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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Revd Virginia Luckett

Good morning.

One of the great joys of being a vicar in West Dorset is being able to officiate at glorious country weddings with bells and beautiful flowers and often, because we are in the countryside, including dogs and prize winning livestock.

Last month, I married a couple accompanied by their dog Luna, who came in at the start, ahead of the bridal procession, to the theme music of the classic war time movie ‘The Great Escape’ much to the amusement of the guests.

Apart from Luna’s grand entrance, it was a Rodgers and Hammerstein Sound of Music themed wedding, which had all the invited guests wearing outlandish hats and bright colours.

An important moment in the service was a rousing rendition of ‘Climb Every Mountain’, a song about faith and hope even in the face of adversary, sung directly after I was able to proclaim the happy couple, husband and wife.

In the rising crescendo of the chorus, there wasn’t a dry eye in the church.

Tears were shed throughout; because the wedding was so full of emotion and poignant memories of loved ones lost. Especially for the bride’s father, who had died a couple of years previously and was much loved and missed. The bride had written a poem around the time of his death which was read so movingly at the beginning, as we lit a large candle to remember her ‘Dar’ and to welcome his presence to the wedding, in some mysterious way.

So today, as the Church marks All Souls Day, when we remember and give thanks for our loved ones departed, I pray for all of us, who have seen death in the midst of life, and miss someone close.

Amen.

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