8th. May. 2020. Daily Devotion.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 If the Lord had not been on our side –
let Israel say –
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.

6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

On this Seventy-fifth Anniversary of VE Day, we all have reason to remember the end of the Second World War in Europe. What a relief it must have been to know that in Europe at least the killing would cease. What sort of day was it? Bright and sunny with the darling buds of May opening amid the fresh green of the trees? Pause and think of the relief and the gratitude, like that expressed in Psalm 124, which people must have felt that day. There are times like now, when we are feeling under siege, desperate for relief, we enter in a small way into the experience of millions in the history of the world who prayed “Lord save us!”

It may seem a banal comparison, but the first week in May always had an element of longing when I was a student. The spring had arrived, and all through April we had been desperate to get out in the sun and into the park, but there were exams in that first week or two, so we had to study, practise and endure. In the Music Dept it was usually all over by the 9th of May. And what a relief, for a while, until the reckoning, the counting of the cost, when the results were published.

Pray for the day when the lockdown will be lifted, when a new normality will come. There will be an aftermath, a counting of the cost, with many grieving for those they have lost, for the “what ifs”, for the “how will rebuild”? But today, at 11 am pause for the two minutes of silence in Remembrance, and at 2:55 pm the Last Post and at 3:00 pm the Toast, the pipers playing the “Battle’s O’er,” and the Town Criers “Crying out for Peace” Pray with gratitude, with hope and with love and with words from the Psalm above.

Prayers
Eternal God, you are the shepherd of our souls, the giver of life everlasting.

On this day when we remember and commend to you those who lived and died in the service of other, we are glad to remember that your purposes for us are good, that you gave Jesus Christ for the life of the world, and that you lead us by his Holy Spirit into the paths of righteousness and peace. Let us remember the kindness of God and his favour to us in our time of need. Let us remember:

The courage, devotion to duty and the self-sacrifice of our armed force all who stood with them.

Those who were wounded, died in battle, at home, at sea or in a foreign land who are still remembered and loved.

Those who were our enemies, who also suffered

Those who came back with scars of body, mind, and soul.

All who grieve today or wait in fear and anxiety for news from hospital beds.

Almighty God, your Son came to be the Saviour of the world and the Prince of Peace. Give us grace to follow in his ways and to fulfil our calling as peacemakers in His Name. May his Holy Spirit so move in the hearts of all people and among the nations of the world, that the barriers of fear, suspicion, and hatred which separate us may crumble and fall, and the peoples of the world be united in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Adapted from the Order for Remembrance Sunday, Book of Common Order 1994-2005

01/05/2020

Dear Participants,

RE: VE DAY 75 – 8TH MAY 2020.

After nearly eighteen months of planning, I find it hard to believe that we are just a few days away from the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, the end of the War in Europe.

However, like so many thousands of communities and individuals throughout our great nation, I am disappointed we are all unable to celebrate this important milestone in history in the wonderful ways we all planned, along with using this opportunity to raise valuable funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity. I will be thinking of you when my wife and myself raise our glasses of refreshment and undertake the ‘Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of WW II,’ at 3pm on the 8th May, this national moment of gratitude to those that gave so much during the war in Europe, from the safety of our front garden at home. We will also be using the ‘Toast’ to say a big thank you to you too for all the hard work and commitment you have shown and given to VE Day 75.

We both hope that you and your families will also take part in the ‘Nation’s Toast’ at 3pm from the safety of your home linking us all together in this unique tribute to the millions at home and abroad that gave so much to ensure we all enjoy and share the freedom we have today.

I am delighted to announce that Dame Joan Collins has kindly agreed to lead the ‘Toast’ on behalf of the women of the nation from the safety of her balcony from her London apartment. Dame Joan was a young girl living in London during WW II.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the Buglers that have agreed to still play the Last Post at 2.55pm, the thousand plus Pipers undertaking Battle’s O’er and VE 75 years at the original time of 3pm, and the Town Criers who will be ‘Crying out for Peace,’ at 6.55pm. This will all happen from the safety of their homes to ensure we are still remembering the members of our Armed Forces, the Merchant Navy and those millions of others that had to stay at home to keep the “home fires burning” during those extremely difficult times.

As you know, SSAFA were our chosen charity for VE Day 75 and they, like us all, had heavy hearts when we had to cancel many of the VE Day 75 activities because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will not see them fully realised. However, SSAFA is also encouraging everyone to join with their staff, volunteers and beneficiaries in the Nation’s Toast at 3pm on 8th May paying tribute to the heroes of WW II including the 20,000 SSAFA volunteers who during WW II provided welfare support, nursing care at home and on the frontline around the world. If you would like to learn more about SSAFA’s role in WW II, and hear stories of the wartime generation please visit www.ssafa.org.uk/veday75 where you will also find further ideas about how to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day whilst staying at home.

The Royal British Legion is calling on people across the UK to join in a moment of reflection and Remembrance at 11am on Friday 8th May, the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, and pause for a Two Minute Silence. I hope that you will also be able to support this important aspect of VE Day from home too.
“I hope you all remain safe.”

My warmest regards.