Sunday, February 8, 2009

Celebration of the life of Noel King

We will be joining in the celebration of the life of Noel King on Sunday 22 February 2009 at 2pm in First Congregational Church, 900 High Street, Santa Cruz, California


As posted at http://nqking.wordpress.com:


Latin phrases have not fallen effortlessly from my lips despite a lifetime of patient teaching by example from Noel King. In fact the phrase “Dominus illuminatio mea” I once rendered God illumines my aunt…. which I’m sure she does.

He also gently pointed out the origins deep in time of the phrase, ‘my mercy always takes place over my wrath’.

Mercy and goodness follow us all the days of our lives, as they surely chased us when Dr King was in the room.

He was my great teacher from the moment I wandered into the Baobab Room in Winter quarter 1974 to a ‘pro-seminar’ on the Gospel of John. When I called on him in office hours some time later the students were stacked up like waiting airliners so he sent me down the hall to make some tea. There I found another friend, Bilal, who had been sent on a similar errand. We knew our teacher would be along - he had left one of his many pairs of Sikh-style leather slipper-sandals on the floor of the faculty common room… occasionally I would retrieve same from class rooms and return them down the hall to his office… many warm memories from that day on - including his ‘family interview’ with she who was to become my bride. … and greeting the gloaming with him: hence the evening prayers appended below.

See you at the Celebration, God willing, in this world or the next.

Psalm 27 Dominus illuminatio mea

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear? *
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?

5 One thing have I asked of the LORD;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days
of my life;

6 To behold the fair beauty of the LORD *
and to seek him in his temple.

Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light around me turn to night,” darkness is not dark to you, O Lord; the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike. Psalm 139:10,11

O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Then follows

V. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit;
R. For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
V. Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye;
R. Hide us under the shadow of your wings.


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