Bishop Stephen Leads Service of Remembrance at Lincoln Cathedral
Bishop Stephen Conway, Acting Bishop of Lincoln, led members of the community in a service of remembrance held at Lincoln Cathedral.
Those present included representatives from the military, Royal British Legion, the Mayor of Lincoln Councillor Rosanne Kirk and the High Sheriff Tim Strawson Esq.
The service, held on the 13th of November, included a sermon from Bishop Stephen and readings from Mr Toby Dennis, HM Lord Lieutenant for Lincolnshire and Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Buxton OBE RA. During the laying of the wreaths poppies fell from the cathedral’s ceiling in honour of the lives lost in both world wars.
Delivering the service’s sermon, Bishop Stephen said: “I have no direct experience of a conflict zone, although listening to my grandfather talk about being both at Dunkirk and D-Day brought the sound and fury of war very close.
“My grandfather used to say that soldiers, sailors and air crew won the war by seeking to save one another, by giving their hand to their comrades under fire. That mentality carried with it the readiness to gather to pray for safety, for family and for the liberation of the people whom our forces are seeking to protect, as it still does when our forces are in operation.”
Acknowledging the county’s armed forces community, he added: “In Lincolnshire we particularly give thanks for the Royal Air Force, not only for its courageous and gallant guardianship of our skies, but for all the humanitarian relief and medical support it provides under fire.
“As we live with some of the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine with food and fuel prices, we recognise that no one is immune from the impact of war. As human beings made in the image of God, we are called to pledge ourselves to the service of peace, in the name of Jesus Christ who is our peace.”
Services were held across the diocese on Remembrance Sunday to pay respects to servicemen and women and their families and all those who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism from Britain and abroad.
The Diocese of Lincoln has provided a selection of photographs from the event that can be found here.
Notes for editors:
- The full order of service can be found here.
- The Diocese of Lincoln is the Church of England in Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire.
- The diocese covers 2,670 square miles and has a population of a little over 1 million.
- There are more than 220 clergy and lay workers serving 150 benefices with more than 600 parishes and 625 church buildings.
