Deuteronomy 15:1-11: Poor No More!

 Presented to The Salvation Army, Alberni Valley Ministries, 16 January 2022 and 16 December 2025, by Captain (Major) Michael Ramsay

 

This is the 2025 version, to view the earlier version, click here:

https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2022/01/deuteronomy-151-11-poor-no-more-count.html

Deuteronomy is an interesting book. It begins with probably a recap for the children of the generation who left Egypt. It begins on Mt Sinai and the opening story is that of most of the Israelites declining the gift of the Promised Land – until it is too late. It then records their desert wanderings and various battles as well as Moses’ prohibition from entering the Promised Land; It then lays out a number of laws outlining how God’s people are to live, the most famous of which are the 10 Commandments listed in Chapter 5. Can anyone tell me what are the 10 Commandments?

 

1.     “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2.     “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

3.     “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4.     “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

5.     “Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

6.     “You shall not murder.

7.     “You shall not commit adultery.

8.     “You shall not steal.

9.     “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

10. “You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbour’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.”

 

There are a whole lot more laws than these, of course. The next few chapters of Deuteronomy delineate a few more, elaborate on them, give us more details, and/or reasons for them. In Chapter 9 we read the famous episode of the Golden Calf and in Chapter 10 we have the second printing of the 10 Commandments. We then have a number more chapters elaborating upon and explaining the laws. Chapter 15, which we are looking at today, relates very much to Deuteronomy’s version of the Fourth Commandment – keeping the Sabbath Day holy.[1] In Deuteronomy the reason for this commandment is different than the reason specified in the Exodus account (Ex 20:8-11); in the Deuteronomy account the reason for the Fourth Commandment is that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They are not to make perpetual slaves of each other. Furthermore, when they enter the Promised Land, Deuteronomy 15:4, “there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, He will richly bless you.” But then by Verse 11 it is noted that even so, “there will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”[2]

 

Matthew 26:11 (Mark 14:7, John 12:8) Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 15:11 in saying, “the poor will always be with you”

 

As this is the case, Ignacio Ellacuria says, in essence, the great salvific task is to evangelize the poor so that out of their poverty they may attain the spirit necessary first to escape their indulgence and oppression, second to put an end to oppressive structures, and third to be used to inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth, where sharing trumps accumulating and where there is time to hear and enjoy God’s voice in the heart of the material world and in the heart of human history.[3]

 

I think that is very important. We need to evangelize the poor. We know what the word evangelize means, right? It comes from the Greek word ‘euangelion’, which means ‘good message’ or ‘good news’.[4] We need to share the good news with the poor. Jesus, as recorded in Luke 4:18, in his very early sermon in the synagogue in his very own hometown quoted the prophet Isaiah – Isaiah 61:1 - in this very sentiment. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”

 

What is this good news? What is this ‘euangelion’? This good news is that we can be saved from eternal death. We can be bodily raised from the dead to eternal life and even more.[5] We can have the Spirit of God on us now in our very lives. By the power of God, we can start to experience a new life this very day – renewing our heart and transforming us from the inside! That we can all have this is good news – especially for the poor! And there is more: for just as salvation isn’t just for the future it also isn’t just for the individual; it is for all creation (Romans 8:19-22).

 

And in our society today, as in almost all, if not all societies throughout history, the group that consistently experiences being excluded from the society of the privileged is the poor. Today in Canada we talk a lot about indigenous history and the TRC. Today out of the United States, BLM is still a significant movement. Today there is still much talk about identity politics. Today there are many people discriminated against. The people who have been primarily victimized in these and all other groups are the poor. The consistent target of exclusion in our society – and our world - is and has always been the poor.[6]

 

In the USA which experienced some of the worst slavery and anti-black history in the whole world, this century already they had a rich, powerful, privileged black man ruling their nation while many black and other people still suffer horribly under the curse of poverty and exclusion from society.[7] The Church however is inclusive society and while some of the poor and disenfranchised are already experiencing the blessings of the Good News of eternal salvation, sadly many are still waiting to experience solidarity in the totality of salvation – that of mind, body, soul, and circumstance. A just society, a Christian society is one where everyone will have access to community. A just society, a Christian society is one where the poor and the wealthy will experience solidarity in their salvation. A just society, a Christian society is one where the rich will no longer risk their eternal rewards by withholding material necessities from the poor, as it says in Matthew 6:19-24.

 

John Sobrino tells us that God can use the poor to unleash the solidarity that can be salvific for both the poor and the nonpoor, where “poor people and nonpoor people are mutually bearing one another, giving to each other, and receiving from each other. This kind of solidarity goes beyond mere unilateral [one-way] aid, with its intrinsic tendency toward imposition and domination. [This kind of Christian Solidarity] … can resolve the ambiguity and root out what is harmful in the falsely universalizing concept of globalization.”[8] Bishop Desmond Tutu and President Nelson Mandala referred this as ‘Ubuntu’ which literally means, ‘a person is a person through other people.’ [9] Solidarity is not a one-way street where some dominate others. Salvation is not a one-way street where some dominate others. A Christian society is one where we share resources and bear one another’s burdens (Acts 2:42-47).

 

Ignacio Ellacuria writes that we need to work to create such a society that can replace our civilization of capital, our civilization of wealth, with its the closed and competitive individualism. This needs to be replaced with....[10] A Society of Love: Societies based on wealth (capitalism) can never be Christian (Matthew 6:24) as they exclude the poor.

 

When Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again He began ushering in His proleptic Kingdom. We know what ‘proleptic’ means, right? It means both now and not yet. The Kingdom of God has begun. It will culminate in Jesus’ return. The Pentateuch records what God’s Kingdom will look like. Deuteronomy 15:4: “there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, He will richly bless you.” Deuteronomy was speaking specifically about the penultimate Promised Land but as with so many other texts, its culmination comes only in the Promised Land of the Kingdom to Come. This Kingdom is coming now and as we work to make this Kingdom a reality, we prove our citizenship in it (Philippians 3:20).

 

The Church is Christian society. As citizens of Heaven, it is important that we no longer objectify others and exclude them from society. The society of Jesus is inclusive. We need to not only allow but also invite our neighbour to participate in society – No more excluding the poor or anyone else! We need to give every person every opportunity to be part of our group. We need to allow every person to serve. Do not force anyone to just be served. Allow everyone to help. Do not demean some by considering them unable to assist. We must empower every person to help others.[11] We must! The Kingdom of God is about inviting others to be part of a society of Jesus, where we love and serve one another. This is the society we are to be building as we await Christ’s return.

 

Today, I encourage you to look for an opportunity to invite someone to serve our Lord alongside you. For those who work and volunteer here, I invite you to not only give out clothes to others who need clothes but allow someone in need to help you; for those who work here, allow someone who has enjoyed a meal with you at the soup kitchen to clean tables or do dishes alongside you. For all of us who are here today, ask someone you serve what is their opinion – ask someone who may not otherwise think that you even care about their opinion, what is their opinion – and then listen to what they say! And honour them by engaging them! For all of us who are here today, ask someone to pray for you; pray for someone else and then ask them to pray for you! When you do this, you involve others in the community of Christ; When you do this, you involve others in the society of Jesus. When we do this, we invite others to be a part of the Kingdom of God.

 

This week let us look for opportunities not to merely serve others but to invite others to be a part of the Kingdom of God by inviting them to serve God right alongside us. Only then will we all have an opportunity to truly be part of the society of Jesus.

 

Let us pray

Luke 2 Christmas Letter

Presented to the Alberni Valley Care Homes, December 2025, by Major Michael Ramsay

 

December 2025

 

          So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:4-12

 

Christmas is the time when we remember the birth of Jesus. Jesus is God’s Son. He was born in a stable and placed in a feeding trough for a crib. His young mom and her husband-to-be were away from home and had no place to stay. God didn’t invite many people to celebrate the birth of his Son, but He did invite shepherds who were working overnight in the fields nearby.

 

Jesus, God’s Son, lived a life that we can all look to for inspiration. He preached Good News to the poor. He offered Salvation to the world. He taught how we could live together in peace and justice, goodness and mercy. He died young but that was not the end. Jesus rose from the dead and made it so that all of us can live forever. Even today, he can help us with all of our concerns. This is who Jesus is.

 

The shepherds were there on the first Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus who would go on to do all that and more. Today we are all invited to celebrate the occasion of Jesus’ birth and if you haven’t met him yet, you can; all you need to do is pray. He will hear you. He loves you.

 

Have a blessed Christmas.

 

From all of us at The Salvation Army

Major Michael Ramsay

Luke 2:1-20: Walking to Cobble Hill While Pregnant...

Presented to the Alberni Valley Community, at the 2025 Hope in the Valley Gala, held at the Italian Hall, 15 November 2025, by Major Michael Ramsay

 

Among other roles I fill, I am a Christian pastor. We are entering the Christmas season. We know how the first Christmas went… What happened?

 

There is this couple – Mary and Joseph – they aren’t married. They want to be. Mary anyway is probably a teenager. She’s pregnant- very pregnant – and they have to go pay their taxes or something similar. In order to do this, they need to leave their town and travel to the capital city (or a suburb thereof). It was about the same distance as between here and Cobble Hill or Duncan. They didn’t have a car. They had to walk. It would be at least a two day walk.

 

They get there and, of course, it is time for Mary to have the baby. The water breaks or contractions start or something. They have to find a place to stay – but they don’t have a hotel room and there is no shelter. There is no hostel. Hospitals as we know them don’t exist and Mary is about to give birth. A business owner lets them use his barn and their baby is born.

 

Now, Joseph isn’t the baby’s biological father. This baby is God’s son and so, by definition, he is also God. Christmas is when we celebrate God becoming a person, when we celebrate the birth of God’s Son.

 

God invites specific people to celebrate the birth of His Son. It is night. And there are these shepherds, unskilled labourers working the nightshift. These aren’t the owners of the sheep or even the people who get to work the day shift – this is the night shift. God invites them – out of everyone in the world - to witness the birth of God’s baby, who by definition is also God.

 

They come to see Him. That is how God chose to enter the world. He wanted to share a most important event with unwed teenagers and people stuck working overnight on Christmas.

 

In the Christian faith, like God did at the birth of His Son, this is who we are supposed to include and honour as well – not the rich, not the self-sufficient, not those who don’t seem to need anything – but those who are on the outside looking in. John Wesley sums it up by saying that if we are God’s people, we will love and care for all God’s people and even more we will have a preferential treatment for the poor and other people on the margins. And this, my friends, is what you are doing.

In the previous 12 months you, as part of our team,

·        have housed 21 people, who were previously homeless, in a place of their own

·        have provided people with their first ever jobs

·        provided more than 144 500 meals from our Soup Kitchen

·        provided a further 11 000 meals from our food truck

·        provided a further 5000 people with groceries

·        sent kids to camp who have never been to camp

·        given clothing and school supplies to children in need

·        provided hundreds of toys to children who would otherwise get nothing for Christmas

·        You have kept 3 940 people inside, off the streets at night; providing them with a bed, shelter, a safe place, with no in-and-out privileges so that once they are inside for the night, they stay safe for the night. You have kept them off the streets.

When I was commissioned and ordained as an Officer in The Salvation Army, I took a sacred oath:

...To care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked. To love the unloved and befriend those who have no friends.... And, by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthy officer.

 

This we, you and I and the rest of our team, have been faithful to and, by the grace of God, will continue to do so.

Thank you.

 

My Friends you are making a difference.

Isaiah 9:7: Christmas Letter

 Presented to the Alberni Valley Community, December 2021, by Major Michael Ramsay

December 2021

Isaiah 9:6-7a

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The mighty God,

The everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,

 

This was verse that I had to memorize as a small child growing up on the Island here. It was my line is a Church Christmas pageant. The Christmas pageants were always quite exciting and performing in them was always a little nerve-racking. The church was always filled to capacity – even the balconies and the lobbies were full. There were stage lights shining on you. There was the microphone in front of you. With all of this going on it could be very difficult to remember your line. Thankfully, I did. And I still do. This memory verse has stayed with me decades later and there is not an Advent Season that passes without my reflecting on this passage. I am so thankful for that.

 

I am so thankful for the Lord. I am thankful that God sent his only begotten son who we can serve forever. I am thankful as well for the many ways we are able to serve. I am blessed in that I am able to serve in the Salvation Army. As a soldier in this army, one is able provide food, clothing, spiritual, emotional support and much more on a daily basis. Another way we can all serve the Prince of Peace and His government is through prayer and singing praises. I know many people who remember our Lord and Saviour and how he has provided for them and others every time they hear a Christmas Carol. We lived in Saskatchewan for a few years. One of the premiers of that province came into a saving relationship with Jesus from the lyrics in Christmas Carols.

 

This Christmas I would like to encourage you to remember: remember the Scriptures you learned as a child; remember the Christmas Carols you have sang over the years; remember the Lord as we celebrate the anniversary of His birth. Remember Him, how He loves you, how He will never leave you nor forsake you, and I encourage you to remember that we do have the opportunity to be a part of His Kingdom of Peace for both now and forever more.

 

Have a blessed Christmas.

 

From all of us at The Salvation Army

Captain Michael Ramsay

Shelter from the Storms of War (Psalm 116:3-4. Isaiah 2:4)

 Presented to Alberni Valley Community Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Glenwood Centre, 11 November 2025, by TSA Major Michael Ramsay, Royal Canadian Legion Chaplain (Padre), Branch 293. 

Almighty God. You are our refuge and strength; we humble ourselves in Your presence, and, remembering the great things you have done for us, we lift up our hearts in adoration and praise. As you have gathered us together this day, we give You thanks for all who served their country in time of trial.

In remembrance of those who made the supreme sacrifice, make us better men and women, and give us peace in our time, O Lord.

 

Today is Remembrance Day, when we remember the many people who left home to serve in the first world war and all the conflicts that followed. Here are some of the stories of those who left their family here in the Alberni Valley:

 

George Morton Bird wrote this from the front on April 16th, 1917: “I suppose you have read all about the Great Easter Advance... If you should get an opportunity to see any of the moving pictures of it, you might see me amongst the other boys. I am the first man in a party of 12 or 13 advancing in single file… Arthur Lewis, Pryde, Tom and the rest of us are all O.K.,”

A few weeks later George Bird was not okay. He was dead.

We know Redford Street in town. The Redford family had 3 sons.  Edward, 29, was wounded by a shell that killed 2 of his companions. William,19, was sent home wounded and Douglas, 20, was killed in action.

 

Charles Samuel Bannell enlisted in November 1916, and less than a year later, on Oct 30th, 1917, he was dead

 

William Clarke served in the 7th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry. In 1916, at age 19, he was dead

 

William Stewart, PPCLI, fought in the 2nd Battle of Ypres in Belgium; he never returned from Belgium. He was 26.

 

The Roll of Honour lists 25 people from our community here who gave their lives in World War I.

 

Then there was World War II and young people from our valley continued to die. David Ramsay was a Flight Lieutenant. He was awarded the Belgian Cross of War in 1940 and on April 28th, 1944, he was dead. He was 23 years old.

 

George 'Bud' Hamilton was a young Hupacasath man. He was a residential school survivor. He landed at Juno beach on June 6th, 1944. Canadian forces that day suffered 1,096 casualties, 381 were killed in action. Canadian casualties alone in Normandy exceeded 18,700. Bud Hamilton survived all of these horrors. But as the fighting continued, an artillery shell exploded, severed his spinal cord and he slowly and painfully succumbed to his injuries.

 

James George was an only child. James managed to survive the war, and with the money he earned bought a fishing boat. One night there was an explosion on that boat. He died.

 

Eduard Clutesi, hereditary chief of the Tseshaht First Nation, was a genius. He taught himself to play violin. He could draw a portrait perfectly.  He served with a mortar unit. He died in the battle of Canes. He was 26.

 

It is important we remember those who died for our community, for our country, for our nations, for us. I am honoured, as Legion Padre to have been able to share some of these stories today. Lest we forget.

 

The Salvation Army, of which I am an Officer, also served in these wars. In World War I, The Canadian Salvation Army ran hundreds of huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels in Britain, France and Belgium where troops could bathe, do laundry, eat decent food, and prepare themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for the difficult return to the trenches. And when they did return to those trenches, they were met with more Salvation Army Officers providing for their care. Will Bird wrote: “Every front-line soldier of World War I, knew that his true friend was the man in The Salvation Army canteen.”

 

I am honoured that we were able to serve our servicepeople while they were serving us during the terrible times of war.

 

In 1918, after WWI, The Salvation Army organized their first ever nation-wide appeal for funds: the money raised was used to open shelters across Canada in order to help our veterans cope, transition, and become part of Canadian society again.

 

Today, because of this opportunity, The Salvation Army still runs shelters, one in this community, whose purpose is still to help people survive, cope, and reintegrate into society.

 

For the service people who returned from the wars, life could still be very difficult. This is why we have our much-needed Royal Canadian Legion. The Legion is 100 years old this year. It was formed to help our service people returning after WW2.

 

Today, we are here to remember all our service people; we are here to remember all those who served, fought, lived and died for our ancestors, our families, for us.

 

The war to end all wars has not yet been fought and people from our country, our province, our valley continue to serve.

 

Genocide, conflict, death of young people and others continues in our world. And as long as it does, we must all do our best to stand up to injustice, to work for peace, to serve, to save, and to above all else on this day – 100 years after the birth of our Legion -  to honour our veterans, and to remember all those who fought for us, in our name, and especially those who didn’t make it home.

 

Lest we forget.

 

BENEDICTION: Almighty God, as You have gathered your people together this day in hallowed remembrance, we give You thanks for all who laid down their lives for our sake, and whom You have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of Your presence. Let the memory of their devotion ever be an example to us, that we at the last. Being faithful unto death, may receive with them the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Remembrance Day Ceremony 2025

Presented to Alberni Valley Community Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Glenwood Centre, 11 November 2025, by TSA Major Michael Ramsay, Royal Canadian Legion Chaplain (Padre), Branch 293. 

Remembrance Day Service

1000  -Doors open

            -Platform guests begin to arrive

1040  -Parade march on

1045  -Acknowledgements                                              MC

            -O Canada

1047  Invocation                                                                Padre

INVOCATION: Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God. Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth forever more.

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, time stands still for a moment; and we remember those who died, not for war, but for a world that would be free and at peace.

 

1048  -MC and Mayor (opening remarks)                   MC

 

1050? -Scripture Reading and Prayer                            Padre

Psalm 116:3-4:

The cords of death entangled me,

the anguish of the grave came over me;

I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“Lord, save me!”

Isaiah 2:4:

He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

 

PRAYER: Almighty God. You are our refuge and strength; we humble ourselves in Your presence, and, remembering the great things you have done for us, we lift up our hearts in adoration and praise. As you have gathered us together this day, we give You thanks for all who served their country in time of trial.

In remembrance of those who made the supreme sacrifice, make us better men and women, and give us peace in our time, O Lord.

 

1057? -In Flanders Fields                                                    MC     

1100  -Last Post, 2min. Silence, Reveille, Piper’s Lament,        MC

            Act of Remembrance                                                  MC

 

1110  - Address                                                                   Padre

Today is Remembrance Day, when we remember the many people who left home to serve in the first world war and all the conflicts that followed. Here are some of the stories of those who left their family here in the Alberni Valley:

 

George Morton Bird wrote this from the front on April 16th, 1917: “I suppose you have read all about the Great Easter Advance... If you should get an opportunity to see any of the moving pictures of it, you might see me amongst the other boys. I am the first man in a party of 12 or 13 advancing in single file… Arthur Lewis, Pryde, Tom and the rest of us are all O.K.,”

A few weeks later George Bird was not okay. He was dead.

 

We know Redford Street in town. The Redford family had 3 sons.  Edward, 29, was wounded by a shell that killed 2 of his companions. William,19, was sent home wounded and Douglas, 20, was killed in action.

 

Charles Samuel Bannell enlisted in November 1916, and less than a year later, on Oct 30th, 1917, he was dead

 

William Clarke served in the 7th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry. In 1916, at age 19, he was dead

 

William Stewart, PPCLI, fought in the 2nd Battle of Ypres in Belgium; he never returned from Belgium. He was 26.

 

The Roll of Honour lists 25 people from our community here who gave their lives in World War I.

 

Then there was World War II and young people from our valley continued to die. David Ramsay was a Flight Lieutenant. He was awarded the Belgian Cross of War in 1940 and on April 28th, 1944, he was dead. He was 23 years old.

 

George 'Bud' Hamilton was a young Hupacasath man. He was a residential school survivor. He landed at Juno beach on June 6th, 1944. Canadian forces that day suffered 1,096 casualties, 381 were killed in action. Canadian casualties alone in Normandy exceeded 18,700. Bud Hamilton survived all of these horrors. But as the fighting continued, an artillery shell exploded, severed his spinal cord and he slowly and painfully succumbed to his injuries.

 

James George was an only child. James managed to survive the war, and with the money he earned bought a fishing boat. One night there was an explosion on that boat. He died.

 

Eduard Clutesi, hereditary chief of the Tseshaht First Nation, was a genius. He taught himself to play violin. He could draw a portrait perfectly.  He served with a mortar unit. He died in the battle of Canes. He was 26.

 

It is important we remember those who died for our community, for our country, for our nations, for us. I am honoured, as Legion Padre to have been able to share some of these stories today. Lest we forget.

 

The Salvation Army, of which I am an Officer, also served in these wars. In World War I, The Canadian Salvation Army ran hundreds of huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels in Britain, France and Belgium where troops could bathe, do laundry, eat decent food, and prepare themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for the difficult return to the trenches. And when they did return to those trenches, they were met with more Salvation Army Officers providing for their care. Will Bird wrote: “Every front-line soldier of World War I, knew that his true friend was the man in The Salvation Army canteen.”

 

I am honoured that we were able to serve our servicepeople while they were serving us during the terrible times of war.

 

In 1918, after WWI, The Salvation Army organized their first ever nation-wide appeal for funds: the money raised was used to open shelters across Canada in order to help our veterans cope, transition, and become part of Canadian society again.

 

Today, because of this opportunity, The Salvation Army still runs shelters, one in this community, whose purpose is still to help people survive, cope, and reintegrate into society.

 

For the service people who returned from the wars, life could still be very difficult. This is why we have our much-needed Royal Canadian Legion. The Legion is 100 years old this year. It was formed to help our service people returning after WW2.

 

Today, we are here to remember all our service people; we are here to remember all those who served, fought, lived and died for our ancestors, our families, for us.

 

The war to end all wars has not yet been fought and people from our country, our province, our valley continue to serve.

 

Genocide, conflict, death of young people and others continues in our world. And as long as it does, we must all do our best to stand up to injustice, to work for peace, to serve, to save, and to above all else on this day – 100 years after the birth of our Legion -  to honour our veterans, and to remember all those who fought for us, in our name, and especially those who didn’t make it home.

 

Lest we forget.

 

1117  -Hymn-O God our Help in Ages Past

1120  -Laying of Wreaths                                                 MC

 -Benediction                                                            Padre

BENEDICTION: Almighty God, as You have gathered your people together this day in hallowed remembrance, we give You thanks for all who laid down their lives for our sake, and whom You have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of Your presence. Let the memory of their devotion ever be an example to us, that we at the last. Being faithful unto death, may receive with them the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

   God Save the King                                                  MC

Remembrance Sunday 2025

Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries, Remembrance Sunday, 09 November 2025, by Major Michael Ramsay, Royal Canadian Legion Chaplain (Padre), Branch 293.

 

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring love.

Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.

Where there is discord, let me bring union.

Where there is error, let me bring truth.

Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.

Where there is despair, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.

Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.

 

O Master, let me not seek as much

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love,

for it is in giving that one receives,

it is in self-forgetting that one finds,

it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,

it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.

 

INVOCATION: Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God. Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth forever more.

Today as at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, time stands still for a moment; and we remember those who died, not for war, but for a world that would be free and at peace.

Those who lay down their lives in battle are almost never those who put their lives at risk by declaring war. Those who choose to fight a war are rarely those who fight in that war. Those who tell us why they send people to fight rarely stop and ask the person on the front why they are in the fight. Those who decide that soldiers will die at war almost never themselves die at war.

Remembrance Day is a lamentation. It is when we remember our family members, community members, loved ones and others who are no more because they died, and were in a position to die, before peace could be obtained in a quarrel they did not pick. We will remember them.      

 

Psalm 116:3-4:

The cords of death entangled me,

the anguish of the grave came over me;

I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“Lord, save me!”

Isaiah 2:4:

He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore.

 

PRAYER: Almighty God. You are our refuge and strength; we humble ourselves in Your presence, and, remembering the great things you have done for us, we lift up our hearts in adoration and praise. As you have gathered us together this day, we give You thanks for all who served in time of trial.

In remembrance of those who made the supreme sacrifice, make us better men and women, and give us peace in our time, O Lord.

 

VIDEO: Last Post, 2min. Silence, Reveille, Piper’s Lament,       

Act of Remembrance

                                                          

Laying of the poppies                                           

                                               

BENEDICTION: Almighty God, as You have gathered your people together this day in hallowed remembrance, we give You thanks for all who laid down their lives for our sake, and whom You have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of Your presence. Let the memory of their devotion ever be an example to us, that we at the last. Being faithful unto death, may receive with them the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.