Remembrance Sunday
CCL 125049 Charity No SC002937
Contents
- Welcome
- Reading Psalm 46 (Good News Bible)
- Prayer
- Act of Remembrance
- Hymn 161 O God our help in ages past Tune St Anne (Church Hymnary 4th edition)
- Reading Isaiah 25: 1-9 (Good News Bible)
- Hymn 485 Dear Lord and Father of mankind Tune Repton (Church Hymnary 4th edition)
- Reading Matthew 5: 38-48 (Good News Bible)
Prayers for others
Hymn 706 For the healing of the nations Tune Rhuddlan (Church Hymnary 4th edition)
Blessing
Hymn
National Anthem 703 v1 (Church Hymnary 4th edition)
Watch our service from 10:45am at:
Welcome
Welcome and let us worship God
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”’
Psalm 91: 1-2
Reading Psalm 46
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The LORD Almighty is with us:
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the LORD has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The LORD Almighty is with us:
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Opening Prayer
The LORD is our God;
his commands are for all the world.
He will keep his covenant for ever
his promises for a thousand generations.
Psalm 105: 7-8
Heavenly Father
You are a holy God
you see where there is injustice and unfairness
where people are hurt or harmed by others
and you burn with anger against it.
But you are also a loving and caring God
full of mercy and compassion
constant and true in all your ways
ready to forgive and grant a new start.
You are great and mighty
maker of heaven and earth
but you have called us to yourself
to be your children
to bring to you our worries and our fears
to find in you rest, comfort and healing
You are Lord of all the earth
none is beyond the reach of your care
none is above following your commands
But we confess that at times
we have added to the hurt and harm of your world
we have noticed the needs of others and passed by
we failed to notice
we squandered the love and mercy we received
we have gone back to the old ways after each new start
we have not followed faithfully in the way of Jesus
Forgive us
Restore us
Fill us again with your Spirit
that we may walk faithfully in your way.
Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
Act of Remembrance
In a few moments
we will be invited to stand for our Act of Remembrance:
for some it is a time for personal memories
for some it is a time to remember other people’s stories
for all of us it is a time to remember all who sacrificed their lives, their health, their future, for us
for all of us it is a time to commit ourselves again to seeking to build peace and God’s Kingdom, that others do not have to make such a sacrifice again
Let us remember
the courage, the devotion to duty, the self-sacrifice
of the men and women in our armed forces
the toil, the endurance, the suffering
of those who were not in uniform
the support of those from afar
Let us remember
those who were wounded in the fight
those who perished in air raids at home
those who fell in battle
who are buried at sea
or in some corner of a foreign field
Let us remember
those who were our enemies
who also lost parents, children, brothers, sisters, friends
who also lost homes, hopes, dreams
Let us remember
those who came back
who lives still bear the scars of war
who lost sight or limbs or reason
who lost faith in God and hope for humanity
Let us remember
those currently caught up in wars
the military personnel and the civilians
Let us remember
God’s will for his world
his continuing love and care for us
and his call to us to follow in the way of Christ
If you are able
will you please stand
and in silence let us remember
They shall not grow old
as we who 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
Let us pray together the Lord’s Prayer:
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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
Hymn 161 O God our help in ages past
Bible reading Isaiah 25: 1-9
LORD, you are my God;
I will honour you and praise your name.
You have done amazing things;
you have faithfully carried out
the plans you made long ago.
You have turned cities into ruins
and destroyed their fortifications.
The palaces which our enemies built
are gone for ever.
The people of proud nations will praise you;
you will be feared in the cities of cruel nations.
The poor and the helpless have fled to you
and have been safe in times of trouble.
You gave them shelter from storms
and shade from the burning heat.
Cruel men attack like a winter storm,
like drought in a dry land.
But you, LORD, have silenced our enemies;
you silence the shouts of cruel men,
as a cloud cools a hot day.
Here on Mount Zion the LORD Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world – a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. The Sovereign LORD will destroy death for ever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone’s eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken.
When it happens, everyone will say, “He is our God! We have put our trust in him, and he has rescued us. He is the LORD! We have put our trust in him, and now we are happy and joyful because he has save us.”
Hymn 485 Dear Lord and Father of mankind
Reading: Matthew 5: 38-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let them slap your left cheek too. And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let them have your coat as well. And if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one kilometre, carry it two kilometres. When someone asks you for something, give it to them; when someone wants to borrow something, lend it to them.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, but hate your enemies.’ But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! And if you speak only to your friends, have you done anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans do that! You must be perfect – just as your Father in heaven is perfect!
Prayers for others
Gracious God
We bring before you in prayer
all in our broken world who need your healing and wholeness
who carry sadness, worry and pain
those close to us
those we do not know well
those we do not know at all
those who are ill, and those who worry about them
those waiting for, or receiving, treatment
those who are lonely
those grieving a friend or loved one
those with worries about home, friends or family
those with worries about work or income
those who do not have enough to eat
those who have nowhere to call home
those in our community, nation and world
who carry the scars of war
who lost hopes and dreams
who lost faith because of what they saw or endured
who care for such people
who serve in the armed forces
who live in situations of war and terrorist outrage
who long to live in peace and safety
who are working to build peace
We pray for the Queen, the government
for the countries of the Commonwealth
for the countries of NATO
for all those in authority in every land
for the United Nations and its agencies
for all who work to build peace and justice in your world
We pray for your church
here and throughout the world
help us to follow Jesus faithfully in all we do and say
that others may see a glimpse of your Kingdom in us
As we remember the sacrifice of others
as we bring these gifts of money
we dedicate them and ourselves to your service
to work to build peace and justice in your world
that it may be a safer place for the generations still to come
Hymn 706 For the healing of the nations (Rhuddlan)
Blessing
God the Father sends you out
to be his witnesses wherever you go
to work to bring healing and wholeness in all you do
and the blessing of God Almighty
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
rest and remain with you,
today, and every day, and for ever. Amen
Hymn God save the Queen