Welcome to our online service - 13 November
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom and in the church. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join us. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
Please join us for public worship in the church building this Sunday at 11:30am.
SERVICE
We meet in the presence of God.
We commit ourselves to work
in penitence and faith for reconciliation between the nations, that all people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace.
We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror.
We remember with thanksgiving and sorrow those whose lives, in world wars and conflicts past and present, have been given and taken away.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfv9OI59_7o
O Lord, the clouds are gathering,
the fire of judgement burns.
How we have fallen!
O Lord, You stand appalled to see
Your laws of love so scorned
and lives so broken.
Men: Have mercy, Lord,
Women: have mercy, Lord.
Men: Forgive us, Lord,
Women: forgive us, Lord
All: Restore us, Lord;
revive Your church again.
Men: Let justice flow,
Women: Let justice flow,
Men: like rivers,
Women: like rivers;
All: and righteousness
like a never-failing stream.
2. O Lord, over the nations now,
where is the dove of peace?
Her wings are broken,
O Lord, while precious children starve,
the tools of war increase,
their bread is stolen.
Have mercy, Lord...
3. O Lord, dark powers are poised
to flood our streets with hate and fear.
We must awaken!
O Lord, let love reclaim the lives
that sin would sweep away,
and let Your kingdom come!
Have mercy, Lord...
4. Yet, O Lord, Your glorious cross
shall tower triumphant in this land,
evil confounding;
through the fire, Your suffering church
display the glories of her Christ,
praises resounding.
Have mercy, Lord...
Graham Kendrick (c) 1987 Make Way Music/Thankyou Music
COLLECT
Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all: govern the hearts and minds of those in authority, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
Let us remember before God, and commend to his sure keeping those who have died for their country in war; those whom we knew, and whose memory we treasure; and all who have lived and died in the service of mankind.
SILENCE
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 your love; and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
ACT OF COMMITMENT
Let us pledge ourselves 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.
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 courage; give us hope; and keep us faithful now and always. Amen.
SING:
Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there is hatred
let me bring Your love;
where there is injury,
Your pardon, Lord;
and where there's doubt,
true faith in You.
Oh, Master,
grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved, as to love with all my soul.
2 Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there's despair in life
let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, only light;
and where there's sadness, ever joy.
Oh, Master....
3 Make me a channel of Your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving to all men that we receive;
and in dying
that we're born to eternal life.
Sebastian Temple (c) 1967 Franciscan Communications
READINGS
1 Peter 3: 8 - 17
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tender-hearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the LORD turns his face
against those who do evil.”
Suffering for Doing Good
Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
John 14: 27 - 31
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.
This is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God
TALK by Alistair Stevenson
Today as a church, as a community and as a nation we are brought together to remember all those who gave their lives in war and conflict and particularly in the two great wars of the first half of last century.
As that armistice was signed, on November 11th at 11am, 1918 - I wonder how long those who signed it considered peace would last?
“We have not sought this reckoning, we have done our utmost to avoid it; but now that it has been forced upon us it is imperative that it should be a thorough reckoning,” the British futurist writer H.G. Wells wrote in an article titled “The War That Will End War,” published on August 14, 1914.
Commonly cited as “the war to end all wars” or a similar variant, the phrase was quickly adopted as a slogan to explain British and later American participation in the war, as set forth by Wells in his essay saying this:
This is already the vastest war in history. It is a war not of nations, but of mankind. It is a war to exorcise a world-madness and end an age… For this is now a war for peace. It aims straight at disarmament. It aims at a settlement that shall stop this sort of thing for ever. Every soldier who fights against Germany now is a crusader against war. This, the greatest of all wars, is not just another war—it is the last war!
In fact, there were some who saw WW1 as a turning point in history - that would result in the complete overthrow of tyranny and triumph of democracy across the world. It was the war that would bring long-lasting peace and reconciliation - it was the war to end all wars.
But as we look back over the last 100 years this has far from been the case. Has peace reigned since that day on 11th November 1918? By no means and far from it.
Millions more have died since then - most notably in the second world war that started just over 20 years later.
And today - we gather to remember those who are dying because of war and conflict today. As we consider our world at the moment it is clear that war and conflict are still a reality - arguably more than they have ever been. On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. But we continue to remember other countries suffering because of war: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, and many others. But even beyond armed conflict, our world seems to be becoming less united and more fractured, the rise of nationalism, countries becoming more polarised. The modernist ideals of globalisation are breaking down.
So, where does this leave us today, called to bring God's kingdom, called to be the bringers of peace in a world that is still so full of conflict?
We heard in our passage from John Jesus says:
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
This morning I want to suggest that, as those who follow the way of Jesus and continue to pray for his Kingdom to come, we look to seek for peace in three ways:
· Peace to our past
· Peace to our present
· Peace to our future.
Firstly - peace in our past.
Remembering has always been a critical part of the regular habits of God’s people. In the Old Testament again and again we read accounts of when God’s people gathered and retold the story of how God rescued them from Egypt. They remember their history because it defines who they are and their relationship with God.
Their remembering is critical to their formation, to their reforming as a community longing to find their identity once again. They remember how God brought peace and it encourages them that He can do it again. That is why days like today are so important. We remember that in the darkest and most desperate times of our history - the light still broke in and peace was found.
As Christians, our remembering is critical to our identity. Later in our service we will gather around God’s table. We gather to remember what God did for us through sending his Son to die for us. We gather to give thanks for how his death and resurrection have and continue to transform our lives.
Remembering often makes us give thanks, but it also helps us to learn. To make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again. Often when we look back and remember we reflect where we might have got it wrong and so it causes us to ask, once again, for God’s forgiveness.
You may have noticed that we haven’t had a formal time of communion as part of our service and so, in light of our theme, I want us to do it together now.
Jesus, through his forgiveness, gives us peace. And so, in our confession, in our looking back at our hurt, we can once again receive the peace of Jesus.
CONFESSION
Let us confess to God the sins and shortcomings of the world; its pride, its selfishness, its greed, its evil divisions and hatreds. Let us confess our share in what is wrong, and our failure to seek and establish that peace which God wills for his children:
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ABSOLUTION
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Secondly, peace in our present.
Jesus is alive. The prince of peace is here in our midst through his Holy Spirit. It is critical that we look back at Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. But we don’t stay in the past. We ask that His Kingdom would come, His Will be done, here and now. Today, in our midst!
Moreover, the church is called to be the bearers of peace - the hands and feet of Jesus who came and demonstrated it.
We believe in a God who speaks now into the present – into our midst. He is not a myth or a nice tale that we remember to make us feel better and give us some hope. No - Jesus is alive, he is at work, and he is speaking!
He is speaking into the present of our lives, our communities and our nation. And he is asking us to go and speak his values into our communities – our workplaces, our schools, our neighbourhoods. To stand up for injustice – the injustice on a small scale to individuals we know that are treated badly and injustice on a global scale.
Jesus says in verse 27 from John 14: The peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
We need to remember that the peace of Jesus is not of this world. It is of the Kingdom. And so how is Jesus speaking this Kingdom peace into your present? Is there a situation in your life which needs the peace of Jesus? Maybe a broken relationship, a conflict situation in your workplace, neighbourhood, maybe even your home. Ask Jesus to come into that situation.
And so now we’re going to have our time of intercession.
Intercessions written by John Gough
On this remembrance Sunday we bring before you Lord our prayers for the world and your people.
Lord we remember all victims of the past 2 world wars and more recent conflicts. We remember those who came home with terrible injuries, both physical and psychological and those whose loved ones never returned. May all those who are still suffering the aftermath of conflict be comforted and sheltered in your loving arms.
We pray for situation in the Ukraine and ask that both sides can be brought together round a table of peace to bring an end to this conflict so that a lasting peace can be found.
Lord we pray for the COP27 Summit taking place in Egypt, we ask that all countries taking part that their leaders and governments will make genuine positive decisions to help reduce the impact of Global Warming before we reach a point of no return. Touch their hearts and minds to fulfil all promises that are made.
Lord we pray for our Country, we ask that you grant wisdom to all in government. May positive decisions be made in talks and negotiations with all who are in dispute over wages and work conditions that will enable the disputes to be brought to an end.
We give thanks for all who work tirelessly in food and clothing banks across our nation, with more people each week needing their support we pray that there will be enough donated by food and clothing outlets to meet this increasing demand.
Lord we pray for our Church and Parish here in Greystones.
We pray for the Family Fun Day and Autumn Fair on Saturday the 19th of November. We pray that people in the Greystones community will come to the event and will enjoy all that’s taking place. We pray that God will speak in to their hearts and minds that they will want to know more about our Church and family here at St Gabriel’s.
We pray for all involved in the preparations being made for the advent and Christmas services. May all services be well attended as we rejoice and celebrate the birth of the Lord.
Amen.
Peace in our future.
A fear of the future can leave some with massive anxiety, worry and depression.
As Christians, God has given us a vision and a picture of the future. Revelation 21 says:
‘“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone for ever.”
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”’
Our world needs hope at the moment. These times feel pretty hopeless. As we consider so many different situations the future does not look bright. We can feel like there is no hope - even no possibility of peace in the future.
It is therefore so important that we are a people of hope. Our hope doesn’t make light of or minimise the really difficult situations many of us are going through. The impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Our divided communities. The impact of climate change. These things are serious and we as Christian shouldn’t shy away or retreat from them.
Today as we as a church, and a community and as a nation, remember our past, we must also give a picture, a vision, for the future. As we remember those who gave their lives in war – so too we look to a future when peace will come, when war will be no more.
We are called to reimagine our present situations. As we pray we do so asking God to help us see what a transformed situation could look like.
And so to close we’re going to take some time to practise reimaging and turn that into prayer. I’m going to describe some situations and then ask you to use your imaginations to envisage what it would look like for peace to come.
What would it look like for peace to break out in a broken relationship in your life? Take a moment to picture that relationship and the individual. Imagine peace, imagine restoration. And then turn that into prayer. Let hope fill your heart again.
What would it look like for peace to break out in our political systems? Take a moment to picture and think about those in power in our city and in our country. Imagine peace amongst our politicians and turn that into prayer. Let hope fill your heart again.
Finally, what would it look like for the war in Ukraine to end. How could that come about? Take a moment to picture Russia withdrawal. Imagine peace in Ukraine and turn that into prayer and hope. Let hope fill your heart again.
I would invite you to continue to practise reimagination as part of your prayer life. Often when we reimagine broken situations, we come to realise what we might need to do, the actions that we might need to take for restoration to be possible.
Today, on this remembrance Sunday let us be a people of God who seek peace. Peace to our past. Peace to our present. Peace to our future. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand
of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MmRGSEG2LM
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes, let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me
2. King of all days
Oh, so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love's sake became poor
Here I am to worship…
I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross (rep.)
Here I am to worship…
Tim Hughes ©2001 Thankyou Music
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g4p3v06lhk
Restore, O Lord,
the honour of Your name!
In works of sovereign power
come shake the earth again,
that men may see,
and come with reverent fear
to the Living God,
whose Kingdom shall outlast the years.
2. Restore, O Lord,
in all the earth Your fame,
and in our time revive
the Church that bears Your name,
and in Your anger,
Lord, remember mercy,
O Living God,
whose mercy shall outlast the years.
3. Bend us, O Lord,
where we are hard and cold,
in Your refiners fire;
come purify the gold:
though suffering comes,
and evil crouches near,
still our Living God is reigning,
He is reigning here.
Graham Kendrick and Chris Rolinson (c) 1981 Thankyou Music
FINAL BLESSING:
God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest, to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth and all people, unity, peace and concord, and to us and all God’s servants, life everlasting.
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you all and remain with you always.
Amen