A former Larkhall minister was invited to read a prayer at Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral service in Westminster Abbey on Monday.
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, formed part of the pre-procession of church leaders including the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, Very Rev Prof David Fergusson.
Dr Greenshields was the minister of St Machan’s Parish Church where he oversaw major refurbishment of the sanctuary and halls and establishment of the Machan Trust, which works with children, young people and their families.
“The last 10 days have been a whirlwind and yet time seems to have stood still,” Dr Greenshields told Lanarkshire Live.
“It was a privilege and a real pleasure to spend time in the company of Her Majesty the Queen. She was considerate in every respect and had clearly taken time to understand her guests.
"I was struck by her tremendous recall and her obvious love for Balmoral and indeed Scotland.
“Preaching before the then Prince Charles at Crathie was a pleasant experience and an honour, but little did I know that in eight days’ time I would be preaching in his presence at St Giles’ with him now as King, as we gave thanks for his mother’s life.
“The atmosphere in Edinburgh, and in particular in St Giles’, was very special as we paid our respects to the Queen and offered our sympathy and support to King Charles and his wider family.
"It was a dignified atmosphere that recognised the Queen’s strong connection to Scotland as well as a service of worship that celebrated the Queen’s clear and unambiguous faith.
“The tributes have been many and heartfelt and we have now held these final services and rites as the Queen is finally laid to rest.
“It is a time of reflection as we look at her life and examine our own before God.
“It is also a time to move on and we do so in hope and expectation.
“Expectation? The hope that seeds of faith are being planted that will allow people to seriously reflect on what life is all about and consider putting faith, duty and service at the heart of who they are.
“We will move on with the words of King Charles resonating with us – that “love has to be at the heart of who we are as a people” and who can argue with that?”
The Moderator joined around 2000 guests including members of the Royal Family, senior UK politicians and heads of state from across the world, and representatives from the charities Her Majesty supported.
Dr Greenshields’ prayer for Queen Elizabeth read: "Let us give thanks to God for Queen Elizabeth’s long life and reign, recalling with gratitude her gifts of wisdom, diligence, and service.
“O God, from whom comes everything that is upright and true: accept our thanks for the gifts of heart and mind that thou didst bestow upon thy daughter Elizabeth, and which she showed forth among us in her words and deeds; and grant that we may have grace to live our lives in accordance with thy will, to seek the good of others, and to remain faithful servants unto our lives’ end; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
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