Services held in SA and in UK. Part 1 "In the UK"

We decided that the services to be held after Douglas' death were to be services of "Thanksgiving" for his life and ministry. God was to receive the glory because Douglas had been His servant, blessed by him to be accepted and loved by so many people.

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/community/community-news/downham-market-service-for-minister-helps-cause-1-4929440

The service held in Downham Market in the UK was held soon after his sudden death because family members had come from far and wide and needed to return for various commitments at home. Brendon had come from Doha in Qatar, Vera had come from Durban in South Africa, Bruce had come from Auckland in New Zealand, and Natalie had come from Berlin in Germany. United Nations, a true reflection of our family.

SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE LIFE OF

THE REVD DOUGLAS MORRIS

16th October 1944 — 4th March 2013

at Downham Market Methodist Church

Monday 11th March 2013

at 2.30 pm

led by

The Revd Graham Thompson

Chair of the East Anglia District of the Methodist Church

The Revd Andrew Maguire

Superintendent Minister of the West Norfolk Methodist Circuit

The Revd Marie Whitcombe

Douglas’ colleague as Minister in the Downham Market section of the Circuit

Welcome - The Revd Andrew Maguire

Hymn - O for a thousand tongues

Charles Wesley (1707-88)

Prayer - The Revd Andrew Maguire

Reading - Psalm 84 (Mrs Sheila Forth)

4

Hymn - God sent his Son, they called Him Jesus

Gloria & William J Gaither.

Tribute - Mr Brendon Morris

Hymn - This, this is the God we adore

Joseph Hart (1712-68)

Reading - Philippians 3: 7 - 4: 1 (Mr Alan Rix)

Reading - John 14: 1 - 6 (The Revd Graham Thompson)

Address - The Revd Graham Thompson

Prayers - The Revd Marie Whitcombe

Hymn - To God be the Glory

Frances Jane van Alstyne (1820-1915) alt.

The Blessing - The Revd Graham Thompson

Refreshments will be served following the service.

Donations in memory will be for the “Stroke Association”.

The local community were in shock and yet in their grief they came out to support us. They had set up prayer facilities in the church in the days after Douglas' death and leading up to the day of the service. I received so many cards and emails that I was overwhelmed. (I sent the cards back to SA with Vera so that Douglas' sisters could read what everyone had said.) The many flowers that I received were used for the service as I know that is what Douglas would have liked. He was so unselfish and loved everyone and always wanted to give to others.

Friends and extended family members came from different parts of the UK and we were blessed by their support.

 The tea served in the hall was well attended and I was thankful that there were other members of the family available to speak to those who wanted to speak to us. There were so many people there that I would never have been able to chat to everyone.

 A Tribute To Douglas Morris

Compiled by his son Brendon Morris

The Morris' have lived together as a family in many different towns. Some places were hot, some were cold but our house was always a home and our family was always part of the community - lead by our “Father Abraham”, Douglas. Whether this involvement came in the form of him being the local Cub Scout Akela or volunteering to drive the school bus, his participation was always selfless and done with love.

As a family we had to share our Dad with the communities he loved so much. It must be said however that we enjoyed being able to share him, as we saw that it never took anything away from the love he had for us, and the joy it brought him. Dad loved us all so much and was so very proud of all of us.  His daughter Evelyn’s intellectual abilities - his daughter Vera’s passion for caring for the ill and I expect my attempts to be as good a father as he was. Dad also had a very special place in his heart for his wife Lynese’s unwavering love and support for him and their ministry together.

You see mom and dad were a team. A team of parents - a team of grandparents and a team of pastors. Together as this team they ensured that their commitment to one duty (the church) never caused the other duty (the family) to be neglected.

Dad had a way of always giving back to the giver through the joy he showed in his receiving. At the same time however he took great joy in giving. I remember a dad who insisted on having a light burning outside the font door every night so that anybody would always feel welcome to knock.  When I was too young to go to school I would join my dad on his daily errands. I always remember being allowed to choose an extra piece of fruit and some bread to give to the homeless men begging outside the store. "Never give them money", my dad would say, “show them enough love to give them something to eat".

Despite Dads’ major influence and involvement in the communities he served he always seemed to be able to side step any praise or public acknowledgement. As an example, so few knew of him being chosen as custodian of ballot papers by the independent electoral commission for South Africa's first free and fair elections. Equally, so few know that he chose the jam be bought based on the empty jars he knew people were collecting.

You see, he never felt he deserved any praise as it was never him doing it. It was always “the Lord through him” he would say. It was a simple motto for life -  my dad stood on two legs. One leg was love God and the other was love people. These two legs balanced each other perfectly. Loving God and loving people just came naturally to him. 

Important clarity on this motto was that dad was not interested in only loving people who loved God - he loved everyone. The most important thing I learnt from my dad’s life was that the formula should be simply applied. The more you love God the more you will be empowered to love people. In this way you become a vessel for the Lord and so manage to side step all praise and acclamation.

Now not every person that my dad came across had detailed insight into exactly how much he loved the lord but it was impossible for them not to know how much he loved people and this left them wondering.

I have to think very hard to try and remember a time I experienced my dad angry. Emotional and passionate I can recall but angry this is much harder to find. I do remember a funny moment he managed to not get angry despite being fully entitled to in my opinion. I was a young boy when I pleaded with my dad to allow me to please help him carry our old black and white TV from one place to another. He explaining that he would rather not have me help, as he would prefer to avoid any chance of being upset with me if I dropped it.  A few seconds later after his failed attempt to carry the TV set alone I remember us both looking at the broken TV on the ground at which time I remarked that I was happy he could not be angry with me.

In place of an angry reply he just smiled and said “me too my boy, me too”.

Love God and love people. There is no doubt in my mind that this simple way of life for my dad brought the Lord great joy, and so I find myself standing here compelled to again take the focus away from him and place it all on the Lord, for you see this is what my dad would have wanted. Love God and show that Love to all people.

Thanks dad for showing us this simple equation to life…

The fact that the local newspapers also reported on the event was an indication of the impact Douglas death had had on the community.

DOWNHAM MARKET: Service for Minister helps cause

Published on 23/03/2013 13:30 Lynn News

More than £800 was raised in aid of the Stroke Association at a service of thanksgiving in memory of popular and well-loved Downham Methodist minister Douglas Morris.

Rev Morris, 68, who moved to Downham from South Africa in 2008, suffered a stroke during an evening service in the town’s Methodist church earlier this month. Paramedics tried to revive him but he went into cardiac arrest and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

He died the next day with his wife, Lynese, and youngest son, Brendon, by his side. His funeral took place at the church last Monday.

Rev Morris spent most of his life as a Methodist minister in South Africa. Mrs Morris said when he retired, he still yearned to do pastoral work because of his love for people.

The Methodist Church in England needed ministers and he was appointed to work in Downham for five years. Mrs Morris said he was reluctant to return home. “He really just loved people, particularly the elderly. He really enjoyed doing monthly services at care homes in the area. He also loved going to village chapels where he met small groups of people and interacted with them. You couldn’t get him away after the service because he always wanted to speak to everyone.”

Rev Morris greatly enjoyed using public transport in the UK. “He loved being able to go on Norfolk Green buses with his free pass,” she said.

More than 250 people attended the service for Rev Morris and Mrs Morris thanked everyone who made a donation in his memory. He had suffered an earlier stroke 18 months ago and she said: “I chose the Stroke Association to benefit because he was treated here in this country.”

The Methodist superintendent minister for West Norfolk, the Rev Andrew Maguire, described Rev Morris as a caring, big-hearted pastor and said: “He will be greatly missed.”