Dear Friends and Neighbours,

Our readings for Remembrance Sunday, links below, invite us to look at peace not just as a distant dream, but as a calling for our everyday lives.

In Micah’s vision of the future, peace isn’t just the end of fighting; it is the complete reshaping of our lives. Heavy swords are beaten into garden tools, weapons meant to harm are turned into tools that feed people, and fear is replaced by simple, everyday safety—where everyone can sit under their own vine and fruit tree in peace. It’s a wonderful, hopeful picture of a world where people don’t even need to learn how to fight anymore.

Of course, a peaceful world has to start with peaceful hearts. Writing to his friends in Philippi, Paul understood how heavy anxiety and sorrow can weigh on us. He encourages us to catch our breath and guard our minds against bitterness, turning instead toward whatever is honest, kind, just, and good. If we want to help heal the world around us, we first need to let God’s quiet peace steady our own hearts.

Then Jesus takes us one step further in the Gospel, giving us what might be his hardest instruction: love your enemies and pray for those who oppose you. It is a bold, challenging call. Jesus reminds us that real peacemaking isn’t easy or passive. It means refusing to pass hatred down to the next generation, choosing instead to bridge the gaps between us, even when it feels uncomfortable or difficult.

As we stand together this Remembrance Sunday, we hold quiet space to say thank you for those who gave everything in times of war, holding their memory with deep respect. The truest way we can honor their legacy today is by actively living out that peace—letting go of old grudges, speaking kindly across our differences, and doing our small part to leave the world a gentler place than we found it.

Yours in Christ

Sandra Edgerton

Licensed Lay Reader

Worship this Sunday

Sunday 8th November 2026

Remembrance Sunday  (Red)

REGIL, St. James

8.30 am Holy Communion (BCP)

FELTON, St. Katharine

9.00 am

Remembrance Gathering

WINFORD, St. Mary & St. Peter

10.30 am Remembrance Service

Next Sunday:

Sunday 15th November 2026, The Second Sunday before Advent (Red)

10.30 am Bishop Sutton, Eucharist and Baptism

4.00 pm Nempnett Thrubwell, Evensong

Readings & Collect

Micah 4:1-5

Philippians 4:6-9

Matthew 5: 43-48

The Collect of the Day

Almighty Father, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son,

the King of all; govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,

and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by

the ravages of sin, to be subject to his just and gentle rule;

who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.     Amen

Collect from the Book of Common Prayer:

Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy household the Church in continual godliness; that through thy protection it may be free from all adversities, and devoutly given to serve thee in good works, to the glory of thy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen

For your prayers

Please pray for…

…the act of remembrance: that as we honor those who sacrificed their lives in past conflicts, we may carry forward a commitment to peace, honoring their memory not just with words, but through lives dedicated to justice and understanding.

…the Church across the world and in our own communities: that we may stand as a beacon of reconciliation and healing in a divided world.  …especially for this benefice in this time of vacancy, asking God to sustain our shared ministry, comfort us in uncertainty, and guide us toward the priest chosen to lead us into the future.

…our world, so deeply wounded by war, violence, and unrest.  …for regions currently torn apart by strife, for innocent civilians caught in conflict zones, and for refugees forced from their homes. Grant our political and military leaders wisdom, restraint, and an unyielding desire to seek peaceful resolutions over retaliation.

…our local parishes and emergency services: for all who serve our communities in times of crisis, and for our families, workplaces, and neighbours. May we be quick to listen, gentle in judgment, and active in supporting those among us who feel isolated, vulnerable, or forgotten.

…all who carry the unseen wounds of service and conflict: veterans, survivors, and families living with trauma, loss, or injury. We ask for God’s healing hand upon all who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit, and for strength, grace, and endurance for those who support and care for them.

…those who have paid the ultimate price, and all our own loved ones who have died, remembering especially Andrew Marshall, Judy Alder, and Jan Gabecki. May they rest in your eternal peace. …for all who are grieving today, that in their sorrow they may find the comfort of Christ’s love and the quiet hope of the resurrection.

through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, Amen.

Contact

Mrs Sandra Edgerton, Licensed Lay Reader,

Holy Trinity Church, Wick Road,

Bishop Sutton, BS39 5XD

Telephone: (01275) 331617

sandra.edgerton@gmail.com