in fact quite simply— on behalf of the dean and chapter of west minister i bid each one of you a most sincere welcome to saint margaret's church here in westminster abbey. your church often called the parish church of the house of commons and more recently the parliamentary church. holding on. at a church that should be a place of they are by beginning a long and fruitful association of mutual service of which this evening is but the latest solemn example. we gather here in prayer and remembrance. as have parliamentarians for hundreds of years. held in the steadfast love of god. here in the parliamentary church we come to mourn the untimely death of sir david amess, member of parliament. to pray forjulia, their family and all who feel his loss so keenly. to remember the kindness and commitment of a friend and a colleague. and to console each other in our grief. here we acknowledge a shared sense of vulnerability even as we express the determination to maintain our public service. here we seek gods protection and the need to needful guest of courage and strength of the days ahead. let us ra . god strength of the days ahead. let us pray- god of _ strength of the days ahead. let us pray- god of hepe _ strength of the days ahead. let us pray. god of hope we _ strength of the days ahead. let us pray. god of hope we come - strength of the days ahead. let us pray. god of hope we come to - strength of the days ahead. let us pray. god of hope we come to you i strength of the days ahead. let us i pray. god of hope we come to you in shock and grief and confusion of heart, help us to find peace in the knowledge of your loving mercy to all your children. and give us light to guide us out of our doctors into the assurance of your love injesus christ our lord. amen. hymn i will give thanks to you lord for though you are angry with me your anger turned away and you comforted me. surely god is my salvation. i will trust and not be afraid. for the love god is my strength and my might, he has become my salvation. withjoy he will might, he has become my salvation. with joy he will throw water from the wells of salvation and you will say on that day give thanks to the lord, call out his name, make known his deeds among the nations, proclaimed that his name is exalted. sing praises to the lord for he has done gloriously. let this be known and all the earth. shout aloud and sing forjoy for royal zion, for great in your midst is the holy one of israel. thanks be to god. hymn we do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters about those have died. so that you may not grieve as others who do who have no call for signs we believe that they jesus died and rose again even so through jesus died and rose again even so throuthesus god will bring with him those who have died. so we declare to you by the word of the lord that we who are alive and who alighted to the comer of the lord will be by no means receive those who had died. the lord himself with a cry of command with the archangels call and the sound of trumpet will descend from heaven and the dead and christ will rise first. then we who are alive who are left will be caught up in the clouds together with them to be the lord and the earth. and so we will be with the lord forever. therefore encourage phone and other with these words. thanks be to god. hymn hymn come holy spirit and comfort our hearts with the fire of your life, amen. please be seated. the noble calling all politicians in a democracy is to make all manner of the sacrifices seen and unseen. for the sacrifices seen and unseen. for the freedom and prosperity of our nation. and it is for that reason that across the nation we should be thankful to everyone who is here and throughout especially the house of commons. who gives so much despite the cynicism, abuse and cruelty that they so often indoor. too often when great tragedies happen we have to reflect that the best seem to be the first to suffer. in this great tragedy there is a unanimous conviction amongst all who knew him that sir david was of the best. eloquent, contributions both the house of commons and the house of lords have spoken of his exceptional character. a friend to his constituents and to his constituency, a whole hearted supporter of causes from the now achieved study status for self end. two great causes of the future of our nation around brexit and all with a robust fairness of spirit and charity of heart that won the admiration and affection of all regardless of whether they agreed with him politically or not. it was a charity of heart that came from his deep catholic christian faith. that was mentioned so often by so many in the lords. he was of the best and his name will be remembered with robert bradford, anthony barry, ian bell, joe cox those mps murdered since 1945 and others like andrew pennington who have died in the course of public service. public service in politics is a sacrifice that should be honoured and respected even when differences of opinion run very deep indeed. david showed that. sacrifices ripped liberty by those that represent us. but when the cost is seen so visibly with such demonic kara, what do we say so that we may comfort the grieving and be read easily and in tragedy? first that the light lit by a public service, by you all and your colleagues must never be put out even in the darkest moments and especially forjulia and david's children this is as dark as could be. light continues. in ourfirst reading we heard the words of the prophet isaiah speaking to defeated jewish captives held in slave labour camps outside babylon. the king was overthrown, they temple destroyed, scattered to the winds yet eyes as speaks of future triumph because of the faithfulness of god. cruel adversity is not final destiny, darkness does not indoor. the light that david held out throughout his service inspires by his strong personal faith, service inspires by his strong personalfaith, that service inspires by his strong personal faith, that light held service inspires by his strong personalfaith, that light held by all in public service may flicker but it will not be extinguished. in the face of such injustice it must be for all of us to determine to shine that light all the more brightly. second, there is the promise ofjustice. sir paul's words to a small church grieving humanly for those who have died, paul tells them that grief is right and normal. but for those who are servants of christ like david, grief is accompanied by the certainties of life and ofjustice. life because christ rose from the dead and gives life. justice because there is a finaljudgement where all that is good and all that is evil is judged by god. we mourn and grieve and so we must. we shudder at loss, how could we do otherwise? yet we also thank those who serve in politics. we need them, wejoin them in commitment to the life of hope through their service. a service to which all are called to emulate david in kindness, humour, grace and simply sheer goodness. above all, we hold to the christian certainty of life, to the joy ofjustice done. david, full of faith will rest in peace and rise in glory. grief remains the deepest pain. but god promises in and in light and love. and the enduring hope of resurrection. hymn let us pray. let us pray for the soul of david amess. and for all who have died in the service of parliament. received old lord in tranquillity and peace the soul of thy servant david. grant him rest and place him the soul of thy servant david. grant him restand place him in the soul of thy servant david. grant him rest and place him in the habitation of life, and give him the life and give him the life that and give him the life that no and give him the life that no if and give him the life that no if no and give him the life that no if no age the good things that pass not away. through jesus age the good things that pass not away. throuthesus christ lord amen. let us pray for all who mourn david's passing. for those who are in shock and