good evening and welcome to the dinery garden as this day sunday the 11th of october closes and we come to the evening office of compline which we say together quietly on this autumn evening it's an evening which is full of stillness no breeze is blowing and there is a pure blue sky above but the sun now has gone down in the west and as we say our prayers we're surrounded by golden leaves i've got this lovely walnut tree on my left and a liquid amber tree on my right and not only the color but the scent of the air is of autumn on this night and we're going to later on have some autumn poetry but i wanted to remember something i mentioned this morning that on this day in 1884 october the 11th eleanor roosevelt was born and she of course through the most of the 1930s and the years of the second world war until her husband the president franklin delano roosevelt died was america's first lady and she was a power on her own as well because she was a fierce campaigner for those whom she felt to be marginalized whether for women's rights or for areas of society which needed help she was never afraid and she was certainly not afraid when she came to canterbury because although she'd been here before she chose to come here at the time when canterbury was being mercilessly bombed and the citizens were having a really really hard time and suddenly the first lady of the united states arrived and was a guest not only of the city but of my predecessor dean hewlett johnson who was known as the red dean and he received her here with great joy and she came and comforted and encouraged the citizens and gave the signs of support that were necessary at this time well after her husband died she became also a wonderful ambassador and encourage her as she traveled the world and she did this for the united nations and also unofficially on her own behalf but at the end she also wrote we call it a poem but it's a series of aphorisms and maxims which she felt were important to her and i only discovered it uh today when we were researching mrs roosevelt and it is the loveliest should we call it a poem it's called footprints in your heart and i offer it to you now on this autumn evening many people will walk in and out of your life but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart [Music] to handle yourself use your head [Music] to handle others use your heart anger is only one letter short of danger if someone betrays you once it is his fault if he betrays you twice it is your fault great minds discuss ideas average minds discuss events small minds discuss people he who loses money loses much he who loses a friend loses much more he who loses faith loses all beautiful young people are accidents of nature but beautiful old people are works of art learn from the mistakes of others you can't live long enough to make them all yourself [Music] friends you and me you brought another friend and then there were three we started our group our circle of friends and like that circle there is no beginning or end yesterday is history tomorrow is mystery today is a gift that's why it's called the present some thoughts by eleanor roosevelt who visited canterbury in the height of its destruction during the bombing of 1942 and encouraged its citizens the lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end amen be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist steadfast in the face but thou o lord have mercy upon us thanks be to god our help is in the name of the lord who has made heaven and earth so we keep a moment of reflection in silence as we think over the hours of this day before we confess anything we would want to we confess to god almighty the father the son and the holy ghost before the whole company of heaven that we have sinned exceedingly in thought word and deed through our fault our own fault our own grievous fault therefore we pray god to have mercy upon us almighty god have mercy upon us forgive us our all our sins and bring us to everlasting life amen turn us oh god our savior and let thine anger cease from us oh god make speed to save us o lord make haste to help us glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen so tonight we use psalm 4 and psalm 134 hear me when i call oh god of my righteousness thou has set me at liberty when i was in trouble have mercy upon me and hearken unto my prayer oh you sons of men how long will he blaspheme mine honor and have such pleasure in vanity and seek after leasing know this also that the lord has chosen to himself the man that is godly when i call upon the lord he will hear me stand in awe and sin not commune with your own heart and in your chamber and be still offer the sacrifice of righteousness and put your trust in the lord there be many that say who will show us any good lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou has put gladness in my heart since the time that their corn and wine and oil increased i will damn lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou lord only that maketh me dwell in safety glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen behold now praise the lord all ye servants of the lord ye that by night stand in the house of the lord even in the courts of the house of our god lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the lord the lord that made heaven and earth give the blessing out of zion glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen thou o lord out in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not o lord our god thanks be to god into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me o lord thou god of truth glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost into thy hands oh lord i commend my spirit before the ending of the day creator of the world we pray that with thy wanted favor thou wouldst be our guard and keeper now from all ill dreams defend our eyes and from nightly fears and fantasies shred underfoot our ghostly foe that no pollution we may know oh father that we ask be done through jesus christ thine only son who with the holy ghost and thee just live and reign eternally amen keep me o lord as the apple of an eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings so at this time we light our evening candle in remembrance of all those whom we have loved who have died and gone before us into greater light we give thanks to god for them and tonight over this weekend two of our dear friends have died and you will have other names on your heart my name tonight bruce eccles and john dilnot and give thanks for their lives as we light our candle and you in your heart and mind name other folk whom you would give thanks for rest eternal grant unto them o lord and let light perpetual shine upon them may they rest in peace and rise in glory amen save us o lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace lord now let us thy thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lighten the gentiles and to be the glory of thy people israel glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen save us so lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace lord have mercy upon us christ have mercy upon us lord have mercy upon us so in whatever language and in whichever way you like to say it we join together in the prayer our savior taught us our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever are men we will lay us down in peace and take our rest blessed art thou o lord god of our forebears and to be praised and glorified forever let us bless the father and the son and the holy spirit let us praise and exalt him above all forever blessed art thou o lord in the firmament of heaven and to be praised and glorified and exalted above all forever the almighty and merciful lord guard us and give us his blessing amen thou safer lord to keep us this night without sin o lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us o lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee lord hear our prayer and let our cry come unto thee let us pray visit we beseech the o lord our homes and drive far from them all snares of the enemy let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and might thy blessing be upon us ever more through jesus christ our lord amen be present so merciful god and protect us through the silent hours of this night so that we who are fatigued by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may repose upon thy eternal changelessness through jesus christ our lord amen so for a moment we keep silence and pray for all those for whom we would want to pray on this night as this sunday ends the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you and upon those whom you love and those you would pray for this night and always amen [Applause] two awesome poems the first five longfellow thou comest autumn heralded by the rain with banners by great gayle's incessant fand brighter than brightest silks of samarkand and stately oxen harness to thy wayne thou standest like imperial charlemagne upon thy bridge of gold thy royal hand outstretched with benedictions or the land blessing the farms through all thy vast domain thy shield is the red harvest moon suspended so long beneath the heavens or hanging eaves my steps are by the farmer's prayers attended like flames upon an altar shine the sheaves and following thee in thy ovation splendid by an almana the wind scatters the golden leaves and the second by elizabeth barrett browning simply called the autumn go sit upon the lofty hill and turn your eyes around where waving woods and waters wild to him and autumn sounds the summer sun is faint on them the summer's flowers depart sit still as all transform to stone except your musing heart how there you sat in summer time may yet be in your mind and how you heard the green wood sing beneath the freshening wind though the same wind now blows around you would its blast recall for every breath that stirs the trees does cause a leaf to fall oh like that wind is all the mess that flesh and dust impart we cannot bear its visiting when change is on the heart gay words and jests may make us smile when sorrow is asleep but other things must make us smile when sorrow bids us weep the dearest hands that clasp our hands their presence may be or the dearest voice that meets our ear that tone may come no more youth fades and then the joys of youth which once refreshed our mind shall come as on those sighing woods the chilling autumn wind hear not the wind view not the woods look out or veil and hill in spring the sky encircled them the sky is round them still come autumn scales come winter's cold come change and human fate whatever prospect heaven doth bound can now be desolate [Applause] so you