Norwich School Blog

Dying Matters Assembly

Cathedral Assembly by Mr Child, 15th February 2019

Hymn – To God be the glory 121 

Reading – Romans 12:9-15 

 

 

Some of you may have heard of a four-year-old boy called Denver Clinton; some of you may also have heard the sad news that he died yesterday. Denver lived in Mattishall near Dereham and had been suffering from a rare form of cancer. 

His death is the end of several months that have been very sad for the family, as you would expect. But the sadness has been mixed in with some remarkable and unexpected joys. 

Last summer, a pub in Dereham was full of people watching the world cup matches. While they were there, the landlord asked everyone to make donations to support Denver. Thousands of pounds were raised. Some of that money went towards transforming the garden at the back of Denver’s house so he had a nice place to play in between treatment. Local people turned up to help with the work. Denver got messages of support from Olly Murs and Tyson Fury. In December he got to turn on Dereham’s Christmas lights; a big crowd gathered and sang Denver’s favourite song with him (which was of course – Baby Shark). 

It’s a sad thing that this boy with a big smile has died, but there’s no doubt that he and his family made the most of all the time he had since his diagnosis. It may sound strange to talk about dying well, but someone like Denver Clinton shows how the end of even a short life can be full of love and warmth. 

Norwich School has just launched a writing competition alongside an organisation called Dying Matters – you may have heard about this already, you may hear about it soon. The motto of Dying Matters is ‘Let’s talk about it’; and the theme of the competition (which is open to U4, L5 and M5) is ‘I wish we’d spoken earlier’. It’s trying to address a common problem; that because death is a sensitive issue and we don’t want to say the wrong thing, we don’t talk about it at all. 

All the research shows that not talking about death is not a good option. It is better in the long run to have these difficult conversations. Patients who know they are going to die actually find it a lot easier to cope with if they understand what the journey to their death is going to be like, and how their deaths can be done as well as possible. My wife works in a hospice; she says that when people have these conversations it can be as if a burden has been lifted. 

If you’re eligible for the writing competition, do think about entering. The high standard of poems that our pupils wrote for Remembrance last year suggests that you’ll do this well. 

Otherwise, simply have a think about the idea that it’s OK to talk about death. We cannot only deal with things that make us happy and excited. If that’s the limit of our conversation, then we are limiting ourselves and we are limiting what we can offer people who are grieving. 

Our reading from Romans this morning included the line: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.’ It’s important that we can do both of those things. And maybe draw some inspiration from Denver Clinton’s family, who faced death, and dealt with it, and made decisions about it. 

I’m going to close with a piece of poetry, originally written in Anglo-Saxon over a thousand years ago: the words of an old warrior before his death. 

I give you thanks, Lord God of nations, 

For all the worldly joys that I have known. 

But now my greatest need is that my soul be allowed to venture unto you, 

Into your keeping, Prince of Angels, 

Going in peace into your power. 

Let us pray. 

Prayers 

Dear Lord, 

We pray today for everyone we know who is sad or troubled. 

We pray for the family of Denver Clinton and the community around him who are grieving today. 

Help us to carry our burdens when they feel heavy. 

We thank you for all the goodness in our lives; for friends, for the first signs of Spring, for everything we are looking forward to over half term. 

Help us to go about our lives with gladness, delighting in good things, and sharing with others. 

Walk with us through this day, we pray, with all its joys and sorrows. Amen

Blessing 

 

You can find out about the writing competition by clicking here.