Veil Ministries
-A church without walls-
www.veilministries.org
provides an interdenominational monthly
service each month.
We invite you to worship with us.
NOVEMBER 2022
A Full-length audio of service is available here PODCAST NOVEMBER 2022
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A note to our worshippers. The audio above is the concatenation of all the audio in this service which makes it a very large file. The benefit is that you won’t continually have to alternate between tabs and can follow the service without interruption while listening to the audio.
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HYMN: O GOD OUR HELP
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The writer of these words was Isaac Watts who is known as the Father of English Hymnody, composing well over 600 hymns, including ‘Jesus shall reign where'er the sun’ and ‘When I survey the wondrous cross,’ in his lifetime. This particular hymn was written in the early 18th Century. It paraphrases the 90th psalm The hymn tune "St. Ann" which the text is most often sung was composed by William Croft in 1708
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O God our help
1.
O God, our Help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
2.
Under the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone
And our defence is sure.
3.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4.
A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
5.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
6.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.
PRAYER
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Almighty and eternal God, we seek your presence as a refuge from our troubled world in which there is so much hatred and violence. We are aware of the cruelty and hardship which the people of Ukraine are enduring and the effect that war there is having on the rest of the world.
At this time of year our thoughts turn to the colossal loss of life in two world wars and wonder why the leaders of the nations haven’t learned the tragedy of war that they can so easily start more.
As but few of the casualties of the second world war, because of age, are now no longer with us, we sense the horror of war may not have the vocal opposition it needs. Forgive us, dear God, for even the acceptance of the idea that global war can have your favour when it is not for defence of innocent people.
Grant, we pray, the courage to speak out against those intent on acting in pursuit of gain though violence and repression and to stress that following Jesus is the way that God’s peace can come o the world.
We pray for those at this time wherever they may be who are suffering from the effects of war-be it in the world wars or in the war which is happening today. Meet their needs, please, we ask in the precious name of Jesus. Amen
HYMN: ETERNAL FATHER
Introduction: To hear the audio file Intro Eternal Father please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
The words of the hymn Eternal Father were written be William Whiting who was born in Kensington, London, Nov. 1, 1825, and educated at Clapham. He was for several years Master of the Winchester College Choristers' School. His ‘Rural Thoughts’ and other poems were published in 1851; but contained no hymns. His reputation as a hymnwriter is almost exclusively confined to his “Eternal Father, strong to save".
The tune, Melita was written by John Bacchus Dykes (b. Kingston-upon-Hull' England, 1823. At the age of ten he became the organist of St. John's in Hull, where his grandfather was vicar. After receiving a classics degree from St. Catherine College, Cambridge, England, he was ordained in the Church of England in 1847. In 1849 he became the precentor and choir director at Durham Cathedral, where he introduced reforms in the choir by insisting on consistent attendance, increasing rehearsals, and initiating music festivals. He served the parish of St. Oswald in Durham from 1862 until the year of his death.
Audio file: To hear the audio file Eternal Fatherplease right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
1 Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm does bind the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.
2 O Saviour, whose almighty word
The winds and waves submissive heard,
Who walked upon the foaming deep,
And calm amid the rage did sleep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.
3 O Holy Spirit, who did brood
Upon the waters dark and rude,
And bid their angry tumult cease,
And give for wild confusion peace;
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.
4 O Trinity of love and pow'r,
Your children shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire, and foe,
Protect them where-so-e'er they go;
Thus, evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea
GOD’S TITHES AND OUR OFFERINGS
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On this day when we are remembering the sacrifice of so many who fought for the freedom of our nation and many who lost their life doing so, there could never be a more timely reminder to us to share the words of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. How little finance is given in doing that in comparison to the millions of pounds spent on the munitions used in wars. Yet what a better world it would be if people followed Jesus rather some dictator determined to dominate people and countries for their own selfish aims.
May I invite you to give finance to church or ministries in order that the gospel is welcomed by the world in preference to the acceptance of wars with all its inevitable horror.
REQUIEM IN d minor BY MOZART
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A requiem, or dirge, can be a piece of music used to honour those who have died. It is included in our service today in remembrance of those who have died in the wars which our nations are remembering.
REQUIEM IN D MINOR BY MOZART
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POEM: RESPONSIBILTY
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Someone is responsible
But no one takes the blame,
Millions lie in unmarked graves
And there’s no sense of shame;
They died because of hatred,
Of nationalistic greed,
Their lives were taken from them,
A wasted, pointless deed;
Humanity suspended
By evil men deranged,
The silence of their victims
Through years has been maintained;
That eloquence of silence,
Demands that we should tell
The reason for their suff’ring,
For their appalling hell;
So many men and women
Were bombed and left to die
Why was the voice of protest
No stronger than a sigh?
Yet still some tyrants govern
And people live in fear
It’s time to end the terror
That happens every year.
(Malcolm Westwood)
BIBLE READING:Exodus 17:8-13
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The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
NIMROD (Elgar) To hear the audio file Nimrod please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
SERMON
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Dr. Malcolm Westwood
Firstly let’s see what actually happened in the passage I read earlier from Exodus.
As we hear daily of the Russian invasion of the people of Ukraine, it’s not dissimilar to our reading in which the Amalekites struck at the Israelites attacking the ‘feeble’ while they were faint and weary (as it says in Deuteronomy 25:18)
The Amalekites disregard of God and their attack on his people brought them under the judgement of God (Russia-Beware!)Joshua-(meaning ”Jehovah is Salvation”) was instructed by Moses to take some men to defend God’s people while he-that is Moses-would go to the top of the hill with the rod of God and when he held up his arms with the rod held up Israel would prevail but should he become weary and let his arms no longer be held high, the military initiative would pass to the Amalekites.Moses took with him, Aaron and Hur and they watched for any signs of tiredness in Moses at which sign they placed a stone for him to sit on and then with Aaton on one side of Moses and Hur on the other side they held the arms of Moses until the light faded at sunset. And the faithfulness of Aaron and Hur assisted Moses praying, sending a signal to Joshua that God was with them and in that confidence Joshua ‘mowed down the Amalekites-the enemy of God with the sword.’
The rod of God which Moses had used in other circumstances like the parting of the sea in the exodus of the children of Israel from captivity was clearly a sign to those in battle that God was hearing and answering prayer
Two men assisted Moses and enabled the Israelites to prevail. We read how prayer brings victory. When God’s people unite in prayer, Satan is defeated.Moses built an alter to commemorate the victory and called it ‘Jehovah Nissi’ meaning the ‘Lord is my banner.’ This was to be a sign that the Amalekites had dared to put their hand upon the banner of the Lord and for that, -attacking God’s people- and for that they would come under God’s judgement until they were totally destroyed.
Attacking God’s people, such an enemy inevitably meant continual warfare with God’s people and any nation -or individual-who deliberately ignores or seeks to oppose God would eventually be defeated…. IF….God’s people are united in prayer for one another.
Now the human side of us might think if God could change the advantage in the battle to be in favour of his people and back again to the Amalekites on the signal given by Moses, he could surely do that without someone standing on a hill with his arms held high.
And if you or I were in Moses’ position and we felt God saying to ask, I want you to go to the hill top to let Joshua’s army see you holding up your arms with my rod, he’ll know his army has the advantage and I’m relying on you to do that because my people are depending on you otherwise my people are going to be wiped out. How many of us would reply something like,
“Now let me get this straight….I’m to go the top of the hill in direct sight of the enemy. I’m to stand there making myself even more visible by holding up my arms, albeit with your rod. But, not to worry, it will be a sign to your people!
”Forgive me, God, for saying but that sounds a bit far-fetched. And the people with Joshua haven’t exactly been too willing to follow my instructions previously as I recall! It all sounds a bit of an unlikely plan to me!”Sometimes that human side of us robs us of the miracles God would work for us and through us. For instance, have we sometimes felt that God has laid upon our hearts someone who isn’t a Christian-who perhaps even is not averse o defaming or ridiculing the name of God’s precious Son-Jesus. And God lays ir on us that we should approach that person and tell them that God has placed them on our hearts because he has a plan for them which only they can fulfil and we are to share the gospel with them.Perhaps we have shied away from doing that because, frankly, it just seems unlikely that God, with all the people in the world from whom to choose, he’s choosing someone like you or me. And even if we accepted such a role, would God really expect us to believe that person’s whole family might see the person accepting the gospel of salvation and they would also come to know Jesus- ncreasing God’s family. And that one person’s family would do what we have done and share the gospel with similar results.
But God provides not two or three others to prayerfully support us while we are doing his will by being involved in the challenge of leading that person to Christ who by his very speech has declared himself/or herself to be the enemy of God.It could, of course, be that we might be one of those God is mandating it to support others by holding them up in prayer whilst they are engaged in a battle for him and who desperately need our prayerful supportWe might read of Moses having the future of the Children of Israel by virtue of his upheld arms and wonder why God would work in that way. Or indeed what God is asking of us might equally be unlikely-but God’s ways are not our ways.I wonder if I could ask you if you would accept a challenge?....Lift up your hands to God and accept what he places on your heart and in your mind even if it is as unlikely as the task he gave to Moses. That was undoubtedly a miracle.Dear friend, uplift your arms to God and claim the miraculous task and victory that he gives you!
To hear the audio file The Last Post, 2 mins Silence, Reveille please right click mouse, then left click to open new tab)
THE LAST POST, 2 MINUTES SILENCE. REVEILLE
HYMN: STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS
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1.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the cross!
Lift high his royal banner.
It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory
His army he shall lead
Till every foe is vanquished,
And Christ is Lord indeed.
2.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict
In this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.
3.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Stand in his strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you,
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on salvation armor,
And watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls or danger,
Be never wanting there.
4.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor's song.
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be,
He with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.
MARCH: UNDER TWO FLAGS
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BENEDICTION: JUDE 24-25
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If you would like to comment on the service,
please e mail
Dr Malcolm Westwood
on
malcolm.westwood@gmail.com