Post Communion Sentence

Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies , it yields a rich harvest.

Commentary

Today is Remembrance Sunday. It is a time when powerful memories come once again to the fore; memories of lost brothers in arms, memories of the horrors of war, memories of those who never returned. It is all too easy to gloat as victors, even 60 years on from the end of the Second World War. That gloating and rivalry will have been evident at yesterday’s football international against Argentina, it will be evident next year with the Football World Cup in Germany. Yet gloating is not what we are about, we are here to remember and to work for peace. On holiday this year in France we met some German tourists at a B&B and shared Basil Fawlty’s desperate attempts not to mention the War! In good humour, we were able to identify the common ground of seeking peace and reconciliation. We recognised the common bonds of humanity shared across international divides and were able to be friends, united as tourists and as people who desired peace.

Of course that peace cannot come at any cost. Sometimes in terms of lives lost, in terms of sacrifice made, in terms of what is lost, peace may be too costly. Or is it? Is peace our ultimate goal? If we look at the world today we see endless wars, acts of terrorism, mass destruction. The First World War was seen by many of that generation as the war to end all wars. Quite plainly it wasn’t. War is a fact of human existence. Why? That is a complex problem. Fear, greed, envy, hatred, history, injustice and many other factors determine the start of war, but at the heart is an emptiness. It is an emptiness of the human spirit, something lacking deep within human beings. A large part of this emptiness is a lack of contentment, being OK with what we have, not constantly desiring what we do not possess.
 

The peace that we seek is both an absence of war and an infilling of the spirit, a gift of peace from the Holy Spirit, a gift of contentment, love, acceptance and justice. May this be the gift from God that we seek this Remembrance and perhaps as an early Christmas gift too. Neil Bramble-Chapman
 

Meditation

When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today.

I believe in the sun,
even when it does not shine.
I believe in love,
even when I cannot feel it.
I believe in God,
even when he is silent.

Prayer scratched on the wall of a prison cell in Cologne during the Second World War
 

Hymns

1. H&Ps 28 o worship the king

2. MP 170 Give thanks

3. H&Ps 699 Lord of creation

4. H&Ps 776 make me a channel of your peace

5. H&Ps 705 take my life and let it be

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Commentary

Do you remember the thieves on the cross with Jesus and the conversation which took place? One thief challenged Jesus and hurled insults at him, telling him that if he was the Christ he should save himself and them. The other thief recognised that Jesus was an innocent victim and did not deserve this punishment. He showed faith in Jesus when he asked if he would remember him when he came into his kingdom.

In her book ‘Eats, shoots and leaves’ Lynne Truss draws attention to the importance of the comma. She does this by reference to how Cecil Hartley in his 1818 Principles of Punctuality, considered the difference between the following
‘verily I say unto thee, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.’
And:
‘verily I say unto thee this day, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise.’

Huge doctrinal differences hang on the placing of this comma. The first version, which is how Protestants interpret the passage (Luke 23:43), lightly skips over the whole unpleasant business of purgatory and takes the thief straight to heaven to meet the Lord. The second promises Paradise at some later date (to be confirmed as it were) and leaves Purgatory nicely in the picture for Catholics who believe in it.

We are all at a loss when talking about life after death, simply because none of us have any first hand experience and those who claim to have visited the other side in ‘near death’ or ‘out of body experiences’ all have remarkably little to tell of any significance considering where they have supposedly been.
So we have to be very careful when making bold statements about what happens to us when we depart this earthly life for pastures new.
However, we can say some things with confidence. Clearly Jesus believed that after death came paradise, the better place. Where the comma should be placed in Jesus reply is ultimately a matter for God to reveal to us, and questions of timing may be irrelevant, since at death we pass beyond the earthly measurements of time. We should concentrate on the fact that Jesus assures us, just as he assured the thief, that those who trust themselves to him will not be disappointed and are secure in his love forever. This is the message of Romans Chapter 8:31, our second reading today, there is nothing which can separate us from the love of God in Jesus. Where human reasoning fails, the love of God assures us that his promises are true.
Without hope our lives are pretty meaningless. Thankfully in his teaching Jesus gave us all something to look forward to. Jesus left the early church with his clear teaching that he had conquered death and it should no longer hold power. He spoke of his kingdom being something which was already present, but he also had a clear vision of a kingdom which was yet to come. Jesus spoke in pictures about a time when there would be feasting and laughter. The time to come would be different, the hungry would be filled and those who had been downtrodden would be freed.

In the passage from Corinthians we read about flesh and blood not inheriting the kingdom and the perishable and the imperishable. It is all very confusing ! Perhaps it is no wonder that the writings of the first Christians were lacking in detail what happens after death. The Gospel accounts show that after his resurrection from the dead, the disciples did not even recognise Jesus. It was only when he said something familiar or did some characteristic thing, that they recognised it was clearly Jesus. However those early disciples believed that Jesus really did triumph over the grave, they had such confidence and conviction that they were willing to die for their beliefs, believing that ultimately death would only open for them the path to life. Charles Royden

Prayer

Christ be with you, Christ before you, Christ behind you,
Christ in us, Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ on your right, Christ on your left,
Christ where we lie, Christ where we sit, Christ where we arise,
Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of you,
Christ in every eye that sees us,
Christ in every ear that hears you.
Salvation is of the Lord, Salvation is of the Christ,
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
Go in peace to serve the Lord and all you meet.
And the blessing of the Three in One God keep you in eternal life. Amen.

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Almighty and eternal God, from whose love in Christ we cannot be parted, either by death or life.
Hear our prayers and thanksgivings for all whom we remember this day; fulfil in them the purpose of thy love; and bring us all, with them, to thine eternal joy; though Christ our Lord.
Amen

Be to us, O Lord, the affection of our hearts, the closest of our companions, our everlasting love, our enduring happiness and the fulfilment of all our desires. Through your Spirit, create in us holy fire and purity of life, that loving you above all things and our neighbours ardently, we may come at last to the glories of your everlasting kingdom; through Christ our Lord. Amen Thomas a Kempis, 1380-1471

O Almighty God, grant we beseech thee, that we, who here do honour to the memory of those who have died in the service of their country and of the crown, may be so inspired by the spirit of their love and fortitude that, forgetting all selfish and unworthy motives, we may live only to thy glory and to the service of mankind through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God of wisdom and truth, we pray for the leaders of the nations, for wisdom and courage in those who stand firm against terrorism; for patience and persistence in all who work to secure freedom, justice and peace on earth.
God of mercy, we pray for peoples and nations bleeding still from the unhealed wounds of their history. Deliver them from violence and vengeance; nurture in them the ancient wisdom of respect and mutual understanding
God of time and eternity, you travel with us through deep waters yet never abandon us in the storm. We live still in darkened days yet never without your healing light. Renew our confidence, rekindle our hope, deepen our faith, guide us in truth and give us peace in our day.
Merciful Father of all, in darkness and in light, in trouble and in joy, in death and in life, help us to trust your love, to serve your purpose and to praise your name for ever.

God of unending mercy, we pray with those who cry: For women and men who are battered in body or spirit, for children who sleep the fitful sleep of grief, for all who are imprisoned by walls or worries, for all who wonder if they can ever live again, for the least, the lost and the last, and for the dead. 
Christ, have mercy on those who cry;
Christ have mercy on us when we turn away from the cries of others.
Give us the strength of compassion, that we may never shield our eyes and hearts from pain, but seek to heal and bless.
Bless us with courage and arm us with hope, that we may lessen the suffering of our world.
Hear this our common prayer and those of our hearts which we offer now. (Paul Sheppy)

A prayer for those who mourn O God our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, we seek your comfort and your blessing for those who mourn the death of those they love, for all whose lives are torn apart by violence, for all the suffering people of the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord

A prayer for the leaders of the nations
O God our heavenly father, whose love sets no boundaries and whose strength is in service; grant to the leaders of the nations wisdom courage and insight at this time of darkness and fear. Give to all who exercise authority a determination to defend the principles of freedom, love and tolerance strength to protect and safeguard the innocent and clarity of vision to guide the world into the paths of justice and peace.
This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Hymns

1. God who weeps when we are weeping (Tune: Austria)

2. National Anthem

3. As the deer pants

4. I vow to thee  (Tune: Thaxted)

5. God is love  (Tune: Abbot’s Leigh)

6. O Father on your Love we call (Tune: Melita)

Meditation: Poppies

On this day in 1918, at 11.00am - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - the First World War came to an end. Much of the war had been fought in dug-out trenches across Belgium and France. It is thought that about 9 million soldiers lost their lives, and about 27 million were wounded - many of them permanently disabled. At 11.00am, the fighting stopped everywhere, six hours after the Armistice was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne, northern France. Two years later the body of an unknown British soldier from one of the battlefields was laid in a coffin and brought over to England. In 1920 the coffin of the unknown soldier was taken in procession to Westminster Abbey, past thousands of people lining the streets. During the service, the coffin was laid to rest with some soil from France in the floor of the central aisle of Westminster Abbey. The tomb commemorates all British casualties, especially those who have no known grave, and all who suffered during that war and since. Lying there amongst the tombs of kings and queens and many famous people, this “Tomb of the Unknown Warrior” bears the inscription, “Beneath this stone rests the body of a British warrior, unknown by name or rank, brought from France to be among the most illustrious of the land.” During that service, the hymn “Lead Kindly Light” was sung,. During the First World War, the soldiers in their dug-outs could see red poppies growing in the fields of Flanders, the name for an area that covers parts of Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Each year, the Royal British Legion sells artificial red poppies to raise money for injured soldiers, sailors and airmen who have served their country up to the present day. Some countries mark Remembrance Day on the 11th of November itself, and others on the nearest Sunday. At 11.00am, many people remain silent for two minutes.

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

On this Remembrance Sunday, we remember past wars: those who fought in them; those who lived through them; and those who died in them. Amen
We pray for the victims of past wars, remembering before you, loving God, those who died in battle, or from the consequences of injury or disease, and for those who mourned or still mourn them. We remember those permanently maimed or disabled, and those psychologically scarred or disturbed. We pray for an end to the suffering of war. Amen
We pray for the victims of current conflicts, remembering before you, loving God, children trained to hate or fight, families turned into homeless refugees, and lands laid waste and made barren. We remember those blinded or crippled and those driven insane by nightmare experiences. We pray for an end to the destructive hatred of war. Amen
We pray for the peace of the world remembering before you, loving God, areas where there is armed conflict and all those who are working for peace. We remember that you have called s to strive together for the coming of Your kingdom of love and peace. We pray that you will equip us for the task with the faith that knows that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Amen. [From Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary, Intercessions, Christine Odell]
God grant to the living, grace; to the departed, rest; to the people of every church and nation, peace and concord; and to us and all the servants of God, life everlasting; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen
 

Prayer for Peace Pope John Paul II

To you, Creator of nature and humanity, of truth and beauty, I pray:
Hear my voice, for it is the voice of the victims of all wars and violence among individuals and nations.
Hear my voice, for it is the voice of all children who suffer and will suffer when people put their faith in weapons and war.
Hear my voice, when I beg you to instil into the hearts of all human beings the wisdom of peace, the strength of justice and the joy of fellowship.
Hear my voice, for I speak for the multitudes in every country and every period of history who do not want war and are ready to walk the road of peace.
Hear my voice, and grant insight and strength so that we may always respond to hatred with love, to injustice with total dedication to justice, to need with sharing of self, to war with peace. O God, hear my voice, and grant unto the world your everlasting peace

We thank you Lord, for all those who have died for their nation. Almighty God in whose hand are the living and the dead: we give you thanks for all your servants who have laid down their lives in the service of their country. Grant to them your mercy, and the light of your presence, that the good work you have begun in them may be perfected, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Most gracious God and Father, in whose will is our peace: turn our hearts and the hearts of all people to yourself, that by the power of your spirit, the peace which is founded on righteousness may be established throughout the world. Through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.

Poem

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow,
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
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.

For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
Published by Punch 8 December 1915

 

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