I would like to start with a big thank you for the best wishes and prayers for me after my unexpected visit to hospital.

For those who have not heard, Viv and I were down in London to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Our children had booked 3 nights in a nice hotel for us and we had planned a family meal on the Saturday night. I had a morning session in the hotel gym and pool and then we headed off to meet the girls for our meal. Not far from the hotel I began to have chest pains and tingling down my left arm. At first we turned back to the hotel, but when the pain eased carried on for our rendezvous. However it was soon made clear to me by my family that I had to go to A&E, which I did.

There it was discovered that I had had a heart attack and ended up being blue-lighted to Barts hospital, which happens to be the main heart hospital in the country. There I was seen by a decisive consultant who said I would need an angiogram and as they were quiet, “Let’s do it now”. So I found myself in the operating theatre watching pictures of the arteries supplying my heart. It was a bit disconcerting to see that one of them was nearly blocked in three places. It was obvious that something needed to be done urgently, so they put in 3 stents there and then. We later found out that one of Becca’s friends had been waiting 5 days for a slot for a similar operation.

It has obviously been a great shock but combined with a sense of ‘being looked after’ as I was in the right place at the right time and a potentially fatal condition was discovered in time.

As I write this I am acutely aware of those for whom such an attack was fatal. So as well as being thankful for God’s help we also remember those who are separated by death. At our memorial service will be bringing God into a situation that is painful. We show respect for and how we value the lives of those who have died. We say thank you for what they have given us.

At the heart of our Christian worship is another service of remembrance, our service of Holy Communion. We remember with thanks the death of Jesus, a death that was not in vain as we show each time we respond to Him.

Rev Bill Henderson