BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH
24th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
November 7, 2021
The video recording of this service can be found here.
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104
Gathering Music: Jimmy Findlater – bagpipe: David Brown
Remembering our Veterans and those Active in Uniform (Photo Slides)
Acknowledgement of Territory Rev. Kim Vidal
As we begin our worship today, we remember that in this congregation, we live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe Peoples. We give thanks for their stewardship of the land and the water, the plants and the animals, through many generations. We also acknowledge their story, and our place in it, with sorrow. As we continue to live on this land with respect for it and for its people, may we commit to working toward truth, justice and reconciliation. All my relations.
Welcome & Announcements Rev. Kim Vidal
Good day everyone! I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ in this time of remembering. Today we remember those “who shall not grow old” and to honour those who knew what those wars were like and lived to tell their stories. We remember the brave souls who are out there currently serving in many parts of the world that peace may prevail. We honour and give thanks to the veterans and their loved ones. From those who shivered and starved through the winter, crouched in the muddy trenches of France, to those seaborne in the Battle of Normandy and liberation of the Netherlands, those who fought in the Korean War, or the peacekeepers in Kosovo, Rwanda, Afghanistan and Iraq, we remember and honour them all. Our presence today reminds us that we cannot be silent when the terrors of wars confront us. In today’s remembering, I invite you to reflect within the context of our faith, to uphold the teachings of Jesus when he declares, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
We continue worshipping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10 am. If you wish to attend the service, you are more than welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others. Let us continue to be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.
During this time of pandemic, the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.
Friends, in the quiet of this moment, in the stillness of our hearts, I now invite you to centre yourself in the presence of God who opens us to the Spirit of peace and freedom. Let us gather in worship.
Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Kael Fowler
We light this Christ candle as we honour and celebrate those who have offered their lives in the name of peace and freedom.
The light of this candle represents our grief, our courage, our memories, our love and our hope.
It also reminds us that the light of Christ shines on the road to peace and illuminates our most difficult moments.
Call to Gather Nicole Beaudry & Gerald Okolowsky
The United Church of Canada - Contributed by Capt (Rev.) Nathan Wright—Chaplain, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Fredericton, NB). French Trans – Nicole Beaudry. Used with permission.
From east and west, north and south, we gather on this day of remembrance to give thanks and praise.
Nous sommes inspirés par la Parole de Dieu et honorons les sacrifices de ceux qui se sont engagés à servir les autres avant de se servir eux-mêmes.
(We come to be inspired by the Word of God and honour the sacrifices of those who have committed themselves to service before self.)
In times of peace, in times of conflict, and in times of uncertainty,
Nous nous souvenons que nous ne sommes pas seuls.
(We remember that we are not alone.)
We are the people of God, connected across time and space, from generation to generation.
Nous sommes unis par l’amour de celui qui a dit: “Il n’y pas d’amour plus grand que celui de donner sa vie pour ses amis.”
(We are united by the love of the One who said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”)
As we gather to remember, let us sing and pray.
Ensemble, adorons Dieu!
(Let us worship God together!)
Opening Prayer Nicole Beaudry
Let us pray…God of our past, present, and future, we have come together today as a people of hope. We hope for a future without war and a world that lives together in peace. In years past, and in the present day, members of our armed forces have put their lives at risk for this hope, with some paying the ultimate cost. May what we do here today strengthen our resolve to work together so that this hope may be fulfilled. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Prière d'ouverture
Dieu de notre passé, présent et futur, nous sommes ici en tant que peuple d'espérance. Nous espérons un avenir sans guerre et un monde qui cohabite en paix. Au cours des années passées et de nos jours, des membres de nos forces armées ont risqué leur vie pour cet espoir, certains en donnant leur vie. Que ce que nous faisons ici aujourd'hui renforce notre détermination à travailler ensemble pour que cet espoir se réalise. Au nom de Jésus, nous prions. Amen.
Hymn: I Feel the Winds of God VU 625
(Words: Jessie Adams, 1907; Music: English & Irish Traditional melody)
1 I feel the winds of God today;
today my sail I lift,
though heavy oft with drenching spray
and torn with many a rift;
if hope but light the water’s crest,
and Christ my bark will use,
I’ll seek the seas at his behest,
and brave another cruise.
2 It is the wind of God that dries
my vain regretful tears,
until with braver thoughts shall rise
the purer, brighter years;
if cast on shores of selfish ease
or pleasure I should be,
O let me feel your freshening breeze,
and I’ll put back to sea.
3 If ever I forget your love
and how that love was shown,
lift high the blood-red flag above;
it bears your name alone.
Great pilot of my onward way,
you will not let me drift;
I feel the winds of God today,
today my sail I lift.
Storytime for the Young at Heart: Why We Remember by Nicole Beaudry
(Show a Memory Stick). This is a Memory Stick. On this small stick there are thousands of photos all stored in different albums - Family photos - travel photos - people, places….There are also letters written to special people over the years - notes and reports from meetings . If I want to see a photo , say….of my parents’ wedding: I just pop this into my computer and Voilà! the image shows up. Isn’t this great!
There are things that we don’t want to lose or forget. We want to be able to find them - to remember them : like some special person’s birthday or anniversary- an important appointment or meeting- when to take our medication , dates of holidays, of visits…. We use different ways to make sure we remember: (demonstrate) calendars - sticky notes - bulletin boards - pill dispensers - tying a string to your little finger….- even asking someone to remind us - using Alexa or Eco….(demonstrate: Eco…. remind me….)
…. There are things we really want to keep in our memory and never , never forget: they are stored on our big Memory Stick: our brains. Everything we’ve ever done, ever seen - ever heard - people we’ve met - names - places - everything is stored there in our memory. Sometimes - things get messed up or lost in that memory box - we don’t know where we’ve put things. Sometimes we find them - other times they are lost for good . We have to rely on others to help us remember, to jog our memory for us.
One of those things that we need to remember is all those who fought and gave their lives so we can have peace. If we never talk about it we will forget. So to remember: we tell the stories - we share the photos - we wear poppies - we lay wreaths - we hold moments of silence -we visit cemeteries -we tell children - we have special days and ceremonies. Some are like here today, in church - others take place at cenotaphs, at war cemetaries, in town squares. Some are simple and quiet, others have hundreds, maybe thousands of people attending - with parades and veterans wearing their uniforms and medals, with cannon salutes and fly-by planes. We call this day Remembrance Day - it is a very special day all over Canada and around the world. All this goes to our memory stick in our brains - in our memory drawer - for safe keeping.
That’s what we do here today. And we’ll do this again next year, and the next and the next. Many of those who served in the wars and peace keeping missions have died. Many are old with memories failing. So it is our duty remember - to remember them and to remember for them . Lest we forget! Let us not forget!
Hymn: Make Me A Channel VU 684
(Words: St. Francis of Assisi, 1220; Music: Sebastian Temple, 1967)
1 Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me bring love
Where there is injury, your healing power
And where there's doubt, true faith in you
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
Chorus:
O, Spirit 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
3 Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.
An Act of Remembrance
The Story of Remembrance:[1] Rev. Kim
Across Canada, and in many other countries, people gather on November 11 to honour the courage and devotion of brave men and women who made the supreme sacrifice of dying for their country. The hostilities of the First World War ceased on November 11, 1918, at 11:00 a.m. the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The following year marked the first observance of a day to remember and honour those who died, as well as to give thanks for the sacrifices of those who came back from serving their country. Since then, Canadians have fought in other conflicts and many have given their lives so that we might enjoy freedom today. They too should be remembered.
*Laying of Wreath Maj. Angela Starchuk & MCpl (ret’d) Trevor Starchuk
Poem: “In Flanders Fields” (by LCol John McCrae) Liam Eaton
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.
*Response Rev. Kim Vidal
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. We will remember them!
*The Last Post
*Two-Minute Silence
*Rouse
*Lament: Flowers of the Forest – bagpipe: David Brown
*National Anthem: O Canada (Bilingual Version)
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command,
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits,
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Prayer for Illumination Reader: Capt. Angela Starchuk
Gracious God, as we hear your Scripture today, bless us with your spirit of understanding.
Heal us from the pains of war and make us instruments of your peace. Amen.
The Gospel Reading: Mark 12: 38-44 (NRSV)
Jesus Denounces the Scribes
38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Offering
41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
May the light of Christ dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!
Sermon: “Everything She Had!” Rev. Kim
Let us pray.
Use me and my words, gracious God, as I invite your people in remembrance. Make us open to your Good News so we may become Good News for others. Amen.
I was reading some postings on Facebook one day and I stumbled upon an article written by the Rev. Trisha Elliott, columnist of the former Broadview magazine, The Observer, that she titles: Canadian artist who painted horrors of post-war Europe was nearly forgotten. Under the title was a short blurb that drew my undivided attention. “Mary Riter Hamilton created more than 300 paintings that capture the death and destruction of the Great War. But years later, some of her works ended up molding in a library.” I immediately found myself reading the whole article with enthusiasm and I thought to myself, what a wonderful story to share on Remembrance Day.
Mary Riter Hamilton was born in Teeswater, Ontario in 1843, and was raised in Clearwater, Manitoba. She studied art in Europe, where her paintings garnered considerable attention and then returned to Canada. In 1919, she undertook a "special mission" for the War Amputations of Canada. Her task was to provide paintings of the destructions caused by the battlefields of France and Belgium for publication in a veterans' magazine, The Gold Stripe. She stayed in Europe for several years, producing over 300 battlefield paintings during the years 1919 to 1922.
During her lifetime, Ms. Hamilton endured incredible hardships: makeshift shelters, inadequate food and hostile weather. Her deep desire to document the horror and carnage of war for fellow Canadians eventually left her emotionally and physically drained. She was never able to paint with the same intensity again. Despite her poverty, Mary Riter Hamilton refused to sell any of her battlefield paintings, choosing instead to donate the canvases to the National Archives (now part of Library and Archives Canada). She wanted them to remain in the hands of all Canadians for the benefit of war veterans and their descendants. She offered everything she had. Rev. Elliott writes: “Her hope that Canadians would recall the realities of war she portrayed in her art mirrors my hope for her—that they will also deem her an artist worthy of remembrance.”
Today’s gospel reading has two parts. The first part shows Jesus’ remark against the scribes who, according to Jesus, were attention getters - walking around in their expensive robes, desiring the best seats at gatherings or expecting people to greet them with honour and respect. But Jesus’ critique of the scribes’ practices became more serious, as Jesus questioned their behaviour towards the lowly and the poor. Mark accused them of “devouring widows’ houses”. In the modern language, could this mean that the scribes foreclose or take away the widows’ houses? Or, could it mean that these scribes exploit and use up the resources from widows’ homes? We certainly don’t know. Mark wants to let readers like us know that the account regarding the scribes is a continuation of the second part of the reading which is the main gist of my sermon today - the widow offering her last two mites!
Who hasn't heard of the moving account of the widow who went into the Temple, drops her very modest offering into the treasury, and had been used by preachers to illustrate the meaning of giving and stewardship? But before we hold her up as the ultimate example of generosity, before we applaud her behaviour as matchless and sacrificial, before we start using her as our model for our giving plans, let’s take another look at her story and why Jesus used her as a point of a teaching moment.
This story is quite challenging- not because it indicts my personal giving, but because the story has other twists to it that I'd like to admit. Something in me doesn't want this story be reduced to a moral example, or being exploited for the sake of stewardship campaigns and annual budgets. In our lectionary group discussion last Tuesday, Jan Pound wondered about the widow's state of mind. What was the widow thinking as she walked up to the treasury box and put in every cent that she owned? Did she feel a sense of responsibility? What if she had children? Is giving everything to the temple more important than feeding her family? Was she expected by the religious leaders running the temple that even she, a lowly widow, must contribute to the temple, even if it's the last scrap of wealth she has? Did she fear a rebuke or retribution or shame if she didn't give? Should we cheer her on because of her self-sacrificing attitude or should we get upset because for some of us, she is irresponsible and naïve?
The widow was a sharp contrast to those in power. Jesus, in my opinion, used her as an illustration of the corruption of those in political & religious power who trampled the poor and the destitute. Those who flaunted their authority and wealth in public but ignored the plight of the needy. Often misread as a statement in praise of ‘sacrificial’ giving, Mark included the widow’s offering to condemn exploitative structures that prey upon the most vulnerable. We should not be able to read this account without reflecting upon systems of economic injustice in our current times.
The religious leaders who were supposed to look after the vulnerable such as the widows, the orphans, the women and children, to name a few, are not doing their responsibility yet expects them to offer money in order to access the temple. I wished Mark had included the widow’s name. I wished the widow realizes that her fierceness exceeded the piety we've imposed on her. I wished Jesus was able to talk to her in person just like he did with the Samaritan woman at the well.
Mark did not tell us if she had lived longer or died few days after she offered her last coins. Yes, I’m sure she died. She died, probably mere days after she dropped those two coins into the Temple treasury. In case that's a surprise, consider again what Jesus said about her as she left the Temple that day: "She - out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." Jesus wasn't exaggerating at all. If he says the woman gave everything she had, well, she gave her all - everything she had. We know she was an impoverished widow in first century Palestine, a woman living on the margins of her society. She had no safety net. No support system of any sort. No husband to look after her, no social status to be proud of. She was vulnerable in every single way that mattered.
Centuries of stewardship sermons on this story make us think that Jesus commends the widow. In my opinion, Jesus never did. He did not applaud her self-sacrifice, nor invites us to follow in her footsteps. Jesus simply notices her, and tells his disciples to notice her, too. Jesus sees what everyone else is too busy, too grand, too spiritual, or too self-absorbed to see. For me, this is the good news of the story — that Jesus' eyes are ever on the weak, the insignificant, the invisible of the community. What did Jesus notice in her?
The members of the lectionary group came up with some answers. First - Jesus noticed her dignity. Surely, she had to brace herself when widowhood rendered her worthless — a person marked as useless even in the Temple and the community she loved. Surely, in faith, she had to trust that her tiny gift had great value in God's eyes because she believed that God values her as the giver.
Second - Jesus noticed her courage and boldness. In the midst of the affluent and pompous rich people dropping their heavy bags of coins in the treasury, she did not feel embarrassed nor did she hesitate to show her generous offering of 2 mites. She didn’t care if she did not make it to the top ten givers to the temple.
Third - Jesus noticed her calling. Whether she knew it or not, the widow's action in the Temple that day was prophetic. She was a prophet in the sense that her meager offering amounted to a statement of denunciation of injustice and corruption in those days. She had to offer everything she had to live on. A self-sacrifice if you ask me.
Fourth and finally, Jesus I’m sure, noticed her faith in a God who provides. She knew in her heart that somehow, God will provide for her needs and those who she loves and cares for.
As we ponder on the widow’s sacrificial offering, we also take time to notice that today is a time of many complex emotions. When we think of the “crosses row on row….” we mourn for the many, many young lives cut short by war. Those fallen soldiers who never got the chance to grow old. They have given everything they had – they offered their future, their lives. If their deaths could awaken in us an understanding of our need to break down barriers of hate and the call to all of humankind to giving peace a chance, then we are remembering them as they should be remembered. And remembering what they gave for us - a better world. Today, we honour and notice intentionally their courage, their dignity, their vocation.
Remembrance Day is not just about remembering – it is more about affirming gratitude. We need to earnestly say “thank you.” But our thanksgiving should lead to action, not in idleness, both in support of the well-being of the veterans and survivors and their loved ones, especially those who have been injured or traumatized by war. Let us remember the mothers and fathers who grieved the death of their sons and daughters for the sake of peace and freedom.
Many of us have stories to tell – stories of both joy and sorrow. Stories of loved ones lost and those who stood proud after the wars were over. We are not here to glorify wars – we are here to remember human sacrifice and suffering with a commitment to support the veterans as well as those who are still serving and their families. To say no to terror, violence and hatred that prevails even to this day.
And when the sun sets and we face the darkness in the world, all we can do is pray that God will give us some relief from our moments of uncertainties, from our very own storms in life. Remember the story of Mary Riter Hamilton. Remember the story of the widow and her offering. Remember those who fought and are still fighting for true peace and freedom. Lest we forget. Amen.
Remembrance Day Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Kim
Contributed by Capt (Rev.) Nathan Wright—Chaplain, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Fredericton, NB)
© 2021 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Used with permission.
Holy One, we come before you now with praise and thanksgiving, as well as sorrow and concern, in our hearts. With gratitude on this Remembrance Sunday, we call to mind the soldiers, sailors, air personnel, and RCMP who have paid the ultimate price that we might live in freedom. We remember those who died in distant wars and those more recent. By sacrificing their lives, they left us the responsibility and the duty to continue their work on the things that make for peace. From generation to generation, may their valour and selflessness never be forgotten.
We are especially mindful today of the effects of military life on the body, mind, and spirit. Give courage, comfort, and healing to all those who suffer wounds, both visible and invisible. Help us to remember that the effects of conflict reach far beyond the battlefield and can last a lifetime. Enable us to provide the support our service members need to live happy and healthy lives. May our commitment to them be as full and complete as their commitment to serve Canada before self.
Lest we forget, the families and friends of our service members share in the burdens of military life. Bring comfort and strength to the relatives and friends of those who serve. When they are grieving the loss of their loved ones, may they know your compassionate and comforting presence. When they are separated from one another due to deployments or other operational requirements, may their bonds be strengthened. When their lives are uprooted because they are posted to a new location and everything is new all over again, may they be upheld by the constancy of your steadfast love. Accompany them in their daily joys and protect them in difficulties.
May our act of remembrance this day honour those who have put themselves in harm’s way for the safety of others. May we never forget their sacrifice, the families who grieve for them and support them, and their example of integrity, loyalty, courage, and duty.
As people of faith, we re-commit ourselves to work together for peace in our world. May the hope that we carry in our hearts lead us to seek new and creative ways to resolve our differences. We look forward to that day when your reign is fully realized among us and swords are turned into plowshares and nation no longer lifts up sword against nation.
We also long for the moment when mourning, suffering, and sickness are no more. Until that day comes, we ask that you respond to us when we lift before you in the silence of our hearts the names of those people, places, and situations that are in need of your tender loving care this day…(moment of silent prayer)…Restore them to health and wholeness, O God.
We lift these prayers in the name of Jesus who taught us the way to peace, as we recite together these words he taught his friends:
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.
Invitation to Offer Rev. Kim
There are opportunities to give every day, certainly through gifts of time, talents and money, but also through brave and courageous action, faithful service, and loving devotion. Let us share of ourselves and of what God has so graciously given. I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents, resources, bravery and courageous acts as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.
Offertory Prayer (Gord Dunbar, Gathering, 2015)
Our gifts seem so insignificant against the needs and conflicts of the world, yet we still are called into witness and service. Bless us God and these gifts we offer, that we may fulfill your mission for all creation. Amen.
Sending Forth (Sandy Ferguson, Gathering, 2014)
People of God, once more we return to the world,
remembering what was lost to secure what we have today.
Let this Remembrance renew our faith in the peace
that God continues to create through us.
Let our witness be a guide to others
so that we will no longer have to add names
to our sacred task of remembering.
Go in peace. Amen.
Hymn: Your Hand O God Has Guided VU 274
(Words: Edward H. Plumptre, 1864; Music: Basil Harwood, 1898)
1 Your hand, O God, has guided
your flock from age to age;
the wondrous tale is written,
full clear, on every page.
Our forebears owned your goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both of this bear witness:
one church, one faith, one Lord.
2 Your heralds brought glad tidings
to greatest as to least;
they bade them rise, and hasten
to share the heavenly feast.
And this was all their teaching,
in every deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming:
one church, one faith, one Lord.
3 Through many days of darkness,
through many scenes of strife,
the faithful few fought bravely
to guard your people's life.
Their gospel of redemption,
sin pardoned, earth restored,
was all in this enfolded:
one church, one faith, one Lord.
4 And we, shall we be faithless?
Shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
Shall we evade the conflict
and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God's deep counsels
some better thing is stored;
we will maintain, unflinching,
one church, one faith, one Lord.
5 Your mercy will not fail us,
nor leave your work undone;
with your right hand to help us,
the victory shall be won;
and then, by earth and heaven,
your name shall be adored,
and this shall be our anthem:
one church, one faith, one Lord.
God Save the Queen (instrumental)
Music: Something Told the Wild Geese (Field/Porterfield)
sung by Grace Notes recorded May 7, 2017 (over Announcements)
Departing Music: Maple Leaf Forever – bagpipe: David Brown
[1] Veterans.gc.ca