Armistice/Veterans Day (November 11)
Armistice/Veterans Day Sunday (Second Sunday in November)

In 1918 Armistice Day was designated to commemorate the end of hostilities in World War I, the “war to end all wars.” In 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to recognize the great sacrifices of veterans and their families and rededicate our national efforts to the cause of world peace. Commemorations at this time will be especially meaningful as the number of returning service members continue to increase.

Purpose

• Recall that Armistice Day is a dedication to the cause of world peace.
• Lament our failure, despite the sacrifices of previous wars, to learn to live in peace.
• Lament the sacrifices of war veterans and their families.
• Facilitate healing as the congregation shares in the burdens of suffering related to war.

Process

• Engage a small group of veterans and civilians to plan the event.
• Observe the traditional two minutes of silence at 11 a.m.
• Read the list of those who have died, who are missing in action from past wars, or whose lives were destroyed by war, tolling a bell after each name.
• Use any of the following liturgical elements in your Armistice/Veterans Day Sunday worship service.

Call to Worship: Today is Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day in 1918 when Americans commemorated the end of World War I, understood then to be “the war to end all wars.” We want to honor those who have endangered their lives in their desire to protect their country. We grieve with those who lost loved ones in the war and rejoice with those who returned home safely. We remember men and women who are even now in places of great danger in service to their country, and we pray for their deliverance. We pray for the day when there will be no more war. With these thoughts in our minds we come to worship this Veterans Day. God bless our time together.

Confession: Loving God, as the years of human history go by, we continue to bring suffering to each other through the scourge of war. We confess that we have too often sent our finest young men and women into fields of battle. We confess our complicity in raining death and destruction upon those we call enemy and the harm experienced by those we send. We confess that we seem to be unable to free ourselves from this pattern of death. Forgive us, Oh God. Forgive us, we pray.

Absolution: Gracious God, You know our frailties and grieve our warring madness. Remind us, each and every one, that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. God calls us to be children of God and, indeed, that is what we are. Though surrounded by war, live in peace! And may the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, now and forever. Amen.

Petitions: Prince of Peace, move the hearts and wills of those who govern to seek swift and just solutions in those places where violence and war hold sway. Shield the innocent, protect those who serve in the armed forces, grant patience to those who wait, comfort those who mourn. Empower us to be peacemakers in every arena of our lives. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.