Remembrance Sunday and the world for which we pray

On Remembrance Sunday we remember those who have given their lives in the service of their country. Our thoughts are also drawn to those currently serving in the forces on active service in Afghanistan and other fields of conflict. We remember those who mourn and those who fear for loved ones serving in the armed forces.

Remembrance Sunday offers us an opportunity to reflect on the world we live in and for which we pray.

We may wish to remember in prayer some of the many countries affected by conflict.

• Syria
• Libya
• Afghanistan
• Northern Pakistan
• Somalia
• Kashmir
• Iraq
• North Korea
• Congo
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Sri Lanka
• Israel /Palestine

We also have the chance to pray for the world as we hope it might be: a world in which the struggle for peaceful resolutions, the rule of law and achievement of human rights might be given priority over the projection of military force (recognising that today global spending on arms stands at a record $1.5 trillion).

Prayers for Remembrance Sunday

God of compassion,
As we remember the horrors and sacrifices of war,
we pray for the peace that only you can give.
Peace with justice for those who are oppressed;
Peace with health for those who suffer unbearable pain and damage;
Peace with plenty for those who are despised and deprived;
Peace with joy for all who pay the price of war.

Give us courage to commit ourselves again to being peace-makers by your grace and in your name, whatever you may require of us, so that the prayer "Your kingdom come" may never be falsely uttered by your people. 

Amen 

Revd Alison Tomlin, Former President of the Conference of the Methodist Church

A Peace Blessing

Living, Loving God, Creator of Humankind,
Bless each one of us as we go on our way,
individually or together,
with love and unity of purpose.

Loving Christ, Creator of Compassion,
Bless us as we look, constantly, for fresh
and new insights for peace.
Bless us as we strive to bring compassion
into our role in the search for global peace,
through our influence on leaders and politicians.

Refreshing, Dancing Spirit, Creator of Vitality,
Bless and encourage us to engage in lively activity
for peace and justice
in global situations;
to turn disappointments into challenges,
to transform darkness into light,
to root God-given,
Christ-like ideals wherever we and other people walk.

Go in Grace
with Confidence
and know Peace

Amen

Loving God
We remember in your presence all those who have died in war
And those who still live with the pain of losing someone they love.
We remember people who, today, live in fear of their lives
And those who fear the knock on the door or the telephone call that heralds bad news.
We remember politicians and others who hold positions of power and influence
And whose decisions can lead to other people's life or death.
And we commit ourselves not only to pray, but to seek and make peace
In our relationships, in our communities, and in our world.
Lord hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

AMEN

Revd David Gamble, President of the Methodist Conference 2009-2010

Creed

We believe in one God
who created all the world,
who unites all things in Christ
and who wants all people to live together
in one family.

We believe in God the Son
who became human: died and rose in triumph
to reconcile all creation to God;
to break down every separating barrier
of race, culture or class,
and to unite all people in one body.

We believe in God the Spirit,
the pledge of God's coming reign
who gives the Church power to proclaim the good news to all the world,
to love and serve all people,
to strive for justice and peace:
to warn that God judges both the individual
and the nations;
and to summon all the world to accept God's reign,
here and now.

© CTBI 2002 (included with permission)

Other Resources for Remembrance Sunday

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland - http://www.ctbi.org.uk/233

United Reformed Church - www.urc.org.uk/what_we_do/education/docs/Thinking_about_Remembrance.doc

Peace Resources

Baptist Union, Methodist and URC - Peacemaking Sunday Resource 2011

www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/peacemakingsunday/