This week is one of those I both relish and stress over - the privilege of preparing worship for Remembrance Sunday.  The challenge of making meaningful old rituals in a way that honours the past but is not bound by it; that allows us to name hurts and regrets and even anger or bitterness without reveling in them, and with the potential for them to be transformed. 

I dream of the day when a German first language speaker may be permitted to read the scriptures in German in a British church on Remembrance Sunday, when a Japanese national may lead intercessions in their mother tongue - but those days are a long way off even now, almost a century after we began this ritualised remembering.  Don't get me wrong, I 'get' why my dream cannot yet be realised; I 'get' that reconciliation at national level is a world away from the heartache of having a relative who died in armed conflict with those nations.  I 'get' that it is not so easy.  But I have to dream it might one day be possible.  I have to believe that remembering is purposeful, not merely sentimental or nationalistic.

On Sunday I will lead worship, and in my congregation will be a lovely German girl, in Glasgow to study for a term.  What will our remembering say to her about peace, about love, about hope...

On Sunday I will lead worship and in my congregation will be older women and men who lost siblings, parents, grandparents.  What will our remembering say to them about peace, about love, about hope...

On Sunday I will lead worship and in my congregation will be people whose relatives are currnetly serving overseas in the amrmed forces .  What will our remembering say to them about peace, about love, about hope...

On Sunday I will lead worship and in my congregation will be those who have fled violent or oppressive regimes.  What will our remembering say to them about peace, about love, about hope...

On Sunday I will lead worship and in my congregation will be victims of violence, hate and bigotry.  What will our remembering say to them about peace, about love, about hope...

God forbid that I ever find Remembrance Sunday easy to prepare for. 

God forbid that I stop dreaming... because one day it will happen, one day a German a student will read the lesson in German, a Japanese grandfather will lead intercession in Japanese, or an Afghan or Iraqi or whatever nation it may be... The lion and the lamb will lie down together, and the Prince of Peace will rule the Kingdom of Shalom.

[apologies to anyone this post offends, but it's my authenticity...]