Remembrance Day by Nancy, Randy,& Robert Campbell

​REMEMBRANCE DAY

PRELUDE:                  Chenaniah

Presentation of Colours:
0 Canada/The Queen:
Depositing of Colours:

Act of Remembrance: The last century saw the war to end all wars, and
another world war within 25 years. The last decade saw conflicts within
many lands, between many ethnic groups. The last year has seen fragile
moves towards peace reversed and acts of terrorism continuing to
escalate. Lord, we name You as the Prince of Peace, who urged us to love
our enemies, to do good to those who hate us. And now as we stand
before You to remember all those who have perished in war — all those
who have lost limbs, homes, family and country, we pause for a moment
of silence:
Minute of Silence:
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.

In Flanders Fields:

CALL TO WORSHIP: ONE: Remember with clear eyes the horrific cost of war.
ALL: Remember with deep sorrow those who killed and were killed.
ONE: Remember with grief the blood-stained battlefields.
ALL: Remember with tears the rending of people from their homes.
ONE: Remember with compassion the bereaved and the wounded.
ALL: Remember with reverence those who risked their lives for peace
ONE: Remember with tenderness the children's longing for freedom.
ALL: Remember with gratefulness all who forgave their enemies.
ONE: Remember with confidence that faith, hope and love abide.
ALL: Remember with joy that our Saviour is the Prince of Peace.

REMEMBRANCE LITANY:
ONE: We come together today, citizens of earth and of heaven, to remember.
ALL: To remember with pride and appreciation those who have given their lives in service of others.

ONE: To remember with dismay the suffering, destruction and pain caused by human conflict.
ALL: To remember with gratitude those whose lives, love and friendship, has been a privilege for us to share.
ONE: To remember with sadness those whose death has caused loneliness or pain.
ALL: We come together not to glorify or celebrate war and conflict, but to
recognize its cost, and commit ourselves to be peacemakers and peacekeepers, wherever that opportunity falls within our grasp.
ONE: Whatever our view and whatever part we may have had to play in the theatre of war and conflict, we express our common humanity by pausing to recognize the value and worth of every life lost, and so express the mystery that to be human is to be both marred by our common failing, yet fashioned in the image of the Creator.
ALL: And in our remembrance we give thanks to God for memory itself, through which we are forever warned by the mistakes of the past and enriched by experiences that can no longer be known in the present.
PRAYER:    Almighty God, we seek Your presence as we come together in this act of remembrance. Help us not to hide from You our sorrow and our pain as you also inhabit our joy and thanksgiving. May all our acts be open to Your scrutiny, that we might indeed strive upon this earth, to embrace the values of Heaven. By Your Holy Spirit enfold us afresh in Your love and healing, and through the sacrifice of Calvary, inspire us again with the promise of eternal life. You have called us to take up the cross and to follow You, yet too often we prefer the tools of war and words of conflict.
We acknowledge our failure to live as true children of God; forgive us that which cannot be undone; comfort us as we live with its consequences and empower us to build a better world in service and obedience to You.
Join now as we pray together: 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, forever and ever. Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: On The Road From Srebenica          Gord Furey

On The Road From Srebrenica
Words and Music by Tom Paxton

On the road from Srebrenica,
I saw a woman with two babies and one broken arm.
She could only carry one,
And one would have to stay behind to quickly die.
The gunmen shouted orders,
And the woman started moving down the road, 
While the baby in the blanket,
Lying in the muddy ditch began to cry.
On the road, on the road from Srebrenica, 
Blackbirds fly, blackbirds flying overhead, 
Cry no mercy, on the road from Srebrenica, 
Where there´s no one left alive to count the dead.
On the road from Srebrenica,
I saw the men all pulled aside and marched away.
While their women screamed in terror,
All the men went down the pathway to the trees.
The sound of guns was muffled by the forest, 
But the shots went on and on, 
While the soldiers pushed the women to keep moving, 
And the rain began to freeze.
On the road, on the road from Srebrenica, 
Blackbirds fly, blackbirds flying overhead, 
Cry no mercy on the road from Srebrenica, 
Where there´s no one left alive to count the dead.
On the road from Srebrenica,
Trudged an old men who was bent and stooped and frail.
It seemed all hope was gone,
I thought he´d never make a mile, but I was wrong.
He seemed to have no spirit,
Till he passed the ditch and heard the baby cry.
Then he picked the baby up,
And in the swirling smoke and flames, he moved along.
On the road, on the road from Srebrenica, 
Blackbirds fly, blackbirds flying overhead, 
Cry no mercy on the road from Srebrenica, 
Where there´s no one left alive to count the dead. 

​SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 4  

Answer me when I call to you,
    my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
    have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
    How long will you love delusions and seek false gods
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
    the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble and do not sin;
    when you are on your beds,
    search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
    and trust in the Lord.
6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
    Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
    when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.
             
Philippians 1: 3-11


Thanksgiving and Prayer3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION TO THE CAUSE OF PEACE:
God of peace, who in Christ embraced that ultimate act of loving sacrifice, we give You thanks for those who have laid down their lives for the sake of others, and all those who have given of themselves in service of humanity; for the cause of freedom; to fight injustice; to make and maintain peace; to bring healing and wholeness to people and nations.
And so, inspired by their example, we dedicate ourselves where we find peace to uphold its cause, where we find strife to work for reconciliation, where we find injustice to stand with the oppressed, where we recognize difference to celebrate our diversity, and where we find brokenness to seek healing.
By Your Spirit, give us strength and wisdom to battle for truth and justice where change can be made and generosity of grace and forgiveness where it is ours to give.
So that in this community, this land and our world, peace, security and justice might prevail. Amen.
​
​ANTHEM:              I Vow To Thee My Country (choir)

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above 
entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago 
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.


Words: Cecil Spring-Rice, 1918Music: Thaxted

Offertory Prayer:     Gracious God, You provide hope for our future. We join inprayer knowing that You act as a loving parent who calms our worries and fears.
Thank You for this opportunity to dedicate these gifts, In love and gratitude we pray. Amen. 

REFLECTION:           Rob Ireland

​MEDITATION:      Looking Back To See Ahead

Looking Back To See Ahead
"I thank my God every time I remember you." — Philippians 1:3
We are gathered together today to remember. And to do so in God's presence is a powerful thing. The pain of loss is great and it is often difficult for us to believe that we have anything to thank God for. But God has that covered. He has generously given us the capacity to remember. We can recall good memories of lost loved ones, and those memories help us to move on. It is God who gives us the strength and healing that we need.

Memory is an interesting phenomenon. When I think back to my earliest memories, some are quite vivid. I recall when I was about 3 or 4 years old, my family was visiting my mother's brother in New Brunswick. We had gone to the lake for a swim and I saw my uncle running toward the edge of the water, ready to jump in, and as he was running, suddenly his lower leg dropped to the ground, but he continued to hop toward the water. I was mortified and started screaming in terror. You see, I didn't know at that young age, that there had been a terrible war and that my uncle had lost his leg in that war and was now wearing a prosthetic limb.

Not all memories are good ones, but we try to hold on to the ones that bring us pleasure. When the weather is grey and gloomy, we might remember a great holiday or remember spending time with family or friends playing a game on a rainy day. Perhaps we recall baking cookies with our mother or grandmother. We have fond memories of birthdays, weddings, baptisms, anniversaries and retirement parties. These memories which are dear to us, allow us to continue and develop our relationship with family and friends.

However, there are some memories which we try to block out. Traumatic memories that our brain finds difficult to cope with. We feel that if we block out the memory, then we can block out the pain of what has been lost. But we forget that memory is a gift which God has given us. The memory of a loved one or friend is something that can never be taken away from us. These memories are safely locked away in our mind, ready to be recalled and help us in the healing process of our loss.

The title of my meditation is borrowed from the Royal Canadian Legion. "Looking back to see ahead" is the motto of the 46th Dominion Convention held in St. John's, Newfoundland earlier this year. I'm using it on this Remembrance Sunday because this is the day when so many take time to remember all those who served and sacrificed, and all those who continue to serve. Every year at this time I remember my four uncles who served in World War II, one killed, one wounded and one who returned mentally scarred. Randy had three uncles who served, one in the navy whose ship was torpedoed twice and one a pilot, who was shot down and detained in a POW camp. These are only two stories of hundreds in this area alone.

I can't help but wonder about the pain and anguish of the families, especially the mothers. The anticipation of waking each morning wondering if a telegram would arrive saying: "We regret to inform you. " I think about the hundreds of families in the Chateauguay Valley who worried for their loved ones, and I think of the thousands of families across Canada and the world suffering the pain and anguish of war.

Remembering isn't always easy. Maybe that's why, for generations, people have come together to offer support and help each other in their struggle and need. We all must try to use the memories of the past to find God in the present. It's okay to cry, or even express anger. By sharing our memories and stories, by laughing and crying together, we can find the strength for the new day's challenge and be able to face the future.
Remembrance Day isn't just about war and those we've lost, but it is also about ideals and what we stand for. It's about respecting our past and looking hopefully forward, and more than anything, thanking those who have served.

Remembering our loved ones is often painful, but forgetting them or allowing others to forget is a much greater tragedy. As we are gathered together on this Remembrance Sunday, let us pray that by God's grace we can look back and say; "I thank my God every time I remember you."

In closing, I would like you to hear the remembrance of an unknown First World War veteran:

He was very old now, but could still hold himself stiffly at attention before the monument. His war, the one to end all wars, now just a fading part of history. Very few could remember, first-hand, the savageness of the ordeal that had sent millions of young men to their deaths. Cannon fodder, they'd called them, sent before the guns to be mown down — blown apart by chunks of metal which had decimated their frail bodies. The cream of a generation almost wiped out. He was haunted by the faces of the boys he'd had to order into battle, the ones who'd never come back. Yet one nameless ghost was able to bring a measure of comfort to his tormented mind. At the sound of the gun signalling the eleventh hour he was mentally transported back to the fields of Flanders.

The battle had raged for over two hours, with neither side gaining any advantage. Wave after wave of soldiers had been dispatched from the muddy trenches and sent over the top. So many had died already that day that he decided he could not afford to lose any more men before reinforcements arrived. Perhaps they'd give the remnants a few more days of life. There came a slight lull in the battle due to the sheer exhaustion of the men on both sides.

During this interval, a young soldier came up to him requesting that he be allowed to go over the top. He looked at the boy who couldn't have been more than nineteen. Was this extreme bravery in the face of the enemy or was the soldier so scared he just needed to get it over with?

"Why would you want to throw your life away soldier? It's almost certain death to go out there."

"My best friend went over an hour ago, captain, and he hasn't come back. I know my friend must be hurt and calling for me. I must go to him, sir, I must." There were tears in the boy's eyes. It was as if this were the most important thing in the world to him.

"Soldier, I'm sorry, but your friend is probably dead. What purpose would it serve to let you sacrifice your life too?"

"At least I'd know I'd tried, sir, he'd do the same thing in my shoes. I know he would."

He was about to order the boy to the ranks, but the impact of his words softened his heart. He remembered the awful pain he'd felt himself when his brother had died. He'd never had the chance to say goodbye.

"All right soldier, you can go." Despite the horror all around them, he saw a radiant smile on the boy's face, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"God bless you, sir," said the soldier.

It was a long time before the guns fell silent for the last time and each side was allowed to gather their dead and wounded. The captain remembered the young soldier. He looked through the many piles of bodies. Young men. So many as to give an unreal quality to the scene before him.

When he came to the makeshift hospital, he looked carefully through the casualties.

He soon found himself before the prone body of the soldier, alive, but severely wounded. He knelt down beside the young man and gently laid his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry son. I knew I was wrong to let you go."

"Oh no, sir. I'm glad you did and I'm glad you're here now so I can thank you. You see sir, I found my friend. He was badly wounded, but I was able to comfort him at the end. As I held him dying in my arms, he looked me in the eyes and said, "I knew you'd come."

The young soldier faded between consciousness and oblivion for some time before he finally slipped away. The captain stayed by his side until the end, tears streaming quietly down his cheeks. Only in war could the happy endings be so terribly sad.

As the bugle sounded "Taps," the old captain envisioned once again the young soldier's face. Looking up, he could almost hear the stone monument calling out to him: "I knew you'd come."

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

PARTING HYMN:    Go Now In Peace​ 

Go now in peace. Never be afraid. 
God will go with you each hour of every day. 
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true. 
Know He will guide you in all you do. 
Go now in love, and show you believe. 
Reach out to others so all the world can see. 
God will be there watching from above. 
Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.
 Milosz

 ​
"Praising what is lost makes the remembering dear."
Czeslaw Milosz