good evening and welcome to canterbury cathedral on this evening of sunday the 23rd of august today has been purple poppy day it's the day when we remember the animals who've been killed in war and on friday we had members of the armed services come to lay a wreath by our great wooden war horse in the precincts there's a sense of gratitude to those animals which have searched out people who are missing in bomb sites and and in dangerous places in the world dogs mostly that have done that but of all the thousands and thousands of horses also that have been killed in the conflicts of the last century and it gives us a chance to remember our responsibility for the creatures of the world leo is here wearing his purple collar in honour of this day but also this is the 23rd of august so it's a the evening before the feast of sin bartholomew and our feasts always begin with the first even song so we're well into the feast at this stage it's in bartholomew one of the twelve apostles but not so well known as so many of the others i remember on this occasion i must have been 10 or 11 i was working the stirrup pump while my father sprayed his roses and it was probably about quarter to seven in the evening and the church bell began to ring and i said to him on that summer evening why is the church bell ringing he said oh it's said bartholomew's day and that name i remember even though he's hardly known in terms of facts about his life but he's very much the saint of summer as it begins to come to an end it felt like that in the atmosphere this morning and behind me there are touches of color now in the cherry tree and the sawbus and also the crab apple in full fruit behind me as summer begins to take its bow i was reminded of this book the magic apple tree a country year it's written by the novelist susan hill whose novels bird of night and strange meeting i much enjoyed in the late 1970s and more recently her fine detective series on simon sarela her detective i think there are 10 books of that i've enjoyed but when she lived in the countryside she wrote the most lovely reflective book simply called the magic apple tree after the picture by um samuel palmer on the front which is called the magic apple tree and they named a tree in the garden the magic apple tree and there's their cottage moon cottage in the village of bali as she calls it in oxfordshire and here she reflects on summer coming to an end in the field that abuts on the orchard garden at the top end nearest the hedge there are thistles they seed themselves in august and are covered in their ghostly puffballs that fly about in the air and cling to hair and clothing and on these seed heads flocks of goldfinches land and feed when i go through the gap into the garden they rise up like insects and fly in panic to the far side of the field where there are more thistles flashing gold and scarlet and white suddenly one hot drowsy afternoon we were sitting beside the little pond looking into the water at the lilies and the tiny fish below when all around our heads we heard a high violin squeaking and looking up saw a party of long-tailed tits on the move from the wilderness garden into the apple tree and off again in august the sky was gathering for a thunderstorm the air misty heavy still you could scarcely breathe i walked up through the village to post a letter and as i looked up into the sky i saw one swift circling and swooping not very high rather anxiously above the church tower were others making a lot of noise this i said to myself is the last time i shall see swift's this year sure enough after the next day of torrential rain and mighty storms when the skies cleared to the brightest blue again the swifts had gone every one and in the midst of the blazing sunshine i felt the shadow of the end of summer the turning of the year well the swifts have certainly gone it was on the evening when we were remembering ve day that i remember them screaming overhead but now they've gone and there is a sense of autumn just around the corner as we say our compline this evening and the seasons change the lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end 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 moment of reflection and penitence [Applause] 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 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 oh 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 [Music] so we say psalm 31 and psalm 134 in thee o lord have i put my trust let me never be put to confusion deliver me in thy righteousness bow down thy near to me make haste to deliver me and be thou my strong rock and house of defense that thou mayest save me for thou art my strong rock and my castle be thou also my guide and lead me for thy name's sake draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me for thou art my strengths into thy hands 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 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 art 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 i commend my spirit glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy ghost into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit before the ending of the day creator of the world we pray that with thy won'ted favor thou wouldst be our guard and keeper now from all ill dreams defend our eyes from nightly fears and fantasies tread underfoot our ghostly foe that no pollution we may know oh father that we ask be done through jesus christ sign only son who with the holy ghost and thee doth 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 as always we light a candle in memory of those who we have known and loved in the past and would want to remember at the end of this sunday and also those who have died recently not only from the coronavirus but also from other causes call them up in your heart and mind as we light our candle rest eternal grant unto them oh lord and let light perpetual shine upon them may they rest in peace and rise in glory save us our 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 out 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 are men 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 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 ghost 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 vouchsafe oh 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 thee o lord our homes and drive far from them all the snares of the enemy let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and may thy blessing be upon us ever more through jesus christ our lord amen be present a merciful god and protect us through the silent hours of this night so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may repose upon thy eternal changelessness through jesus christ our lord amen moment of silence as we make our own prayers for any whom we would want to pray for tonight and for all whom we love asking god's protection and care for them 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 the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you upon those whom you love and those whom you would pray for tonight and always amen we read a poem by john struther best known for her book mrs minever and also for her hymn lord of all hopefulness lord of all joy this is a hymn in honor of since bartholomew o saint of summer what can we sing for you how can we praise you what can we bring for you lost by your words your deeds are nameless saint without history mute and fameless said you wise sayings no one has hoarded them work two great wonders none has recorded them only your name times hand defying shines with the light of your faith undying so fade the words so vanish the deeds from us of each lost summer swift as it speeds from us we jest we toil we weep but after slip from our memories grief and laughter [Applause] only the sun that cheered us and shone for us all else forgotten ever lives on for us kindling our hearts when summers ended soul of the summer serene and splendid time take our words and do what thou wilt with them death take our hands and all that we built with them only our faith our souls endeavor take it lord make it lord shine forever so oh i