This morning I attended the second funeral of the week, this one was for the Revd Agatha Danson one of the first females in Scotland to be ordained priest. She was commended to God in fine style having both Bishop Idris – the current bishop of Glasgow and Galloway and also the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church – and Bishop John the previous bishop of the diocese dressed in their finery. To totally misquote from The Importance of Being Ernest – To have one bishop conduct your funeral is fortunate, to have two is exquisite!
The first funeral, on Monday, was for Ian Howard. Ian was someone I have know for more years than I care to remember and was always a good friend, whose dry wit often had me trying to stifle a laugh at some inappropriate time. He died very suddenly and as is often the case in such circumstances the church was full of people still coming to terms with the shock.
They both contributed much to the diocese, Agatha as a Lay Reader, NSM Deacon and then as a NSM Priest until she retired in 2003 and Ian as the Diocesan Surveyor for many years retiring from the post only in December 2006.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
