Opening Prayer:
Holy God, as we worship you on this Remembrance Sunday we recognise that because of our sin your world has been scarred by conflict.
Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to follow the way of Christ; who died to reconcile us with you and with each other. Help us to remember those who have died through war and in service to their country. Commit us to working for a world that furthers your peace amongst all peoples and nations.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
StF 132 – O God our help in ages past
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home.
Under the shadow of thy throne
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defence is sure.
Before the hills in order stood
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
with all their cares and fears,
are carried downward by the flood,
and lost in following years.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
Issac Watts (1674 – 1748)
Bible Reading
Isaiah 65:17-25
The Glorious New Creation
For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice for ever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labour in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.
Message
This week we mark 104 years since the end of the First World War and 77 years since the allies achieved victory in Europe, ending the Second World War. Yet while both conflicts are now firmly committed to the annals of history, the blight of war continues to afflict the people of Ukraine in Eastern Europe.
Across the globe there continues to be a number of ongoing unresolved conflicts. The Watson Institute, at Brown University (USA), estimates that at least 929,000 people have been killed by direct war and violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan in this century alone.[1]
Thi#_ftn1s Sunday we remember the military personnel who have lost their lives in service to their country in both world wars as well as more recent conflicts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In acknowledging their sacrifice we recognise the great cost of war on human lives and renew our commitment to the way of the peace and reconciliation.
The passage that we have this morning, taken from the Book of Isaiah, speaks of a new heaven and a new Earth where war and suffering have ended. It is a prophetic vision of the transformation that is brought about by God’s new creation that is no longer marred by sin. The prophet Isaiah also foresees the coming of a child who would be the ‘prince of peace’ establishing and upholding justice and righteousness (Isaiah 9:6-7).
As Christians we believe that this prophecy finds it fulfilment in the person of Jesus Christ who came to reconcile us with God and with one another, through his life, death, and resurrection. In Jesus, God’s commitment to self-sacrificial love is demonstrated through the cross. God’s promise of everlasting life is then shown through resurrection, in which we will all share. Through Christ sin is defeated and the way to salvation and new life is made clear through him.
As we continue to pray for peace, and a vision of a world that is free from conflict, we remember Jesus’ promise to offer us his peace (John 14:27) and to a reconciled relationship with God and each other. Today we open our hearts and minds to the peace of the Lord and commit ourselves to the way of peace shown by Jesus. To be peacemakers in our communities and to remember those who lost their lives in past conflicts, so that we might continue to strive and work for a lasting peace today.
Prayer of Intercession
You are invited to pray silently for:
The needs of the world…
The Church and its calling…
Loved ones going through difficult times…
For peace, justice, and reconciliation…
In Jesus name.
Amen.
Time of Remembrance
On this Remembrance Sunday we share in the silence, now or at 11.00 am…
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
STF 517 – Eternal Father strong to save
Eternal Father, strong to save,
whose arm doth bind the restless wave,
who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
its own appointed limits keep:
[Refrain]
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea. O Saviour, whose almighty word
the winds and waves submissive heard,
who walked upon the foaming deep,
and calm amid its rage didst sleep:
[Refrain]
O sacred Spirit, who didst brood
upon the chaos dark and rude,
who made its angry tumult cease,
and gavest light and life and peace:
[Refrain] O Trinity of love and power,
shield all who sail in danger’s hour;
from rock and tempest, fire and foe,
protect them whereso’er they go: And ever let there rise to thee
glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
William Whiting (1825 – 1878).
Final Prayer
Gracious God, as this time of worship comes to a close we remember our calling to be disciples of Jesus. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to follow him and to share his love. Unite us as one body together so we might serve Christ as his faithful people. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord, Saviour and friend.
Amen.
