Order of Service for the funeral of Ray Mayes

The Salvation Army Cambridge Citadel Corps

Order of Service for the funeral of

RAYMOND WILFRED MAYES 27th October 1936 – 16th May 2020

Conducted by

Majors Leanne & Martin Cordner Commanding Officers

Thursday 11th June 2020, 2.30pm Mintlyn Crematorium, King’s Lynn

Entry music - The Lord’s my Shepherd (Tune: Crimond) The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want; He makes me down to lie In pastures green, he leadeth me The quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again, And me to walk doth make Within the paths of righteousness, E’en for his own name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, Yet will I fear no ill, For thou art with me, and thy rod And staff me comfort still.

My table thou hast furnishèd In presence of my foes; My head thou dost with oil anoint, And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life Shall surely follow me; And in God’s house for evermore My dwelling place shall be.

Scottish Psalter, 1650

Welcome and Prayer Our Father, today we give thanks for the life of Ray. We thank you for all he meant to us. We thank you for all our memories; some sad, but so many of those memories happy.

We thank you for Ray’s love and friendship, for every good deed done and for every kind word spoken. We pray, Father, that the good he was able to do in this world might remain and continue to bear fruit for you.

Help us now, at the start of this service, to release Ray to you, our maker and judge, confident in the knowledge of your mercy and thankful for his life among us.

Thank you that you gave Ray to us, and that you have now seen fit to take him from us. May we allow Ray to rest peacefully within our hearts, and may we treasure all our remembrances.

Our Father, we pray for those who mourn. We pray for Dorothy, Kevin, Paul, and the wider family. Comfort them all this day. And comfort us all in our grief, sustain us in our sorrow, and strengthen us in our weakness we pray.

Remind us of your Son, our Saviour, who also wept and suffered and died – and yet rose triumphant over death.

May we too triumph through him and with him.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Bible reading - Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 10

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

18

A Message of Hope - ‘Always ready’

A brief comment paying tribute to Ray and how he was ‘always ready’ with a prayer, word of testimony and word of encouragement for others. Are we ready to follow Ray’s example and do likewise?

Words of Committal Now, as God our eternal Father has allowed our brother Ray to be taken from us, we now commit his body to the elements, in the certainty of the resurrection and of the eternal wisdom and mercy of God. Music for reflection - The Old Rugged Cross On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame, And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above To bear it to dark Calvary.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true, Its shame and reproach gladly bear; Then he’ll call me some day to my Home far away Where his glory for ever I’ll share.

George Bennard (1873-1958)

Benediction - Numbers 6:24-26 ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.’ Postlude - O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds thy hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze: And when I think how God, his Son not sparing, Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the cross, my burdens gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin:

When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation, To take me Home, what joy will fill my heart!

Then I will bow in humble adoration, And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!

Stuart Wesley Keene Hine (1899-1989)

This online Order of Service has been published for the benefit of those unable to attend this service in person.

Thank you for your prayers of support for Dorothy, as well as Kevin and Paul and their families.

The Salvation Army Cambridge Citadel 3 Tenison Road, Cambridge CB1 2DG (01223) 367633 Songs reproduced under CCLI licence 227497