Worship on the Lord’s Day A Service of Remembrance
10:00 am November 10, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Service led by: Major the Rev. Kenneth MacRae
Music Director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford
Welcoming Elder: Rom Rhoad Children’s time presenter: Padre MacRae
We gather to worship God
Music Prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
P: and also with you
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship
The National Anthem: O Canada
Memorial Message: O God, we remember . . .
We remember today that you are the giver of every good gift, and one of your gifts is peace. You have blessed us with freedom, and you have met all our needs. We live in a country where we are not judged for our beliefs, where we may gather without fear, where we have mutual respect, shared rights.
O God, help us never to forget your gifts. They have not always come so easily.
We remember those who gave their lives in two world wars, the Korean War, and countless other conflicts. We remember them and also the families they left behind.
O God, help us never to forget the prices paid.
Lord, your son, said that people have no greater love than to lay down their life for their friends. You laid down your life for us, and you call us your friends. Those who were killed or maimed or scarred in wars laid down they’re or the pieces of their lives for us.
O God, help us to live lives worthy of their sacrifices and also yours.
We remember that you alone are the source of peace and justice. We pray with all our hearts for peace in our times. Bring true peace to those places where conflicts continue to smolder.
God, we beg you that you may find ways bring an end to hatred and senseless violence and give peace in our time that last long after we are gone.
We remember, God, that homes and workplaces, schools and streets are not always places of peace. Yet you have offered us the way of peace through the love of Jesus Christ.
God, help us to accept your offer and to find another way, the way of Love, the way of the Healer and Great Physician – Jesus Your son.
We hold up before you, all those who work for peace: For you have said, “Blessed are the peacekeepers”.
O God, help us to be peacemakers in our homes, our communities, and our world.
. . . may we ever pray: Lord God of Hosts.
be with us yet,
Lest we forget; Lest we forget. Amen.
In Flanders Fields
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.
Each day, a bugle was sounded in military camps to begin and end the day; in the evening this was called the “last post” and was also sounded for those who had died. We will now hear the “Last Post” and have a minute’s silence to remember.
Last Post
(1 minute of Silence)
Reveille
Act of Remembrance
They shall not grow 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.
Response: We will remember them.
Call to worship:
L: Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord,
P: For God keeps faith with us forever.
L: Praise God who brings justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.
P: We will praise the One who lifts up all those who bear heavy burdens.
L: God will reign in mercy and righteousness for all generations.
P: Let us praise the Lord with our lips and honour God with our lives.
Opening praise: Revelation Song
Prayers of approach and confession
Lord of goodness and life,
we in wonder and awe,
eager to praise your name.
You are the source of all that is good and true,
the essence of your love.
You bring gifts of peace and healing into troubled lives.
You show us the way to love friend and enemy alike,
and how to build a better world together.
In this time of worship,
inspire us to believe our work in Jesus’ name makes a difference.
So may we live to bring you glory, O God,
for the sake of Christ our Lord,
now and always.
God of justice and mercy,
you call us to take part in our community,
loving our neighbours and serving your purposes.
We confess this is easier said than done.
We often sit in judgment on those who serve in public life,
criticizing any who fall short of our expectations.
Yet we confess we too fall short of your loving purpose for us.
Forgive us when we have been too quick to criticize,
and too slow to join in what needs to be done.
Response: We come to ask your forgiveness
Assurance of God’s pardon
Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ – and Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace. Share that forgiveness with others in his name.
Musical Offering: Dayspring Singers: Peace
‘Peace’ words and music: Dave and Jean Perry ©MCMXCVI by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc.
Song: My lighthouse
Words and music: Chris Llewellyn and Gareth Gilkeson. © 2013 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
We listen for the voice of God
Children’s time and the Lord’s Prayer (535 )
Song: For the healing of the nations (736)
Words: Fred Khan © 1968 by Hope Publishing Co. Music: Public Domain.
Scripture readings: (Lynn Vaughan Isaiah 2:2-5 ; Psalm 34:1-14; John 15:9-13
Response: Glory to the Father
Message: “Pursue peace…easier said than done!”
Prayer: Eternal God, prepare our hearts and minds to hear you speaking to us. Free us from the worries of our mind, and give to us the peace and comfort that you can give to us. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen
Text: “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)
I believe and hope that everyone here in this room would agree with this verse, but…there is a part of us thinking “ya…right!”
We are not doing that good in the terms of “turning from evil” and “seeking peace”
Let us look at this globally.
All I need to say is: Ukraine! Russia! North Korea! Palestine! Israel! Iran!
Not a lot of peace going on over in those countries.
*****
How about the “turn from evil”?
One horror story that I heard about was when we were at war with Afghanistan.
I had been sent to Germany twice and Cyprus once to help people readjust from being on edge to life in Canada.
I met one person who was angry and very troubled with his experience.
He had experienced evil.
When he was in Kandahar he had been in a secure area but there were children who gathered outside nearby everyday hoping for candy or some other treats.
There had been a little girl who came most days who was roughly the same age as his own daughter.
So for many months when he was over there whenever he saw the little girl he would think of his daughter.
And then one day a bomb went off.
The Taliban tried to kill some of our personnel.
They didn’t come close to killing any of us, but many of the children were killed or injured.
They didn’t care who they killed.
Sadly, one of the children killed was the little girl who reminded him of his daughter.
That shook him up.
It was a senseless death in yet another global conflict.
******
How about closer to home?
How are we doing for turning from evil and seeking peace?
Anyone watch the US election?
I’m still trying to figure out how a person, who has made a lot of racist comments, and is a convicted felon, will become President again.
We won’t get into a political discussion, but we can see that it really didn’t matter who won, that nation is very divided.
******
Canada is not much different.
The liberals and conservatives and NDP say they care about the people of Canada, but it seems they care more about being in power.
Working together for the common good does not seem to exist in anyone’s play book.
******
Churches can fight with one another.
Either with other denominations and their beliefs or our own internal squabbles.
******
How many of us are going through our own battles?
We may smile around each other, but may be having marital issues.
Our children could be driving us up the wall.
*****
How about health issues.
My injury may be a little more visible as I walk around on crutches
How many people are struggling with depression, or anxiety?
How many are struggling financially?
******
There are many battles we face everyday.
And then we come here and listen to this verse that says, “seek peace and pursue it”.
For sure we want the peace.
As for pursuing it, often we don’t know how.
******
What can we do for global peace…not a lot.
What can we do for national harmony…not a lot.
As for church, and personal issues…well that may be the rest of this sermon.
*****
Let’s take a closer look at Psalm 34.
In many, most, Bibles Psalm 34 actually has a prelude.
It is titled.
In the NIV it states that this chapter was written when “David pretended to be insane before Abimelik, who drove him away, and he left”
Many translations use the same name.
The slight problem is that the reference is to the passage in 1 Samuel 21 where the priest Ahimelek. (with an h not a b) is mentioned.
To make a long explanation short, commentaries state that when you look at passages such as Genesis chapters 20, 21, and 26, Abimelech is used as the generic or tradition name for the title for Philistine kings which would have been the king that David encountered.
So lets not dwell on that too much.
So what was happening historically in 1 Samuel 21 when this Psalm was supposedly written.
David had run away from King Saul.
King Saul was becoming more and more jealous of David.
In 1 Samuel 18:5 we can read, “Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.
Women would come out and sing “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands”.
Saul was not happy.
At one point Saul threw a spear at David, but David escaped.
Saul was conflicted.
On the one hand David was on his side and winning victories against Saul’s enemies.
But most of the credit was going to David and not to Saul which infuriated him.
To make a long story short, there came a time when even Jonathan, the son of King Saul, told David to run and hide because Saul was out to kill David.
David fled to the city of Nod.
He met a priest by the name of Ahimelek.
Ahimelek reluctantly feed David consecrated bread.
David then went to another person called Achish, king of Gath.
The king had heard about David and that people were singing, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands”.
Achish, also knew about King Saul, and about Saul’s wrath.
David probably wasn’t sure what side King Achish was on, so David pretended to be insane.
David didn’t have a whole army behind him, and was seeking safety somewhere, so he improvised.
1 Samuel 21: 13 “…he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard”.
King Achish seeing that David wasn’t really a threat to anyone, let David go and David went to live in a cave.
It was in that cave that David wrote this Psalm.
******
David, at first was alone, until others joined him (1 Sam 22)
Imagine his thought process.
He served faithfully God first, and then King Saul.
King Saul wants to kill him, and where was God?
David may have been a bit angry and thinking this was not right or fair.
I served God and King Saul faithfully and now I’m being hunted down.
Life is not fair.
David may also have been thinking “how can I make things right with Saul?”
“How can I convince King Saul, that I’m really not his enemy or after his throne.”
How can I “seek peace and pursue it”.
******
We have the same thoughts in our life.
Life is not always fair to us.
This summer was pretty hard for me.
My initial injury happened in 2011 – yes a military injury.
But I healed then.
But nerve pain eventually built up and got so back that it was recommended that I have spinal injury.
Supposed to be a simple operation, that the surgeon has done hundreds of times.
I was supposed to be in the hospital for 2 or 3 days and then recover the rest of the summer.
I was in the hospital for a month and a half.
I’m paralyzed in parts of my body and learning how to walk again.
My mind, to this day, says, “This is not fair”.
******
Have you ever said that.
You have tried hard to be a good husband or wife, or a good friend, yet the relationship breaks apart.
I have counselled more people in my career who would work late because they didn’t want to come home to whatever conflict was going on.
There are times when it is easier to just avoid a fight, then to try to resolve it.
We want to seek peace.
We just don’t know how to get it.
******
Interestingly enough Psalm 34 begins with praise and thanksgiving.
Verse 1 “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips”
The rest of the chapter has phrases such as “glory in the Lord”; “those who look to him – the Lord – are radiant”; “the -Lord – saved him out of all this troubles.”; “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (we use that phrase during communion)
David should be ticked off at God, but it doesn’t seem that way.
******
How many times when we are in a bad situation, do we blame God?
Lord, I have prayed for help, and you are ignoring me.
Lord, I have asked you to smite down my boss, but he or she is still there on Monday.
*****
How many times have we imagined something terrible happening to the bullies at school, to our ex husband or ex wife.
It is wrong…but it feels so good to imagine something horrible happening to terrible people.
How many of us would like to see Russian President Putin put in front of a world court to be convicted for the lives he has ruined.
How many of us want to see Trump put in jail, for all the misdeeds he has done and been convicted for?
How many of us would like to see Trudeau held accountable for some of his misdeeds?
*******
Yet, David gave praise to God.
Before he could even think about “seeking peace and pursuing it”, David gave praise.
******
Is that where we have to start?
Sometimes we have to get past our anger and disappointment.
Easier said than done.
Sometimes we need to talk to a neutral third person.
Go talk to your minister.
I don’t know Brad’s degrees, but most ministers don’t hold a counselling degree, but we are trained for counselling and for listening.
****
When I was in Yellowknife, NWT, for the last 5 years, the military did not have a social worker up there.
People would be coming to the medical staff and to myself for many issues.
Last year, if I remember my stats, I had around 290 counselling sessions, on top of my other work.
I walked people through suicide, depression, criminal accusations, substance abuse, work place harassment, marital and family issues and much much more.
I would be doing referrals and helping people between counselling sessions.
All that also had an effect on me.
Add to that an injury that is ending my career, left me broken, which is when …I decided to go for help.
One of the recent activities that my counsellor has advised me to do is to focus on the positive thoughts.
I’m a bit bitter that I can’t curl this year, I haven’t golfed this year, I have a hard time walking distances over a kilometer, etc.
But I have a caring wife (most of the time).
I have friends…or fiends…depends on the day, across the country who call and support me.
The military has treated me royally throughout this.
I’m getting a lot of support and benefits from the military, that most civilians don’t get.
While there are a lot of things that I can be bitter about, there is a lot I can be thankful for.
******
Ok, so we may be ticked off about our political system.
Are we still glad we live in Canada?
Our health care system is not great, but it is better than many other places.
What did you have to pay to have a child in Canada. Nothing.
I googled the cost for United States.
It cost around $18, 865 on average to have a child.
If you have insurance, you still might have to pay $3,000.
I was in the hospital for over a month and a half this summer. I didn’t get a bill.
I don’t think twice about turning on the water for a shower.
Many countries, water is very scares.
I don’t like paying taxes, and I wonder where all our taxes go, however our roads are ploughed, we do have law enforcement, and children can go to school for free, and universities are cheaper here than the United States.
We can be thankful to live here in a good country.
********
Let’s get more personal.
When I do marital counselling, I often hear people accusing each other of doing things or not doing things.
I turn it around and ask them what are they contributing to the relationship that is good, and what are they contributing that is not so good.
To “seek peace” think about what are you thankful for with your husband or wife?
Tell them that.
Are you having issues with your children?
Tell them you love them, even though you may want to strangle them.
*****
If we want to “seek peace and pursue it.” maybe the start is to stop seeking the chaos.
Stop seeking the drama, and be the loving, caring, peaceful person.
*******
Even in a church we can have disagreements.
News flash.
We can have a difference of opinion and still love one another.
In fact, I can learn from people who have a difference of opinion from me.
I can learn from people from another culture.
I can learn from people who have a different religion.
I won’t always agree with other people, but I can respect and love other people.
So if we want to honour the words found in Psalm 34 and want to “seek peace” then start to pursue it by being peaceful and trying to be a little more loving to one another.
Prayer: Eternal God, you know the struggles we face in our own life. You know the horrors that we have seen and experienced. Sometimes it is our own sins and mistakes that have gotten us into trouble. Forgive us for our mistake. Forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to learn. If healing is possible in our relationships, in our health, in our financial worries or whatever ails us, then heal us. Help us to be thankful for our family and friends and for our brothers and sisters of Christ. Help us to be peacemakers at home, at work or wherever we are. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Song: Make me a channel of your peace (740)
We respond to serve God
Our time of giving
Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession
God of our past and our future,
God of healing and hope,
we come before you with grateful hearts,
trusting that you walk with us through all the times of our lives.
These are not easy times,
and we thank you for your faithfulness
and your guidance when things don’t seem to go the way we hope.
We pray today for those who are facing danger and despair:
We remember before you those living with hunger,
communities struggling with the impact of drought, storms and earthquakes,
and all those for whom adequate housing seems unattainable.
We remember people caught up in unrest and violence
and those whose lives are directed by forces beyond their control.
(Hold silence for 20 seconds.)
We pray for all those working to relieve suffering in these lives
and those who work to bring justice and peace to the most vulnerable:
God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all those facing fear or frustration,
wrestling with sorrow or discouragement in any area of their lives:
For those who live with illness or pain…
For those bearing up with chronic conditions or disability…
For those who know the grief and change of bereavement…
(Hold silence for 20 seconds.)
We pray for all who work to bring healing and comfort to others,
and agencies which offer support and care to those who suffer:
God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for all who feel helpless or hopeless in this present time:
For those struggling to make ends meet or find employment…
For those caught up in misunderstandings or broken relationships…
and for those working through situations of conflict at home or at work…
(Hold silence for 20 seconds.)
We pray for all who offer guidance and support in the midst of such difficulties
and for those who have skills in reconciliation or mediation:
God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God of our past and our future,
God of healing and hope,
Help our congregation and churches everywhere engage each day
with faithfulness and creativity.
Where we need correction, show us a new way;
where we need love and encouragement, draw near.
Whatever our challenges, stay with us on our way,
for we are the followers of Jesus praying in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Song: When the poor ones (762)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Keep the Lord always before you,
So that your heart will be glad and your soul will rejoice.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
That you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Response: Benediction (As You Go)
Words and music: C. Gayle; J. Riddle; T. Smith. © 2016 Curb Congregation Songs Five Crowns Music, Jennie Lee Riddle, Tent Peg Music.
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Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs and Major the Rec. Kenneth MacRae retain the copyright (© 2024) on all original material in this service. As far as tney are aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is their own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.
An audiorecording of this service can be found by clicking here.