This week Revd. Rob writes:

This week Revd. Rob writes:

‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate?

‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied. (Mark 15.2)

After weeks of preparation (most of which needed to be kept entirely under wraps), the late Lord Prescott was commended to God’s love at Hull Minster.

We give thanks to God for Lord Prescott’s life of passionate and energetic public service, and we keep his family in our prayers. We must also thank the volunteers and staff at Hull Minster who worked so hard and well to enable a funeral of this extraordinary nature to run so well and smoothly. A particular mention should be given to the Choral Hull Children’s Choir who sung so beautifully during the service, and of course to our Vicar Dominic Black, who led the service in front of BBC cameras as well as in the presence of current and former cabinet and prime ministers. This cannot have been easy!

Many tributes have been paid to Lord Prescott over the past week. The tributes from the funeral service itself can be found on BBC iPlayer if we want to find out more about the life of this remarkable and extraordinary man, and articles about his life can be found a plenty on the news pages of the internet.

The funeral service is a time when we give thanks for and remember a person’s life. It is also the place where we can commend them to God’s love, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead.

As the late Lord Prescott was commended to God’s love, in the presence of many other current and former public servants, who work or have worked so tirelessly in the cause of the common good, I am reminded of Jesus, who in his final days on earth, himself stood before the rulers and authorities of his day. The funeral service points us to Jesus, who stands before not only the rulers and the authorities but also the rich and the poor, the sick, the distressed, the oppressed, the marginalised, the homeless, you and me. I am reminded that Jesus asks us all the same question: who am I? And what does that mean?

 It is a question that transcends life and death. But it is also a question that gives us hope. For people of faith in Christ, Jesus is ‘the King of the Jews’, or in other words, he is Lord of all. He is the ultimate ruler and authority to which we will all submit. But this King is the embodiment of selfless, self-giving and gracious love, and perfect justice. Good public service derives itself from this character and these values, and because of Jesus, there is hope that these values can continue to underpin our society. So, we give thanks to God for great public servants, like the Late Lord Prescott. But we also give thanks for the God to whom all good public service points.      

THE FUNERAL OF LORD JOHN PRESCOTT

It was a great honour to host the Funeral of Lord John Prescott at Hull Minster last Thursday. It was his wish that his funeral be held in the city that he served for so many years as MP. Amongst the congregation included the Prime Minister, most of the current cabinet and those who had served with John in the 1997 Labour Government including two former PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Fittingly also amongst the congregation were many down to earth Hull folk that John had worked with over the years. There was great mirth from the Prime Minister when we told him that he would be led to the lectern by our very own Jon Major!

Children, who are part of the Choral Hull programme from primary schools from across the city sang beautifully including a setting of Howard Goodall’s ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. To which the composer sent a well-done message. (See below)

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard. Hull Minster at its best, we did the City proud.  Dominic 

“BRAVA to Choral-Hull’s Children’s choir for their heartfelt, confident performance of  THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD at the memorial service for John Prescott at Hull Minster yesterday.  Honoured that it was chosen and very touched by the dedication of the young singers.” Howard Goodall

Jon Major writes:

After six weeks of planning, Hull Minster played host to many politicians for the funeral of Lord John Prescott.

Under incredibly high security the Minster was home to the House of Commons and House of Lords for a few hours.

Guests included Lord Reid, who represented HM King Charles III, speaker of the House of Commons, Prime Minister, two former Prime Ministers, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Defence Secretary, plus many more politicians, both past and present.

Hull and East Yorkshire was represented by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Lord Mayor, three local MP’s and many councillors.

An officer from the Metropolitan police said the last time this occurred in Hull was in 1540 when King Henry VIII brought his entourage, it was also the highest security event outside of London in 20 years.

The best conversation I had on the day was with the Prime Minister when he said, ‘all these Labour politicians in one building and we are being directed and told when to speak by Jon Major, you couldn’t write it’.    

The service went incredibly well and was conducted by Rev. Canon Dr Dominic Black, music was by Choral Hull Schools project conducted by Mark Keith.

A special thanks must go to our incredible bell ringers, who often go unnoticed.  They rang from 10:30 when guests started arriving up until the coffin entered the church at midday.   After the service, the half-muffled tenor bell was tolled until the hearse left the square.   If you heard that being rung, it was breathtaking, as I was stood waiting for the hearse to depart a shiver went right down my spine.  The whole Hull Minster team pulled together to deliver a worldwide watched service.

LUXMURALIS

 A huge thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the Luxmuralis ’Science’ show a real success. Thousands of people came through the doors of Hull Minster and were immersed in an experience of light and sound. On Saturday night visitors were also able to enjoy a fascinating science talk with Prof. Mark Lorch from Hull University.

Luxmuralis shows are expensive to host and at one point we were concerned about ticket sales, the appalling weather on Friday didn’t help!  An appeal via our social media platforms was picked up by local TV and many people responded by buying tickets or if they were not able to attend by making donations. We were overwhelmed to receive an incredibly generous donation of £10,000 from one person. So all our costs have been covered and much more - as the psalmist says our ‘cup overflows.'

TRINITY 600: CELEBRATING 600 YEARS

 2025 is a significant year for Hull Minster as it is 600 years since Holy Trinity Church was completed and consecrated. We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support a year of activities and events to celebrate the living heritage of our church. The celebrations will begin in March with a special service to mark the day of the consecration, followed by a Passion Play at Easter, May day celebrations, a Medieval Community Day, with special Harvest and Christmas celebrations to end the year. Throughout the year there will be heritage talks, workshops, and concerts with a particular focus on the rich musical heritage of Holy Trinity, working with our choral hull programme. Look out for news of all that will be happening. There will be lots of opportunities to get involved, so if you would like to volunteer as part of the Trinity600 project please do get in touch with Shirley our volunteer manager.  Heather Black

FUNERALS OF LONG TIME CHURCH MEMBERS (Up-to-date information)

Mavis Billany  I was very sad to hear of the death of Mavis Billany in mid-January. Mavis’s faith meant a lot to her, and she worshipped at Holy Trinity (Hull Minster) for many years. In the 1990s when it looked as if the Ladies Fellowship would have to close, Mavis stepped in to keep it going, a job that lasted more years than she ever expected. She did it however with such love and dedication often struggling to get interesting speakers. A task she achieved though most successfully. Mavis’s funeral will be held in Hull Minster on Tuesday 11th February at 10a.m.
Joan Whitaker  It is with great sadness that I heard of the death of Joan Whitaker recently, a long-standing member of our church. Joan was born and lived on the Great Thornton Street Estate in our parish. She dedicated her life first to St Thomas’s Church on the estate, then to Holy Apostles, our daughter church from its completion in 1960. Joan and her close friend Marianne were deputy wardens and ran the Brownies and Guides. Joan served for many years on the PCC. When I was a young PCC member, Joan was always a great support and encouraged me in many ways. I will always remember her for this with fondness. Joan’s funeral will be held in Hull Minster on Friday 14th February at 1:30pm.
Sue McGaw

COLLECT FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Lord of the hosts of heaven,

Our salvation and our strength,

without you we are lost;

guard us from all that harms and hurts

and raise us when we fall,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

READINGS FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

Psalm 138

Isaiah 6:1-8 (9 – end)

Luke 5:1-11

PRAYERS FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT

·        We pray for Hull Minster and all those who gather to worship here. May we be a welcoming and supportive community, rooted in faith, hope and love.

·         For those who are unwell, and all who are suffering physically, emotionally, or spiritually. May God bring healing, comfort, and peace to them.

·         For our community: We pray for the ongoing work of the Welcome Cafe and all those who serve and support it. May it continue to be a place of connection, support, and compassion.

·         For peace in the Holy Land and all the countries of the Middle East and some African countries.  Especially  pray for Somalia where the Christians are suffering terrible persecution.

·         For those who have lost loved family and friends.

 
DIARY FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS

Hull and East Yorkshire was represented by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Lord Mayor, three local MP’s and many councillors.

Amen.

DIARY FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS

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DIARY FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS