The service (Radio 4 at 8.10am and Radio Ulster at 10.15am) will include a conversation between four of the Church Leaders. Facilitated by Rev Dr Tom McKnight, President of the Irish Methodist Church, the Moderator, Right Rev Dr David Bruce and the Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh, the Most Reverend Eamon Martin and the Most Rev John McDowell, offer their personal thoughts on the centenary.
With personal reflections on the past, the Church Leaders also look ahead in hope to the future, with the Very Rev Dr Ivan Patterson, President of the Irish Council of Churches, preaching on the Good Samaritan. Music, which was pre-recorded, is by the New Irish Choir directed by Jonathan Rea.
Looking ahead to Sunday's broadcast, Dr Bruce said, "In this service of worship we will reflect together on the centenary and what it means for us. As Christian leaders, we have sought to honour and acknowledge our own differences in these personal perspectives on the formation of Northern Ireland one hundred years ago, the border, which has defined its land boundary, and the often turbulent history of its life.
“Approaching this significant anniversary we have had a number of open and honest conversations together over the last few months about the events of 1921, its impact on families, and the course that history has taken. This led us in March to issue our joint St Patrick’s Day Message on the centenary. In it we lamented the fact that we had often been ‘captive churches; not captive to the Word of God, but to the idols of state and nation’.
Dr Bruce continued, “We also said that Jesus lived out this message of hope by repeatedly and intentionally crossing social boundaries to affirm the dignity of those who had been marginalised or excluded by His own people and by society. We made reference to the important fact that Christ does not seek to minimise differences, but rather to establish connection through gracious listening, replacing exclusion and shame with the hope of new beginnings.
“In advance of the service being broadcast, I would like to thank the BBC for making it possible and hope that all who listen will pause and think, as they reflect on this time in our history, and ultimately be uplifted and inspired by God’s word and His message of salvation and hope for us all,” he said.
The socially distanced recording took place on Tuesday, in Assembly Buildings, Belfast. The service will be introduced by Reverend Dr Heather Morris, General Secretary of the Methodist Conference, with prayers led by Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches, Monsignor Joe McGuinness, Executive Secretary of the Irish Episcopal Conference, Reverend Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Very Reverend Shane Forster, Dean of Armagh. It will begin with a ‘Centenary Prayer’, which has been written by the Church Leaders.
Sovereign, wise, and gracious God, in whose hands lie the past, present and future, we acknowledge before you our failures, our divisions, and the hurt we have caused you and one another. Forgive, restore, and heal us. The events of partition and formation, which took place one hundred years ago on the island of Ireland, changed, shaped, and determined the outlook for the place which many of us call home.
As we reflect upon those times and bring to mind what happened then and in the years since, we acknowledge before you our different and often polarised interpretations of history.
As we travel onwards in our journey, may we learn from the experiences of the past and from those who trod these roads before us, so that the inheritance we pass on to the next generation is the gift of understanding, peace, and hope. In faith we pray, and humbly ask, in the name of him who is the light of the world and giver of all hope, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Church Leaders’ Centenary Prayer
Also on Sunday…
At 1.15pm on BBC One, Songs of Praise marks the centenary with a special programme. It also includes a visit to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s Union Theological College, where prior to the building of Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Northern Ireland’s first Parliament from sat from September 1921 to July 1932.
On Monday…
After 7am on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme the Moderator will contribute to a special joint Thought for the Day with Bishop Donal McKeown.