The Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Eric Alexander was not just a tribute to the man to whom the description ‘great’ has been used in the days following his death. It was a witness to the hope of the Resurrection and to what the Holy Spirit of God can do in the life and ministry of a man who seeks to live in step with Him. In his contribution to the service Ian Hamilton said that her never came away from a sermon Eric preached without wanting to be a better Christian. Many of those present knew exactly what he meant. Eric’s preaching did not just give us a deeper understanding of biblical truth it encouraged us to apply that truth to our lives. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s coming into our lives is to make us more like Jesus. Nothing gives God the Father more pleasure than to see His Son reflected in the lives of those for whom He died. Eric’s preaching did not allow us merely to enjoy hearing the Gospel preached in such a clear and passionate way, every word coming across as if newly minted. We were brought to a sense of responsibility. Having heard and understood how willing were we now to live by God’s ways and to be motivated by God’s priorities?
Ian never came away from Eric’s preaching without wanting to be a better Christian. But there is something I would add to that. I have often said that in the aftermath of Eric’s preaching I had my vision of God expanded. I may well have reflected on what a great preacher I had just heard but more than anything else - and more important to the preacher - I was carrying a renewed awareness of what a great God had been revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus. I have often heard Eric’s preaching described as ‘majestic’. That was because he had been deeply touched by the majesty of God and was given grace to convey that to those who were blessed in listening. One of the books he wrote in retirement was ‘Our Great God And Saviour’, a reflection on Paul’s description of Jesus in Titus 2: 13. If we were looking for a way to sum up the chief motivation in Eric’s life and ministry it was to being that greatness home to the hearts of men and women.
That he did this is a testimony to his humility. His pulpit presence was always appropriate to the Word that God had placed on his heart. I have heard this described as ‘awesome’. But this was only possible due to his awareness of where he stood in relation to Christ. As he came to end of his life John Newton said: ‘My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.’ That is the default position of every Christian and no one felt this more deeply that Eric Alexander. To keep company with him was not first and foremost to be with ‘a prince of preachers’, as he was often described, but to be in fellowship with a brother in Christ who supported you with his prayers and coveted your prayers for him. In the times I was blessed to share with him he would often end by saying: ‘Let’s continue to pray for one another.’
His concern for me over the past few years of cancer treatment was a continuing encouragement. His phone calls, emails, and written notes always seemed to arrive at just the right time. In his last phone call he said: ‘I pray for you every day.’ I believe the Lord showed me the way forward in ministry through Eric but along with that his friendship and support have been a refreshment to my spirit in these days of uncertainty at a personal level and in the life of the Church.
