Remembrance Sunday 2016

Remembrance Day service was conducted by Alister Bell (photo: Roderick McMurray)

​Remembrance Sunday was commemorated in our church on November 13 with a suitably sombre and reflective service conducted by Alister Bell.

Many in the congregation had come to church having attended the Act of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in the Town Square at 11am - and our own service began with Alister and Joe Martin laying a poppy wreath at the memorial window. A recording of the Last Post was also played.

In his address to the children, Alister revealed that the medals he was proudly wearing were his father's who had served for 36 years in the RUC. 

Alister's family has a deep association with policing - and sadly his uncle, Inspector George Bell, was murdered in 1976. In fact, it was at his uncle's funeral that another policeman, Ben Forde, was so moved by the hymn 'Supreme Sacrifice' that he made a recording - and Alister brought along the LP to show the boys and girls. 

Alister explained the significance of the poppy to the children and gave them each some poppy seeds to plant and a bookmark with the verse "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends". (John 15:13)

In his sermon, Alister asked the question: "What makes a good disciple?" and rounded off his address with the following thoughts:

"So to become that good disciple ourselves, we are to build on the solid rock which is Jesus and interpret the use of the Word in a way which shows our love for each other. 

"Today we remember those whose love knows no bounds, those who paid the supreme sacrifice, those who for our tomorrow they gave their today.

"And we show our example to those whom we come into contact with. We may not be on the bloody battlefield which our forefathers were, but we still have to be those soldiers of the Cross, showing love and compassion to all we meet."

The service came to a close with the singing of the National Anthem.

Flowers provided by Joan Black and arranged by Jean McElroy (photo: Roderick McMurray)

A special mention must be made of the flowers, which were supplied by Joan Black and arranged by Jean McElroy. It was a very creative display of poppies, rising up from a patch of grass. Amongst the flowers was a card bearing the poem "In Flanders Fields", and towering over the poppies on either side were some beautiful white lilies.

Roderick McMurray