12th NOVEMBER 2023
SENTENCE FROM SCRIPTURE
“You are my helper and deliverer.”
OPENING HYMN
GREETING
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
COLLECT FOR PURITY
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
The first commandment is this:
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”
The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
There is no other commandment greater than these.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
CONFESSION
God is love and we are God’s children.
There is no room for fear in love.
We love because God loved us first.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.
God our Father, we confess to you
and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and in what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry.
Forgive us our sins,
and deliver us from the power of evil,
for the sake of your Son
who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
ABSOLUTION
God, who is both power and love,
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by the Holy Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
GLORIA
by Sue St Joseph
COLLECT
O God, whose will it is
to hold heaven and earth in a single peace:
let the design of great love
shine on the waste of our wraths and sorrows;
and give peace to your Church, peace among the nations,
peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen
PROCLAIMING & RECEIVING GOD’S WORD
FIRST READING
JOB 19:21-27
read by Annabelle Guthrie
Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has touched me!
Why do you, like God, pursue me,
never satisfied with my flesh?
“O that my words were written down!
O that they were inscribed in a book!
O that with an iron pen and with lead
they were engraved on a rock forever!
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
and after my skin has been thus destroyed,
then in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see on my side,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!
SECOND READING
1 Corinthians 15: 51-57
read by Robyn Brotherston
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
GRADUAL HYMN
GOSPEL READING
John 6: 37-40
read by Rev James Clark Maxwell
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St John chapter 6 beginning at verse 37
Glory to Christ our Saviour
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”
Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious gospel.
Praise to Christ our Lord
SERMON
SERMON SUNDAY 12th NOVEMBER 2023
We just heard read the words of Job: “I know that my redeemer lives…and after my skin has thus been destroyed… my eyes shall behold him and not another.”
To behold God and not another will be both terrifying and awesome. This day will come to us all and as much as we try to bury our head in the sand and seek how to increase our longevity on earth, that day will come- no one will escape that day. For most that day will come late in life and so we have time to prepare and be ready to meet God, our Redeemer, face to face. However, for many, that day came sooner than they hoped or welcomed. War claimed the lives of so many young people- on our war memorial for the Great War, here in St John’s we have 72 people who at a young age sacrificed their lives for the greater good.
In Dumfries the number is estimated at 467 deaths and overall, in the Great War, death tolled 16 million with 20 million casualties. I was reminded of this dreadful statistic as I watched the film the “Great Escaper”. The film took place in the summer of 2014 when a World War 2 veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. At one poignant point “the Great Escaper” visits the grave of one of his young comrades. The film scans the graveyard, and you literally see thousands and thousands of headstones in memory of the fallen and brave. I could not help thinking what a waste of human life. What a sacrifice, so many have courageously made. It is important to remember that these graves mark a human being, loved, cherished, treasured, and missed. The gravestones speak not of statistics, but of precious people, of a much- loved son and daughter, of a dear brother or sister, and in many cases of a much- missed young father or mother.
These gravestones speak of the great losses in war. War touched every town in the country and Dumfries was no exception. Dumfries played a vital part in the World War 11 effort through its airfield at Heathhall. In 1938, the old Arrol-Johnson motor car factory at Heathhall, Dumfries, was taken over by the Air Ministry and a huge airfield plus aircraft storage facilities were built on the site. In June 1940, it was first used by No 18 Maintenance Unit to receive new aircraft straight from factories: here they were tested, modified to RAF standards and made ready for war. By August 1940, there were reckoned to be at least 140 aircraft on the site, including Wellingtons, Beauforts, Hurricanes and Oxfords. During the course of the war, a total of over 4600 aircraft were handled there. In addition, No 10 Bombing & Gunnery School was set up there.
Aiding with the aircraft operations was significant for the people in Dumfries and beyond. Equally important was the sheltering of the Norwegians during the Second World War. When Norway was overwhelmed by Germany early in World War 11, many of its soldiers and others fled to Scotland. A large number of them ended up in Dumfries – where their army command came to be based. They even had their own meeting place – named Norway House in the town centre. That special relationship has been marked with the unveiling of a one-and-a-half tonne “stone of friendship” which has come from Norway to Dumfries.
While helping others in the war effort, Dumfries was not immune from the pain and suffering that the war brought with it. In Dumfries one local family from Kingholm suffered devastating losses during the First World War. Mrs McFarlane who resided at Kingholm in Dumfries lost three of her sons during conflicts on the Western Front and her other son was taken as a Prisoner of War. This story unfortunately is not unique as many families from Dumfries and Galloway lost multiple family members during the Great War. The sacrifices made by the McFarlane family and all the residents of Kingholm who lost their lives during the First World War will never be forgotten because their names are now commemorated on a memorial plaque that local residents have ensured is clearly visible to all visitors. When the new housing estate in Kingholm Quay was built there has also been a street named McFarlane Avenue in commemoration of the family’s huge losses.
Loss touched the homes of everyone in one way or another, leaving its indelible mark on the lives of so many. And so, it is with great sadness we see history repeat itself as we are struck with horror at the scale of human loss in Ukraine and Russia and latterly in the Middle East, in Palestine and Israel. The loss of life in Israel is among all ages and over 4,000 of the deaths in Palestine have been children- children who have not lived to their teenage years; children who have maimed and injured, as well as the number of children traumatised by war and its ravages.
Today we gather to remember these losses-lest we forget the horrors of war and the sacrifices of so many. Today we wear our poppy, as a symbol of remembrance and as a symbol of hope for a peaceful future. There is no better way to honour those who have fallen than by choosing to live peaceably with one another. We all have a duty to strive for peace and help other nations to experience peace and stability. Part of remembering today is so that we will do all in our power to keep the peace. This is not just something we strive for at a national or international level but also at a local level and family level. It is so easy to take offence, to seek revenge, to fall out, to seek the slander of another, to hit back and fight but life is too short and that is not what we are called to do. We are called to live in peace with one another. We are called to help those whose lives are destroyed by war to rebuild their lives and establish peace.
When our time on this earth is over, and we meet our Redeemer face to face. He is not going to ask you how much money you made or how many degrees and qualifications you have gained, or how accomplished you are in music or sport, or how many charities you have helped… no.. what will concern God is how we have shown love and peace to others ; how we have treated people who are different from ourselves; how we have offered compassion; how we have been able to forgive and how we have worked for justice. In other words, how have we lived for God and for our neighbours? What account will we give of our lives?
Many think that there will be no account to give of our lives for when they die that is it. There is nothing beyond the grave. They live with no sense of hope and no awareness of eternal life. In their minds and hearts, all that there is, is in this life. There is nothing after this life. What if they are wrong? What if I am right in believing that there is life beyond the grave.
What happens after we die- is a frequently asked question? There is a curiosity and mystery about life beyond the grave. William Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet called death “the undiscovered country from whose border no traveller ever returns.” Can we really believe that we will live after we die? This is perhaps one of the great challenges to our thinking in this rather secular age. When we die, is there something more or do we go out of existence after the body dies?
Paul says categorically there is so much more than this life. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “I will tell you a mystery.” He meant, “You are not going to understand all of this, but I’m going to tell you anyway.”But, even if this is difficult, there are some things that we can understand. First of all, Paul is telling us that we will be resurrected from the dead, just as Christ was resurrected from the dead. We will have bodies in eternity—not just spirits. Just as Christ’s body was raised from the dead, so our bodies will be raised from the dead.
We won’t understand until we die. But God helped Paul to understand just enough to give us a glimpse into eternity. Helen Keller, the blind and deaf woman who lived such an inspiring life, spoke of death in this way: She said: “There’s so much I’d like to see, so much to learn.
and death is just around the corner. Not that that worries me. On the contrary, it is no more than passing from one room into another. But there’s a difference for me, you know.
Because in that other room I shall be able to see. I shall be able to see.” Can you imagine what that meant to a woman who had lived her entire life in darkness and silence! “I will be able to see.” Michelangelo also had the right perspective on death. A friend commented on the wonderful life that Michelangelo had lived and said, “After such a good life it’s hard to look death in the eye.” Michelangelo responded: “Not at all. Since life was such a pleasure,
death, coming from the same great God, cannot displease us.” Not only is there Life after but that life will be truly amazing!
Paul simply gives us a glimpse into eternity and reminds us that Jesus is the resurrection and the life who on the last day, at the sound of the trumpet will raise us to enjoy life in all its fullness- a life like no other… a life better than we could possibly imagine. Like Job and Paul, on that day we will know that our Redeemer lives, and our eyes and not those of another will behold him! Amen.
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
The Exhortation
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.
You might like to light a candle at this point.
The Last Post is sounded.
The Two Minute Silence is observed.
Reveille is sounded.
The Kohima Epitaph
When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.
PRAYER
Everliving God,
we remember those whom you have gathered
from the storm of war into the peace of your presence:
may that same peace, calm our fears,
bring justice to all peoples
and establish harmony among the nations,
through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
NATIONAL ANTHEM
THE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one substance with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son,
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS
LET US PRAY
Lord of all,
Hear us now as we pray for the victims of war
and for peace in our world.
We remember today, O Lord
all those who have died
in any kind of war throughout your world.
We think of soldiers who perished in the horror of battle,
innocent people buried beneath the rubble from bomb attacks,
men, women and children brutally attacked
and murdered in their villages.
On this Remembrance Day we lift to you
all victims of war,
especially those caught up in the Ukrainian and Russian War
and in the Israel and Palestine War.
We remember those who came home with terrible injuries,
both physical and psychological
and those whose loved ones never returned.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Remembering the conflicts of the past
and the sacrifices which were made,
we pray for a world
where war is sadly still a grim reality.
Lord as we remember those who have lost their lives,
help us to renew our fight against cruelty and injustice,
against prejudice, tyranny and oppression.
We cry out to you in the darkness of our divided world,
for security and stability.
Hear our prayer for the multitudes in every country
who do not want war
and are ready to walk the path of peace.
May their voice be heard
and may they not lose heart.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord God, we pray for the leaders of the nations at this time,
asking you to pour out your spirit of reconciliation on them.
Give strength and courage to those
who bear heavy responsibilities for the peace of the world.
We pray also for the Christian Church,
called to witness to your love in this generation.
May Christians work with all people of goodwill
to break down the barriers which divide people.
May those who profess one faith
respect those who sincerely hold another faith
and build a community
where there is harmony and understanding.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those across the world
who bear the scars of conflict-
the injured, maimed, and mentally distressed,
those who have lost limbs, their reasoning capability
or who have lost a loved one through the horrors of war.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those left homeless or as refugees,
those who have lost their livelihoods and security
and those who still live in daily fear for their lives.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for children who have been orphaned,
parents who mourn their children.
Husbands and wives who have lost their partners,
countless families whose lives will never be the same again.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those in the armed forces
charged with keeping the peace
in countries across the world-
their work involving months away from family and friends,
and often danger to themselves.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for world leaders and rulers,
politicians and diplomats
those whose decisions and negotiations
affect the lives of so many,
and in whose hands peace ultimately lies.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for families struggling with illness
and trying to cope with hospitals and treatment.
In the quiet of our hearts we pray for those known to us
who are ill at this time in body, mind or spirit.
Lord, draw near to those we have named quietly
and grant them your healing touch and caring love.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all who mourn,
thinking especially of those who have recently been bereaved.
O Lord grant them your comfort and peace in these days.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Lord of all, give courage to those who strive for justice
so that all the causes of conflict may be overcome.
Give strength to those who seek to break down barriers,
that divisions over race, colour, creed
and culture may be ended.
Grant that wherever war or the threat of war
continues to haunt lives
a way of reconciliation and peace may be found.
Lord in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray
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.
Do not bring us
to the time of trial+
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
HYMN
BLESSING
The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of His son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen
