Village Church Leads Prayers for World Peace A small Herefordshire village church was full for a special service of prayer for World Peace. St Peter’s church at the tiny village of Pipe-cum-Lyde, just north of the city, decided to mark the 65th Anniversary of the end of the second World War and invited people to come along and light a candle. The Vicar and former SAS Chaplain, Jimmy Morrison, led the service of prayers for world peace, of support for those still putting their lives in jeopardy for our protection, and of remembrance of those who had paid with their lives or continued to pay with terrible physical or mental suffering. “We wanted to do something and, despite being a small church in a village of fewer than two hundred (200) people, felt it was important enough to invite others to join us,” said Jimmy. “Throughout the service we burned a candle for each young British life which has been lost in Afghanistan and everyone was given the opportunity of lighting another personal candle and they queued up to do so. It was a very moving sight.” During the service, those attending heard prayers from the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, bible readings and poems by Rupert Brooke and Charles Causley. The vicar had also invited the Reverend Ian Skinner, Hereford Garrison Chaplain, who, led some of the prayers and assisted the vicar when members of the congregation stepped forward to light their own personal candles. “At the centre of the service was this large cross shaped candle holder, burning brightly,more than four hundred individual candles, but also a large one at the centre representing Jesus Christ as the light of the world,” added Jimmy. “We reflected on the fact that despite all efforts, the war with Japan ended on 14th August 1945 and on the 15th August 2010, the world is still at war and needs our prayers more than ever.” Notes to editors: Jpeg pictures of the congregation lighting their own candles are available on request.