OUR SUPERIOR SERVICE

I ATTENDED the Memorial Service on September 22 for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at St Monica’s Church. It did Cairns proud. The mood was captured by the lone piper playing at the entrance and then the full house with representatives from the Churches, the Navy, Rocky Gela and many others, the wonderful religious service, hymns, bible readings and sermon. I think special thanks goes to our council and Mayor Bob Manning who were major players in organising this memorial.

Compared to the Cairns service, the service in Canberra was amateurish, pathetic and sad (as in lacking celebrating her incredible life and service).

The poor Australian Girls Choir only got a lone piano and not an orchestra to accompany them. The memorial service was held in what looked like a school hall and not a church, which would have been more fitting.

Anthony Callea sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (I remind the readers that this wasn’t the send off for a great football player). He sang the national anthem like he was performing before a panel of judges to win “The Voice”. It was entirely an inappropriate tone.

When “God Save the King” was performed, only the girls choir sang it. Likewise for when they sang the appropriate 23rd Psalm.

Had it been held in a church, or been conducted as a church service, everyone would have known that they were to join in.

There were no readings from the Bible. Perhaps the Canberra organiser didn’t realise that the Queen was a very devout Christian, which was the reason why she served so tirelessly for 70 years as the devoted servant of the people. Only a Christian is commanded by their faith to render such service and apart from Our Lord Jesus Christ, I can’t think of a more faithful servant of God recorded in the Bible.

Whoever organised that service in Canberra should have spoken to the people who organised the Cairns Memorial.