our planet was. When the World Wildlife Fund was begun in 1961, he was a founding member and served as president of its British Appeal until 1996. His lifelong passion for the welfare of God’s creation was reflected in the scriptures and liturgy which he chose for his funeral.
After the choir sang the Navy Hymn, the first lesson was from Ecclesiasticus 43 (the Wisdom of Sirach, in the Apocrypha of our Bibles). Consider the beauty of these verses:
Look at the rainbow and praise its Maker; it shines with a supreme beauty, rounding the sky with its gleaming arc, a bow bent by the hands of the Most High. His command speeds the snow storm and sends the swift lightning to execute his sentence. To that end the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds. By his mighty power the clouds are piled up and the hailstones broken small. The crash of his thunder makes the earth writhe, and, when he appears, an earthquake shakes the hills. At his will the south wind blows, the squall from the north and the hurricane. He scatters the snow-flakes like birds alighting; they settle like a swarm of locusts. The eye is dazzled by their beautiful whiteness, and as they fall the mind is entranced. He spreads frost on the earth like salt, and icicles form like pointed stakes. A cold blast from the north, and ice grows hard on the water, settling on every pool, as though the water were putting on a breastplate. He consumes the hills, scorches the wilderness, and withers the grass like fire. Cloudy weather quickly puts all to rights, and dew brings welcome relief after heat. By the power of his thought he tamed the deep and planted it with islands. Those who sail the sea tell stories of its dangers, which astonish all who hear them; in it are strange and wonderful creatures, all kinds of living things and huge sea-monsters. By his own action he achieves his end, and by his word all things are held together.
Music which he requested for the service included two works which he had commissioned: Benjamin Britten’s Jubilate Deo (Psalm 100) and William Lovelady’s setting of Psalm 104, that magnificent hymn to Creation.
It seemed appropriate that this beautiful service should take place just a few days before the annual observance of Earth Day. As we rejoice in the beauty of this Spring season, may we always be mindful of the need to respect and continue to care for this marvelous gift.
I invite you to enjoy William Lovelady’s setting of Psalm 104, as it was sung at Prince Philip’s service:
Blessings to you all, dear friends.
David