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Collective Worship Resource


Remembrance

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AGE: Infants and Juniors

THEME: Remembrance

PREPARATION / APPROACH:
This unit explores some aspects of the cost of service/serving others using examples of personal recollection concerned with war/military service.

N.B. You may find some of the imagery used by St Paul difficult, and there are certainly questions to be raised about how Christians should respond to armed warfare and what is meant by a just war. There is also a potential problem with the fact that the armour and weapons mentioned by St Paul are old fashioned - the present equivalent might be a bullet-proof vest and an automatic rifle, which raises further questions. You could use this collective worship without the last section where St Paul's imagery is developed.

Rather than focus on remembering past war or conflict, this can be an occasion to learn that serving other people and helping them has an effect on those who serve - and this helps shape who we are.

Beforehand:
  • Arrange an interview with someone who has served in one of the forces or who has been involved in a conflict. You could tape or video the interview, or if the circumstances are appropriate, you could interview them 'live' - although this should be carefully rehearsed.
  • In the interview, include the following key questions:
    • What was the 'event'?
    • What was the individual's role?
    • What was the value of what they were doing? (e.g. How did their service help their family and friends / the wider community / their country?)
    • What were their feelings and thoughts about their family and friends, from whom they were being separated.
  • Try to include pictures of the person concerned both now and at the time of service. You might also include an illustration of the conflict or a memento (piece of uniform, letter etc.) from that time.

DEVELOPMENT:
Open the worship with a short sequence of music.

Set the scene.

Play the interview.

Allow time for guided reflection on:
  • Thankfulness for people who serve others, especially when it involves separation, danger and the need to protect other people - perhaps people that they do not know personally.
  • Recognising that there are occasions when we might feel frightened and how the love/support of those close to us can give us strength.
Read Ephesians 6:13-20 in a version suitable for the age group.

Continue by talking about how who we are/what sort of a person we are in the world is important. In times of conflict, men and women fight for what they believe is a better world. This doesn't happen only with 'fighting' situations: each day we can work at building a better world by, in the words of St Paul, wearing:
  • The 'belt of truthfulness'
  • The 'breastplate of righteousness' (i.e. valuing goodness)
  • Shoes which bring peace to those around us (Not 'treading on people's toes'! 'Going the extra mile' to help!)
  • A 'shield of faith' (learning that God is supporting us)
And carrying a 'sword of the spirit', allowing God to work in our lives and make us better people.

N.B. The children could draw a large picture of a person and 'arm' them with a belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet and a sword and on these put illustrations and examples of good ways to live. This could also form the basis of another act of worship during the week.

READING:
Ephesians 6:13-20

PRAYER:
Walk among us Jesus
and be with soldiers and peacemakers.

Walk among us Jesus
And be with the hungry in their need.

Walk among us Jesus
And be with the frightened and lonely.

Help us see them,
Hear them
And in their darkness make us part of your light.

Amen.

MUSIC:
'When a Knight Won his Spurs' No.50 in The Complete Come and Praise BBC, 1988 ISBN 0 563 34581 0

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Copyright © Culham Institute 2000-2012