Liturgy of Women in War and Witness
11:00 – 11:10 Opening Invocation
Leader:
- We gather to remember courage, sacrifice, and faith.
- We gather to honor women who bore witness in fire, famine, and war.
- We gather before God, who guards His house and shelters His people.
All:
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. (Psalm 85:10–11)
11:10 – 11:15 Blitz (reading overal theme)
Reading: young women / girl read Blitz
11:15 – 11:25 We believe and trust (London: Firewomen)
Reading: Zechariah 9:8
“Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that no oppressor shall again overrun them.”
Reflection: We remember Bobbie Tanner and other firewomen. Bobbie drove her truck through burning London to distribute gasoline for the several pumps running out of fuel. The firewomen saved homes of all people while the men were fighting overseas. By doing that the women kept London save and gave people believe and trust in a goede afloop. Their courage was a living parable of God’s encampment, His protection amidst destruction. By portraying Himself as a military force protecting His people’s dwelling. The verse assures that “no oppressor shall again (Operation Dynamo – evacuation of 360.000 British soldiers) overrun them,” signifying an end to foreign domination and suffering.
Prayer: Lord, guard our dwellings as You guarded Jerusalem. Bless those who risked their lives to preserve hope. May their fire of faith burn in us still.
All: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
12:25 – 11:30 Song Land of Hope and Glory
Chorus, Edward Elgar
11:30 – 11:40 Bread to the people (Dover: Land Girls)
Reading: 1 Kings 17:8–16 / Matthew 14:13–21 / John 6:1–14
Stories of bread given in famine and food multiplied in wilderness.
Reflection: We remember the Land Girls, who brought bread to the people in England, the soldiers overseas and with the manna dropping they took care the hungry in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and even Germany. On May 12, we learn from them at the Women’s Land Army Museum in Dover. My parents have seen the Manna fooddroppings
Prayer: Lord of abundance, bless the hands that sow and reap. Bless the women who fed nations in war. Teach us to share our bread with the hungry.
All: Give us this day our daily bread.
11:40 – 11:45 Fields of Hope (lyric is not ready) or We plough the fields and scatter
11:45 – 11:55 The Good Samaritan (Dunkirk: Je suis infirmière)
Reading: Luke 10:25–37 (The Good Samaritan)
A man beaten by robbers is helped by a Samaritan who, unlike religious leaders, stops to bandage his wounds, offers oil and wine, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care.
Reflection: At Zuydcoote there are hundreds of graves in the front yard. There are soldiers from French incl North Africa, Belgium, English, German, Jews, etc. We will give a lecture in the Zuydcoote hospital Chapel called ‘I Am A Nurse’ (Je suis infirmière). Here we can also make the link to Florence Nightingale. We will visit her statue during our Women In War walk on May 11th. The walk will start at a fire station and we will pass another fire station on the place of a bombed site. During the walk we will also stop at Edith Cavell Monument. With both stories about the Britisch nurses we also talk about the WW1 – the Great War.
Prayer: Lord of mercy, bless those who bind wounds. Bless those who walk the road of compassion. May we be neighbors to all who suffer.
All: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
11:55 – 12:05 Lady With The Lamp
12:05 – 12:15 Daniel in the Lions’ Den (Antwerp: Maria van Hoeck)
Reading: Daniel 6:22
“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths.”
Reflection: We remember Maria, who saved Daniel from Nazi claws in the Diamantbuurt of Antwerp. Her courage was angelic, her faith a shield against oppression. You can also read my letter to Maria. I will add that they killed her husband number in Dachau. De lezing over vrouwelijk verzet in Antwerpen gaat oa over Maria en haar helden daden. In de gids noem ik Daniel 6:22 ook waardoor ik min of meer Maria als een door God geschonken Engel presenteer. De lezing word trouwens gehouden in haar huis op de Lange Kievitstraat 71 midden in de Diamantbuurt / Jodenbuurt in Antwerpen. Dus meer in de leeuwenkuil kan je niet zitten. Verder heeft zij in totaal 5 parachutisten gered. Van 2 Ameriaanse parachutisten heb ik de namen ik ben nu nog op zoek naar drie andere namen. Daar waren zeker engelse bij. Dat heb ik al gelezen in haar map in het Cegesoma archief.
Prayer: Lord, send Your angels to guard the innocent. Bless those who resist tyranny with courage and love.
All: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
12:15 – 12:20 Chorus Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?
12:20 – 12:30 Sin of omission (Rotterdam: Joukje Smits)
Reading: Ezekiel 22:29–31
“The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery; they have oppressed the poor and needy.”
Reflection: We remember Joukje Smits, who bore witness to the persecution of Jews. God’s heart breaks at injustice — both when we commit it and when we ignore it. We confess sins of commission and omission. In chapter 22, God says that the people practiced wicked false worship and they practiced social injustice. God’s heart breaks not only when we are purveyors of injustice but also when we ignore it. We can commit injustice both by sins of commission and sins of omission. A sin of commission is when we actively, intentionally do something wrong. Theft, cheating, lying, and so on. A sin of omission is when we don’t do the right thing we should do. When we don’t pray, when we don’t give, or when we don’t address injustice.
Aanvulling:
In het programmaboek heb ik woord voor woord een interview overgenomen die Joukje Smits aan het Imperial War Museum gaf over de jodenvervolging in Nederland. Joukje heeft trouwens na haar arrestatie in Dachau gevangen gezeten en heeft de oorlog ter nauwernood overleeft. Zij was docent en ging na de oorlog weer als docent werken. Wat zij heeft gedaan vind ik ook heel erg bijzonder.
Prayer of Confession: Lord, forgive us when we act unjustly. Forgive us when we fail to act at all. Renew in us the courage to resist oppression.
All: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
12:30 – 12:35 Ist Das Alles Schon Wieder Vergessen from Lin Jaldati (Rebekka Brilleslijper)
12:35 – 12:45 Closing: Here and Now – Peace and Justice
Reading: Psalm 85:10–11
“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.”
Reflection: Peace and justice are key terms in the Bible. They often appear together, reminding us that there is no justice without peace, and equally, no peace without justice.
Furthermore:
In the Joint Statement to the Conference of Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe van 10 december 2025 zie https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-to-the-conference-of-ministers-of-justice-of-the-council-of-europe staat deze belangrijk alinea:
Our governments have a duty to guarantee our populations’ human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to live in peace, freedom and security, to preserve the values of our societies, and to effectively protect borders, prevent unlawful border crossings and counter migrant smuggling networks. Yet, the rights and freedoms of our populations are challenged by: people who take advantage of our hospitality by committing serious crime; trafficking in human beings and instrumentalisation of migrants.
Prayer for the Nations: Lord of peace, guide our leaders in righteousness. Guard our borders with justice, not fear. Let steadfast love and faithfulness meet in our time.
All: Righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Amen.
12:45 – 12:50 Closing Coventry Cathedral
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
Father forgive.
The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father, forgive.
The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father, forgive.
Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father, forgive.
Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father, forgive.
The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children,
Father, forgive.
The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father, forgive.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.