World War One – One Hundred Years On
Prayers of Remembrance and Hope
(When you visit, you will find this sheet in the Church)
Introduction
We have come to this place to remember all those who were caught up in the courageous but tragic events of the First World War. We remember those who were killed in action, or by disease, the bereaved, the lost, the families which were shattered, the wounded, maimed and injured, those who held in silence unspeakable memories of warfare. As we remember those who fought and those who remained anxiously at home in this community, let us pray that God will heal all memories, speak a word of peace, and bring us his healing.
O God,
The memory of World War I haunts us.
Stories are handed down from one generation to the next
and the suffering and sorrow and senseless horror
fills the pit of our stomach and paralyses.
The earth cries out for blood spilt
of one brother!
How cries the earth over thousands!
O God,
The War to end all wars!
Today, we bow our heads and weep
For what is lost
And unlearned lessons
And humanity’s continued loss.
Breathe peace into the horror chamber of the heart
Breathe peace into perverse minds
Breathe peace into hands which violate.
Teach us to respect and celebrate life
And life wrought through a wooden cross
Whereon shame is named
And Love’s Power released.
Peace to nations.
Peace to man, woman and child.
Peace to all, O God!
For your Love’s sake. Amen.
Lord, have mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
All Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
All Lord, have mercy.
May the God of all healing and forgiveness
draw us to himself and cleanse us from our sins,
that we may behold the glory of his Son,
the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers of World War One Soldiers
A Christmas Prayer
(From the Trenches)
by Cyril Winterbotham
Not yet for us may Christmas bring
Good-will to men, and peace;
In our dark sky no angels sing,
Not yet the great release
For men, when war shall cease.
So must the guns our carols make,
Our gifts must bullets be,
For us no Christmas bells shall wake;
These ruined homes shall see
No Christmas revelry.
In hardened hearts we fain would greet
The Babe at Christmas born,
But lo, He comes with pierced feet,
Wearing a crown of thorn,-
His side a spear has torn.
For tired eyes are all too dim,
Our hearts too full of pain,
Our ears too deaf to hear the hymn
Which angels sing in vain,
"The Christ is born again."
O Jesus, pitiful, draw near,
That even we may see
The Little Child who knew not fear;
Thus would we picture Thee
Unmarred by agony.
O'er death and pain triumphant yet
Bid Thou Thy harpers play,
That we may hear them, and forget
Sorrow and all dismay,
And welcome Thee to stay
With us on Christmas Day.
How Long, O Lord?
by Robert Palmer
How long, O Lord, how long, before the flood
Of crimson-welling carnage shall abate?
From sodden plains in West and East, the blood
Of kindly men steams up in mists of hate,
Polluting Thy clean air; and nations great
In reputation of the arts that bind
The world with hopes of heaven, sink to the state
Of brute barbarians, whose ferocious mind
Gloats o'er the bloody havoc of their kind,
Not knowing love or mercy. Lord, how long
Shall Satan in high places lead the blind
To battle for the passions of the strong?
Oh, touch Thy children's hearts, that they may know
Hate their most hateful, pride their deadliest foe.
Holy Communion, Suvla Bay
by W. H. Littlejohn
Behold a table spread!
A battered corned-beef box, a length of twine,
An altar-rail of twigs and shreds of string.
...For the unseen, divine,
Uncomprehended Thing
A hallowed space amid the holy dead.
Behold a table spread!
And on a fair, white cloth the bread and wine,
The symbols of sublime compassioning,
The very outward sign
Of that the nations sing,
The body that He gave, the blood He shed.
Behold a table spread!
And kneeling soldiers in God's battle-line,
A line of homage to a mightier King:
All-knowing All-benign!
Hearing the prayers they bring,
Grant to them strength to follow where He led.
A Time to Reflect on the Fallen
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.
Bible Reading
A New Covenant
31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband,* says the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. [Jeremiah 31.31-34]
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [Isaiah 2.4]
The Commitment to Peace
Let us pledge ourselves today to live as good neighbours, to honour the past, to care for all who are in need, and to live at peace among ourselves and with all people.
All Lord God, Father of all,
we pledge ourselves
to serve you and this neighbourhood,
to bring relief to all who are in need,
and comfort to the sad, lonely, and distressed;
Keep us ever mindful of the struggles
and achievements of former generations,
and of this place where we make our home,
now, and in the days to come. Amen.
Strengthen our hearts, and hands, and minds, O Lord,
to work together for peace;
to see you in one another;
and to seek your kingdom above all things;
that your will may be seen to be done
and your kingdom come,
through Jesus Christ,
the Lord of lords and King of kings. Amen.
As we ask that God’s will may be done in this and every place, so we pray together as Jesus Christ has taught us:
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.
The Blessing
God grant to the living grace,
the departed rest,
the Church, the Queen,
the Commonwealth and all the world peace and concord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Please stay and light a candle for peace
©Archbishops’ Council 2014; BAMason