8th November 2026
Reflection with readings below
Today is also Remembrance Sunday which brings with it the challenge of how we can continue to pray for peace in a world where military spending is increasing. We can point to agreements and unions that have maintained peace – for example in Western Europe – or that have brought about a peace settlement as in Northern Ireland, or where peace keeping forces have maintained a truce as in Cyprus. But we can also see new conflicts such as the invasion of Ukraine and civil war in North Sudan, as well as the genocide of Palestinian a people in Israel, and the persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Many of the combatants use weapons and military equipment supplies by the UK and other European countries.
The words from Amos may remind us that often when we think we are doing the right thing – or maybe persuade ourselves that we are doing the right thing – we discover the opposite is true. Our actions are actually making things worse. We need to pause and reflect, are our actions just, do our actions align with God’s will? Are we annoying God by continuing to do the same old, same old, with no regard for their impacts?
As we were reminded a few weeks ago in the Beatitudes and as we here in today’s psalm, we should be focused not on our own wisdom and our own strength, but on those of God. Perhaps too that is a way of hearing today’s kingdom parable? What is the kingdom of God like? How do we organise our lives to be part of it? Is it that the five wise bridesmaids are hailed for being self-reliant? Or is it that they are hailed for being aligned to God’s will, of being ever ready for action? By contrast is it that the five foolish bridesmaids are castigated for focusing on their own desires – in this case sleep – and have not focused on their calling to be bridesmaids – ie those ready at any moment to light the way of the bridegroom? If they, the foolish ones had been focused on God’s will, would they not have known the wisdom of having spare oil?
If, as we believe, God desires peace, then our response is surely to align ourselves with that desire? And that surely includes being prepared and equipped to promote and facilitate peace? This may include investing in resources that build and sustain peace – which may start with aid to overcome lack of food, water, health care etc. It may include investing in essential infrastructure and the means of kick starting education. It may include standing up in public and affirming people’s rights and asserting their right to justice. It may include restraining those who oppress – not necessarily with arms but with sanctions and diplomatic actions.
Faithfully trusting in God, seeking God’s ways of justice, we need to be peace makers and not those who ignore or support aggression. Let us remember with grief all whose lives have been cut short or compromised by war, and pray with fervent action for peace.
Amos 5:18-24
Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:
Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light;
as if someone fled from a lion,
and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
and was bitten by a snake.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an everflowing stream.
Psalm 70
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
O Lord, make haste to help me.
2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed
and altogether dismayed; *
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
draw back and be disgraced.
3 Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back, *
because they are ashamed.
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
let those who love your salvation say for ever,
“Great is the Lord!”
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
come to me speedily, O God.
6 You are my helper and my deliverer; *
O Lord, do not tarry.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
