Service held to offer comfort

AROUND 300 people, all united by grief, gathered at Lisneal College on Wednesday for the Annual Service of Remembrance,sponsored by Adair & Neely Funeral Directors.

Due to the freezing temperatures and snow earlier in the year, the date for this service was moved. The service is normally held during the first week of December, but understandably was postponed. The service was organised by Jack Glenn, who is to be commended for the detail involved in the service, which essentially was designed to offer healing, help and hope to grief-stricken families who lost valued family members during 2010.

Rev Dr David Latimer, who was among those to officiate at the service, said: "The large gathering of hurting families who converged on Lisneal College, confirmed there is clearly a requirement for this annual event, which brings together a multitude of people who are struggling to cope with life's greatest crisis."

Rev Dt Latimer, who is Minister of First Derry Presbyterian Church, conducted the service with Fr Roland Colhoun, from the Catholic Church and Rev Robert Miller, Rector of Christ Church.

Carefully selected anthems, inspirationally sung by the Lisnagelvin Primary School choir, under the direction of Mrs Joy Tennis, helped to gently minister to the hurting families who assembled in Lisneal auditorium.

The congregational praise was under the direction of Roy Adams, and in addition to prayers, readings and hymns, the name of each deceased person being remembered was read aloud during an Act of Remembrance.

"The sensitive choice of music played by Mr Adams, while each deceased person's name was read aloud, provided a measure of healing balm for the wounds inflicted by death that no human hand can even approach," said Dr Latimer.

In his address Rev Dr Latimer reminded everyone how death was not the end, saying: "There is life on the far side of the grave. Our departed loved ones are in the nearer presence of Jesus Christ and no torment will ever touch them there."

Seeking to console the bereaved, Dr Latimer underlined how God was "a 24/7 kind of person" who, rather than give advice from the sidelines continuously drew up alongside hurting people.

"Even though He may not remove a person's suffering, He nonetheless can be relied upon to be a with us never to leave us kind of God, who stands ready to give unto all who've been bereaved, beauty for the ashes of life's disappointments and the sweet, comforting oil of joy for their mourning," he said.

Refreshments were served in the school dining room after the Service of Remembrance.

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