Friday 19 November 2021
Memorial Service of AC Flather
Revd Nicholas Mercer
We meet today to remember our brother in Christ, Christopher Flather
Known as “AC”, he was, husband of Carol/ father of Henry and Emma
An accountant by profession and someone who, by all accounts, lived life to the full pursuing his passions for golf, skiing and latterly sailing
A man who also had a keen sense of humour and a loved a good glass of wine
He was seemingly taken from us too early – whatever that might mean in the fullness of time
Unfortunately, I did not know “AC”
Even though we attended the same school, our times did not overlap
I am not a golfer or sailor either
But I do like a glass of good wine – and I would have liked to have shared one with him had the chance arisen
Hold that thought…
In the Church we are currently in a season of Remembrance
I have just come back from Winchester where I preached the sermon for Remembrance Sunday
And just two weeks earlier, we celebrated the feast of All Souls
Where we remembered the faithful departed – who are no longer with us – but in God’s Heavenly Kingdom
We are right in the middle of the season of Remembrance
And there could not be a more appropriate time to held a Memorial Service
Remembering and Remembrance plays an important part in the Christian faith
The last words Jesus hears in his earthly life are “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom”
Similarly, in what is arguably the most important event of Jesus’ life, at the Last Supper, Jesus says “Do this in remembrance of me”
Both stories gives us a clue as to how, in my view, Christians are meant to approach Remembrance
First and foremost, to re-member something or someone stands in contrast to the word dis-member
When we dis-member something, we pull it apart
But when we re-member something we put it back together
And we do that today
Today we put back together all our lovely memories of “AC”
His family life, his (sublime) golf shots, being at the helm of a boat, parties, celebrations as evidenced by the photographs in the order of service
Of course there is so much more
But “AC” was clearly a convivial man that everyone knew and loved and we give thanks for our memories today
However, the last words Jesus hears and those used at the Last Supper, are not just a simple reminder not to be forgotten
A sort of post-it sticker on the fridge
It is something far more
It is about inviting us to be re-made, re-newed and re-deemed
Re-made, re-newed and re-deemed – by being in Christs’ company in heaven
Or having a foretaste of heaven in the Blessed Sacrament
Which brings together both past, present and the future at the same time
I heard a lovely story of another OU called Giles Fraser, with whom I did overlap at school
Today he is vicar of St Mary’s in Newington
Having formerly been a Canon at St Paul’s Cathedral where he spectacularly fell from grace for siding with the poor (only in the Church of England)
However, like many clergy, he was faced with the problem of falling numbers
And so decided one Sunday to try something different
He decided to announce that, instead of the usual communion wine, he would celebrate with a first rate vintage instead
I don’t remember the wine but let’s imagine that it was a Chateau La Tour
The results were spectacular and the numbers swelled at the chance to savour this wine, par excellence
But the story makes a deeper point than simply attracting wines buffs and the curious to a Church one Sunday
It is about meeting together in God’s heavenly kingdom and the foretaste of that Kingdom in our earthly lives
The wine is indeed spectacular- and available for us all each and every week of our lives
The Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission (ARCIC) said
“The believer’s pilgrimage of faith is lived out with the mutual support of all the people of God. In Christ the faithful, both living and departed, are bound together in prayer”
This beautifully articulates the final Christian dimension of Remembrance which can be so easily lost
As a Christian community, we are not just a communion of the living but also a communion of the departed.
We pray together, both living and departed
We celebrate Holy Communion together, both living and departed
And we will, one day, all be in God’s Kingdom together, re-made, re-newed and re-deemed
“AC” – we will all share that glass of wine together again, one day
Hold that thought…