St. Leonard, Clent
© Clent P.C.C. 2024
WORSHIP
Saint Leonard’s Remembrance Service Welcome to our OpenCast church service - on-line. There are prayers, readings, hymns and music; just as you would have in church. As you read through this service you may care to say aloud the bold text. To hear the music and the readings, click on each title (red, underlined text) (and remember to adjust the volume on your speakers).

Welcome

For those who have died 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. For those who have died on active service O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those men and women who have died in active service: in Iraq, in Afghanistan and elsewhere. As we honour their courage and cherish their memory, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen.

Hymn

O God, our help in ages past .. our hope for years to come

Intercessions

Lord, have mercy on those who mourn, who feel numb and crushed, and are filled with the pain of grief, whose strength has given up. You know all our sighing and longings: be near to us and teach us to fix our hope on you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Lord, do not abandon us in our desolation. Keep us safe in the midst of trouble, and complete your purpose for us through your steadfast love and faithfulness, in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. Our eyes, Lord, are wasted with grief; you know we are weary with groaning. As we remember our death in the dark emptiness of the night, have mercy on us and heal us; forgive us and take away our fear through the dying and rising of Jesus your Son. Amen

Reflection

A SONNET FOR REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

November pierces with its black remembrance of all the bitterness and waste of war.

Our silence tries but fails to make a semblance of that lost peace they thought worth fighting for.

Our silence seeths instead with wraiths and whispers and all the restless rumours of new wars,

The shells are singing as we sing our vespers, no moment is unscarred .. there is no pause,

In every instant bloodied innocence falls to the weary earth, and whilst we stand

Quiescence ends again in acquiescence, and Abel’s blood still cries in every land.

One silence only might redeem that blood .. only the silence of a dying God.

Malcolm Guite

“Do this in Remembrance of me” These words of Christ at the Last Supper were more than a simple command to commemorate. They are a call to awakening that in this life this important historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth, has left his mark on the world. As we come to the altar to follow this command the effects of that first Good Friday are not only called to mind, but are brought to effect having a direct bearing on our lives. Our memory forms us, it has a impact on who we are as individuals and as a society. The Early Church Fathers spoke of the memory as being ‘a power of the soul’; the great philosopher, Aristotle referred to it as being the ‘scribe of the soul’, such is its effect. Memory, and remembering informs us rightly or wrongly, and impacts our decision making and therefore our future. It also keeps the events of the past effective in our lives. Last Post The Last Post is a short military fanfare, traditionally played on a bugle which dates back to the 1790s, when it was used to signify that the final guard check at a military camp had been performed, and the camp was secure for the night. It was also played at the end of a day of battle, to alert that fighting was over for the day. The Last Post’s association with remembrance and military funerals dates back to the mid-19th century when it was played at the graves of soldiers who had died fighting abroad. It symbolises the that the duty of the dead soldier is over and that they can rest in peace.

Worship Song

Remembrance Hymn The Kohima Epitaph The Kohima Epitaph is the epitaph engraved on the Memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery of Kohima (North-East India). It reads: 'When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.' The verse is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958), and is thought to have been inspired by the epitaph written by Simonides of Ceos to honour the Greeks who fell at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC.

Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Christ has no body now but ours. No hands, no feet on earth but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Ours are the feet with which he walks about to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, We are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

Blessing

"Lord God, help us this day to remember the sacrifice of those caught up in war, and the generations of men, women and children who have died in the cause of liberty and peace. Help us to remember those who still bear the physical and mental scars and disabilities of their service …. and give them peace." Amen.
St. Leonard
© Clent P.C.C. 2024
Saint Leonard’s Remembrance Service Welcome to our OpenCast church service - on-line. There are prayers, readings, hymns and music; j ust as you would have in church. As you read through this service you may care to say aloud the bold text. To hear the music and the readings, click on each title (red, underlined text) (and remember to adjust the volume on your speakers).

Welcome

For those who have died 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. For those who have died on active service O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those men and women who have died in active service: in Iraq, in Afghanistan and elsewhere. As we honour their courage and cherish their memory, may we put our faith in your future; for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen.

Hymn

O God, our help in ages past .. our hope for years to come

Intercessions

Lord, have mercy on those who mourn, who feel numb and crushed, and are filled with the pain of grief, whose strength has given up. You know all our sighing and longings: be near to us and teach us to fix our hope on you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Lord, do not abandon us in our desolation. Keep us safe in the midst of trouble, and complete your purpose for us through your steadfast love and faithfulness, in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. Our eyes, Lord, are wasted with grief; you know we are weary with groaning. As we remember our death in the dark emptiness of the night, have mercy on us and heal us; forgive us and take away our fear through the dying and rising of Jesus your Son. Amen

Reflection

A SONNET FOR REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

November

pierces

with

its

black

remembrance

of

all

the

bitterness

and

waste of war.

Our

silence

tries

but

fails

to

make

a

semblance

of

that

lost

peace

they

thought worth fighting for.

Our

silence

seeths

instead

with

wraiths

and

whispers

and

all

the

restless

rumours of new wars,

The

shells

are

singing

as

we

sing

our

vespers,

no

moment

is

unscarred

..

there

is no pause,

In

every

instant

bloodied

innocence

falls

to

the

weary

earth,

and

whilst

we

stand

Quiescence

ends

again

in

acquiescence,

and

Abel’s

blood

still

cries

in

every

land.

One silence only might redeem that blood .. only the silence of a dying God.

Malcolm Guite

“Do this in Remembrance of me” These words of Christ at the Last Supper were more than a simple command to commemorate. They are a call to awakening that in this life this important historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth, has left his mark on the world. As we come to the altar to follow this command the effects of that first Good Friday are not only called to mind, but are brought to effect having a direct bearing on our lives. Our memory forms us, it has a impact on who we are as individuals and as a society. The Early Church Fathers spoke of the memory as being ‘a power of the soul’; the great philosopher, Aristotle referred to it as being the ‘scribe of the soul’, such is its effect. Memory, and remembering informs us rightly or wrongly, and impacts our decision making and therefore our future. It also keeps the events of the past effective in our lives. Last Post The Last Post is a short military fanfare, traditionally played on a bugle which dates back to the 1790s, when it was used to signify that the final guard check at a military camp had been performed, and the camp was secure for the night. It was also played at the end of a day of battle, to alert that fighting was over for the day. The Last Post’s association with remembrance and military funerals dates back to the mid-19th century when it was played at the graves of soldiers who had died fighting abroad. It symbolises the that the duty of the dead soldier is over and that they can rest in peace.

Worship Song

Remembrance Hymn The Kohima Epitaph The Kohima Epitaph is the epitaph engraved on the Memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery of Kohima (North-East India). It reads: 'When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.' The verse is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958), and is thought to have been inspired by the epitaph written by Simonides of Ceos to honour the Greeks who fell at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC.

Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

Christ has no body now but ours. No hands, no feet on earth but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Ours are the feet with which he walks about to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, We are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

Blessing

"Lord God, help us this day to remember the sacrifice of those caught up in war, and the generations of men, women and children who have died in the cause of liberty and peace. Help us to remember those who still bear the physical and mental scars and disabilities of their service …. and give them peace." Amen.