Remembrance Sunday 2020

This page has a service for Sunday 8th November. England is back in lockdown and we cannot meet together. We hope this service will help you honour the fallen and grow in faith.

if you wish to have a two-minute silence during this service, there is a video to help you do so.

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An Opening Prayer

Lord God Almighty, we humble ourselves before you and we worship you because you alone are the Living God. We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for such great love; and thank you Jesus for giving up your life on the cross so that sinners might be saved and know everlasting rest.

We give thanks for our military personnel, Chaplains and the Chain of Command. We remember too, those who have died in service for the United Kingdom. Help each of us to understand the cost of war. May we never take our liberty for granted. In Jesus’s name we pray.
Amen.

Prayer of Confession

Almighty and merciful God, Lord of men and nations,
we confess with shame the sins, both private and public,
by which we have broken your law and grieved your Spirit.
We acknowledge the reproach that war has brought
upon the name of Christ.
We confess our lack of love for you and for our fellow men.
For the sake of your Son, who died for us,
save us from our sins.
Take from us all hatred and bitterness,
whether in thought, word or action.
Teach us to forgive, as we are forgiven,
so that we may grow more like him
and live our lives according to your will.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

sermon

The sermon is based on Revelation 5 which you can read here.

ideas for prayer

  • Pray for those who serve in the Armed Forces

  • Pray for those who still bear the scars and sorrow from conflict

  • Pray for our government

  • Pray for peace in this world

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of eternity, Lord of the ages,
we thank you that in times past,
when darkness and evil enveloped the human family,
ordinary men and women, from all parts of society,
In many nations, responded to resist aggression,
and to defend freedom.
We thank you for all who gave their lives
In the service of their country,
for all who suffered in battle,
for all who were taken prisoner,
for all wounded in body, mind and spirit.
We thank you for the contribution to this struggle
made by men and women who stayed at home,
working in factories, offices and on the land.
Lord, for all who defended freedom, we thank you.

O God, deliver us from the prison of hatred against the enemy.
Set us free from the powers of revenge.
Liberate us from bitterness and anger.
Help us to use the freedom defended and won in times past.

To God the Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we give praise, honour and glory, now and always.
Amen.

A Prayer for rulers and leaders

O God of the nations,
as we look to that day when you will gather people
from north and south, east and west,
into the unity of your peaceable Kingdom,
guide with your just and gentle wisdom all who take counsel
for the nations of the world,
that all your people may spend their days in security, freedom, and peace,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

a prayer of confession and commitment

God of peace, I acknowledge that I have not sought peace enough.
God of love, I acknowledge that I have not always been loving.
God of justice, I acknowledge that I have closed my eyes to injustice.
God of heaven, I acknowledge that I have let the world around me shape me
into its mould, and resisted your call on me to be Christlike.
I grieve for the lives lost in war, the soldiers and civilians alike. I honour the
courage of the brave, and I lament the failures that sent them to fight.
And in the name of Christ, the Prince of Peace, I commit myself to walk in the
ways of peace, in thought, word and deed.
Amen

The following video contains a two minute silence. If you wish the silence to begin at exactly 11am then you need to start playing the video at 1 minute 20 seconds before 11am.

With the following prayer we pledge ourself anew to the service of God and our fellow men and women: that we may help, encourage, and comfort others, and support those working for the relief of the needy and for the peace and welfare of the nations.

Say out loud:

Lord God our Father,
we pledge ourselves to serve you and all mankind,
in the cause of peace, for the relief of want and suffering, and for the praise of your name.
Guide us by your Spirit;
give us wisdom; give us courage; give us hope;
and keep us faithful
now and always.
Amen.  


The following hymn was written in 2018 as part of the centenary of Armistice Day.


Today, SASRA (The Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Association) share the Christian faith with the Armed Forces. They are honoured to have HM The Queen as their Patron. SASRA traces its origins to 1818 and informal work in the Woolwich Garrison. They have produced the following video, which incorporates a film made by Glen Scrivener from Speak Life.

Final Prayer

O God of truth and justice,
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish,
and those whose names we will never know.
And as we live in this broken world, help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world,
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.
As we honour the past, may we put our faith in Christ;
for He is the source of life and hope,
now and for ever.
Amen

The SASRA video above included a film made by Glen Scrivener who leads the Christian charity Speak Life. We at St George’s have greatly benefited from his films and writing, including the Reading Between The Lines books.

Speak Life always produce excellent Christmas videos which bring the good news of Jesus to hundreds and thousands of people around the world. They need your support for their 2020 video. Can you help?

The reading from Revelation 5 may have made you think of the glorious final pieces of music from Handel’s Messiah. Here is a recording to help you have a taste of the worship of heaven!

Amen!

Next week we will have a ‘normal’ online service again and continue our series in the book of Revelation.