Today I attended the funeral of Trevor Flanakin, who had been a member of St Clement’s for the best part of seventy years. There are relatively few people who hold such a long record of service in one place. Although being so deeply rooted is not in itself a merit, Trevor had served in this community with a gentle unassuming manner and  a welcoming smile and family and friends of all ages drew together to commit his body to the earth and to remind ourselves of the hope in Christ with which he so richly shone.

It was an honour to have known him, if only for these last few years, and I hope that my life will reflect some of that same light.