| | | Remembrance
Sunday - 11 November 2018 |
Armistice Centenary : 1918 - 2018
The Glencorse Pipe band lead the parade down Kirkhill Athletic, and civil dignitaries, in addition to our normal Sunday
morning congregation. Sir Robert Clerk Bt, OBE, Lord Lieutenant of
Midlothian was representing Her Majesty the Queen. Representing the
British Army was 2Lt Seamus O'Duffin, of the Royal Highland Fusiliers,
2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) based at
Glencorse Barracks.
This
Armistice Centenary service was particularly poignant falling on
the11th day of the 11th month, exactly 100 years from the signing of
the Armistice, bringing to an end over 4 years of WW1 hostilities.
 The Rev John Urquhart led the service, with Penicuik Silver Band leading the music for the praise.
The service opened with the presentation of the colours, led by Parade commander Annell Burns, approached to the tune of Boys of the Old Brigade, played by the
Penicuik Silver Band.
Colours for the Army Cadets, air Cadets, Scouts Association and Girl
Guiding were presented to, and received by, Rev John Urquhart.
John
then continued the service with the call to worship, taken from 2 Peter
3: 13. This was followed by our traditional Remembrance opening hymn
'Praise my Lord the King of heaven', hymn 160. The Prayer of Confession
led us into the Act of Remembrance, presented by Parade Commander
Annell Burns. This 100th anniversary year was added the additional verse
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
before the traditional act of Remembrance
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them.
 With the congregation responding 'We will remember them'.
The Last Post was played by the lone bugler Anna Florence, from Penicuik
Silver Band, leading into the Piper's Lament, played by Ricky
Montgomery which ends as the piper walks into the distance and fades
from view, signalling 11.00am and the start of our 2 minute silence.
The bugler then struck up the Reveille, ending the silence.
Our
praise continued with 'O God, our help in ages past'. hymn 161. People always need hope to sustain them, and during WW1 this song aimed to provide that hope. 'Keep the home Fires Burning' sung by Katie Melua was played,
while images of WW1 soldiers in the trenches were presented on screen.
 The
first reading was read from Jeremiah 33: v10-11, by 2Lt Seamus O'Duffin
of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of
Scotland (2 SCOTS), leading us into the Air force hymn 'God is our
strength and refuge'. This was introduced with a fly past of a Lancaster
bomber, Merlin engines thundering across the church. As it disappeared
into the distance the Silver Band played the 'Dambusters March' as the
musical accompaniment to the hymn.
 Sir Robert
Clerk read the second lesson from Revelation 21: 1-5, which led
us into the sermon from
 Rev John Urquhart.
Using
a series of pictures , commencing with a picture from the Imperial War
Museum by Paul Nash, an infantry officer and official war artist
in WW1, titled 'We are making a new world'.
Depicting
dawn breaking on the bare landscape of war, Nash describes the scene as
'no glimmer of Gods hand can be seen anywhere'... We move to
Jeremiah and the reading from today, where we see the ruined, deserted
city of Jerusalem in the background.
We heard of  Penicuik
man Ernest Franklin, who signed up with the Seaforth Highlanders in
1915, hearing of his stories from his diary. The excitement of the
train trip to London, and the horror of the trenches, covered in mud.
He was killed a month later, at the battle of Loos Anguielle, aged 19. His body was never recovered but his diary was, and returned to his family. These and more you can hear in John's sermon
'Forgive
our sins as we forgive' hymn 486 continued our praise, followed by
'Prayers for others and ourselves, ending with the Lords Prayer'.
Following the offering and thanksgiving prayer we sang our final hymn
'We solemnly remember', during which the colours were returned.
The service concluded with 'The National Anthem - God save our gracious Queen', and the blessing from Rev John Urquhart. The colours then departed the church.
The
members of the British Legion, Armed Forces, cadets and organisations
lined up outside the church for the parade to the war memorial in the
park. Here Rev Peter Kimber, currently locum at Penicuik North Church,
took the service and presentation of wreaths and tributes.
Click on the links to hear that part of the service
Published - 13 November 2018
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