Thanking Our Veterans

“O Trinity of love and power, our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them whereso-e’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee glad praise from air and land and sea.”
-”Eternal Father, Strong to Save” hymn verse 4

On this Veteran’s Day I am thankful for the families serving in our military.  Our service men and women and their families all make sacrifices in order to protect our freedoms, our safety, and our world from atrocities.  Thank you for your service to our country.  One of the beautiful parts of a memorial or graveside service is the presentation of a flag for a veteran who has passed.  This precious moment of gratitude poignantly marks a life of sacrifice.

God calls us all to serve one another.  Even if we cannot serve in the military, we are all servants in the Body of Christ.  May we find ways to honor one another and thank each other for service to God and country today.  Galatians 5:13-14 states, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

This fall, we will practice sharing our stories of faith.  This month we have invited Theresa Roosendaal to share on Nov 16 and Dave Burrill will share Nov 23.  God has given each of us a wonderful story to tell!  Please join us in worship this fall as we share our own inspiring stories of faith.

Loving God, you gift your whole creation with abundant life, plenty for all. So often we see only what we lack, and we cannot imagine a way out of the rules and systems we have set up to portion out your gifts. We confess that we are often more tied to our human regulation than we are to your ever-expanding grace. We confess that there is often no room in our faith for you to speak a new word, especially one that breaks down those boxes we put each other in. Forgive us. Open our ears to hear you speaking, and our hearts to embrace your purpose. Amen.