In Loving Memory

of

John Anthony Reynolds

24th January 1942 ~ 23rd April 2010

The funeral service conducted By

Pastor Andrew Fisheron

Thursday, 29th April 2010at 12noon

ORDER OF SERVICE

MUSIC IN MEMORY OF JOHNLand of My Fathers

~

WELCOME

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OPENING PRAYER

We have come here today

to remember before God our brother John

To give thanks for his life.

To commend him to God our merciful redeemer and judge;

To commit his body to be cremated,

And to comfort one another in our grief.

God of all consolation,

your Son Jesus Christ was moved to tears

at the grave of Lazarus his friend.

Look with compassion on your children in their loss,

give to troubled hearts the light of hope

and strengthen in us the gift of faith,

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

GOSPEL READING

Romans 8 Vs 38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~

READING FROM SCRIPTUREPsalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

he leadeth me beside the still waters

He restoreth my soul:

he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

PRAYERS

All: Lord, we come into your presence to remember John

and to seek your comfort, for we know that nothing can separate us

from your love and that you support us in our sorrow.

We are sure that the souls of the righteous are with you and that

nothing can harm them. Although they have died they are in

peace. Give us your strength to rejoice that you have taken John to

be with yourself where he shall no more be in need. May we find

life and peace and perfect joy with him in your presence; through

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

All: God of mercy,

we acknowledge that we are all sinners.

we turn from the wrong that we have thought and said and done,

and are mindful of all that we have failed to do.

For the sake of Jesus, who died for us,

forgive us for all that is past,

and help us to live each day

in the light of Christ our Lord.

Amen.

MUSIC IN MEMORY OF JOHN

I Regret Nothing

~

GOSPEL READING

John 5 Vs 24-27

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has

eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear

the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life

in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him

authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

~

POEM

God Took Him To His Loving Home

God saw him getting tired, a cure was not to be.

He wrapped him in his loving arms and whispered ‘Come with me.’

He suffered much in silence, his spirit did not bend.

He faced his pain with courage, until the very end.

He tried so hard to stay with us but his fight was not in vain,

God took him to His loving home and freed him from the pain.

A PERSONAL TRIBUTE & MUSIC IN MEMORY OF JOHN

A PERSONAL TRIBUTE & MUSIC IN MEMORY OF JOHN

MEMORIES OF A DAD ~ FROM HELEN

(Russia Trip)

In 1991, Dad had the opportunity to accompany me on a school trip to Russia – a place he had always wanted to visit. Despite being in the midst of a coup, our trip went ahead on a 10 day tour of St. Petersburg, Novgorod and Moscow. We flew with Aeroflot (Or AeroFLOP as Dad used to call it!) Dad the eager photographer, was determined to take photo’s and after a couple of days, I remember Dad recount-ing how he had attracted some unwanted attention and had been followed by men in long black coats thought to have been the KGB.

Despite technically being one year under age, he also let me try lemon vodka which he picked up for a mere USD$2 a bottle! On our last day we toured the Kremlin and after eating cabbage, cabbage and cabbage for 10 days we had the afternoon free to do what we liked. Most of the group headed off to the newly opened McDonalds but Dad and I, with map in hand decided to try and find our way to Moscow Zoo. Struggling to match the long Russian alphabet against underground stations on our map and with a little help from some Russians eager to practice their English, we emerged from the station amidst snow falling and outside the zoo entrance. The trip was a day to remember as we talked to an English speaking zoo keeper, who after finding out I worked part-time at Bristol Zoo, where Mum and Dad also volunteered, he took us on a guided, behind the scenes tour. We were only inches away and shown a remarkable collection of some of the most poisonous and rarest snakes in the world. What an experience, especially when we were given a demonstration by the ‘Spitting Cobra’!

Our Russian adventure was not quite over though. Flying home we all passed through border security without any problem except Dad. After 10 minutes or so scrutinizing him and his passport, he was “escorted away” and questioned. In the end, our entire flight was delayed 30 minutes until they had finished with him. Dad and I were left to assume that this had occurred because he had had to sign the “Official Secrets Act” some years prior for a job he had worked on or because he had been followed after drawing attention to himself from all the photo’s he was taking of Russian Military during a coup!

(Photography) We all used to groan and joke if Dad said he was going to take a photo of us. Most people would just point and shoot, not Dad. Ten minutes later after “move over there a couple of inches”, “look that way”, “smile”, “hold on” as he gets up and moves a leaf or some other object out of the shot, he would press the shutter. Dad joined the Sodbury and Yate Photographic Club, followed by David and myself. Over the years he presided as both committee member and as a Chair-person for a number of years. His love of photography never waned and it was something he could still do, even when he was unwell. If he was not taking photo-graphs, he was reading e-books on lighting, macro work or editing his work. One of my best memories was when I organised a trip to the Island of Skomer – off the Welsh Coast, in order to photograph puffins. Dad loved birds, so to be able to get so close to our subjects, and at one with nature was amazing. Dad and I trekked across the small island, and it wasn’t hard to get a good shot. Fortunately the Puf-fins even obliged in staying still long enough for Dad to compose and frame his shot – as Dad wasn’t one to be rushed in to pressing the shutter!

(Wildlife and Cycling)Other adventures Dad took me on, included badger watching as well as driving up twice to Holme Moss in the Pennines, to watch the Leeds Classic cycle race. In Dads younger days, he had cycled a lot and was an avid fan of the Tour De France, thus commenced a yearly ritual of following the epic endurance race, on the TV.

(Dogs – Brydie and Foxy In 1996 Mum and Dad finally relented and let me have my first dog. ‘Brydie’, a cocker spaniel arrived home and although she was technically my dog, her favourite person was Dad. Many a time we would find ‘Brydie’ curled up asleep near Dad’s head whilst he had his afternoon siestas. Mov-ing away from home, ‘Brydie’ came with me but before long I had found Mum and Dad a new companion, who desperately needed rescuing and a home. ‘Foxy’, a sheltie x Japanese spitz arrived at the age of 5 months and terrified of men. With time and patience ‘Foxy’ was won over by Dad.

(Final memories from Helen) I attribute Dad for instilling a passion for many of his hobbies and interests within me; notably his love of photography, ani-mals and wildlife, cycling and travel. After years of growing up and hearing the familiar G3PTO call sign from his passion as a radio ham, finally I have to say this is: Golf, 3, Papa, Tango, Oscar signing off. Goodbye Dad; I love you.

POEM Do not be afraid

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,

I am the swift, uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

When you see the sunset fair,

I am the scented evening air.

I am the joy of a task well done,

I am the glow of the setting sun.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there. I did not die.

THE LORDS PRAYER

All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name;

thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into

temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the

power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

COMMENDATION

Let us commend John to the mercy of God, Our maker and redeemer. God our

creator and redeemer, by your power Christ conquered death and entered into

glory. Confident of his victory and claiming his promises, we entrust John to your

mercy in the name of Jesus our Lord, who died and is alive and reigns with you,

now and forever.

Amen.

The English Funeral Director, Tony Smith. Tel: 650 631 719

COMMITTAL

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great goodness. As a father is tender towards his children, so is the Lord tender to those that fear him. For he knows of what we are made; he remembers that we are but dust. Our days are like the grass; we flourish like a flower of the field; when the wind goes over it, it is gone and its place will know it no more. But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever and ever towards those that fear him and his righteousness upon their children's children.

We have entrusted our brother John to God’s mercy, and we now, commit his body to be cremated: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust: in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our frail bodies that they may be conformed to his glorious body, who died, was buried, and rose again for us. To him be glory for ever.

Amen.

THE BLESSING

May God give you his comfort and his peace, his light and his joy, in this world and the next; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

EXIT MUSICJohn Williams ~ Asturias

Donations in Memory of John may be given to MABS