Bishop Martin attended the Remembrance Sunday service in Mary Steven's Park in Stourbridge alongside Area Dean & Vicar of St Thomas, Stourbridge, Andrew Sillis. Read his sermon. Photo with Joseph, a D-day veteran from Stourbridge and his family.
Thank you all for coming here today. As Bishop of Dudley I find myself in a different part of the Borough each Remembrance Sunday, and this year it’s an honour to be with you in Stourbridge. All over the West Midlands and across the country people will be gathered, in every city, every town, almost every village across this land. In a moment we will all keep silence together.
You and I are here to remember. My wife had a grandfather who fought at the Battle of the Somme in the First World War. I had a grandfather who worked with the Polish Airforce in the second world war, defending London from the V1 flying bombs.
Later I had a relative flying helicopters in the Falklands War, and later still there was Joe, a young member of my church in Stratford who was killed in Afghanistan… Most of all, here, today we remember those who came from this town and district. Those names written on this war memorial, and those people, like Joe, whose names are written on our hearts.
We remember too those who bear the scars of war. Those who carry physical or mental injuries, and those who care for them. We remember the families of Stourbridge who have waved goodbye to those they love, some to return changed forever, some never to return at all. The names of the bereaved are not written on memorials, but they are known to God, and we remember them too.
And finally, we give thanks for the brave women and men who serve in our armed forces today - close members of my own family, and especially all those who are here on parade here this morning. Thank you all for turning out as we pray for you and for all those who work hard to deter aggression and to keep the peace in a dangerous world.
And so I thank God that you and I are able to live and to love.
We stand and remember now those who gave their lives for others in war, that we might be free to live in peace.
