Lest we forget the men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we can have the peace and freedom we now enjoy, the British Government designated the second Sunday of November as Remembrance Sunday. On this Sunday special services are held all around the UK to commemorate and honour those who have fallen.
On Sunday, 12 November Tottenham Lighthouse Church and other organisations, joined Haringey Council for the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the West Green War Memorial located in the park in front of the Church. Some of the civic dignitaries present were: Cllr Ajda Ovat - Deputy Mayor of Haringey, Cllr Barbara Blake, Cllr Sarah Elliott, Cllr Sean O’Donovan, Rev Lee Clark - Parish Priest of St Philip the Apostle in Tottenham, Neil and Sally Pearce - Western Front Association, leaders of Haringey Sea Cadets and others.
With the Pathfinders and the Haringey Sea Cadets in position, the service started with a moment’s silence. This was followed by a short reading, ‘Remembering the Commonwealth Soldiers who fought for freedom,’ by Roger Charles, the First Elder of the Tottenham Lighthouse Church. Rev Lee Clark then read Psalm 46.1 and Psalm 121.1, 2. Later in the programme wreaths were laid at the War Memorial by the civic dignitaries, including a wreath laid by Pathfinder Lyndell Griffith from Walthamstow Church. The wreath laying was followed by the British Legion Exhortation said by Neil Pearce, ‘They shall not grow 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.’ After the ‘Last Post’ was sounded followed by silence which ended after two minutes by the sounding of the ‘Reveille’, Pastor Dr Jude Jeanville said a very moving prayer.
It was with great pride that we watched the Pathfinders of Tottenham Lighthouse and Walthamstow Churches join forces with the Haringey Sea Cadets, as the two uniformed groups participating in the programme. Later in the service, the Deputy Mayor accompanied by Councillor Barbara Blake, greeted and inspected the Pathfinders and the Haringey Sea Cadets.
Before the service ended, Pastor Dr Jude Jeanville presented Councillor Blake with a beautifully packaged gift; a copy of his book, ‘Justice for Women – The cry to end the pandemic of discrimination, intimidation, misogyny, abuse and violence against women in society and religious communities.’ There was a loud applause when Dr Jeanville stated that Councillor Blake was listed on page 18 as one of the 215 women of influence in our lifetime. Councillor Blake was acknowledged as having served the community with great distinction over many years.
Alan Swain gave a brief talk about the history of the West Green War Memorial. The Remembrance Sunday Service came to an end with Councillor Blake giving the closing remarks. She invited attendees to have refreshments at the Church.
Since 2021, Haringey Council has invited Tottenham Lighthouse to be involved in its Remembrance Sunday Service at the West Green War Memorial. This year we participated in the service; Junior Soyam, Communication Leader provided technical expertise to ensure that voices could be heard above the noise of the passing traffic and Sophia Charles (Community Services) and Maureen Pollock (Personal Ministries) with their teams, prepared and served refreshments in the Church after the Remembrance Sunday Service.
Tottenham Lighthouse was also represented elsewhere. Earlier in the day in the London Borough of Hackney, Barry Morris, our Sabbath School Superintendent was chosen by the Conservative Party to lay two wreaths. He laid one at the Stoke Newington Town Hall underneath a plaque bearing the names of those who had lost their lives. The other wreath he laid at the Cenotaph at St John at Hackney Church.
As we pay homage to the men and women who died in the two World Wars and later conflicts, let us never forget the supreme sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins. ‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Romans 5:8 (NLT)
