A SHOUT OUT

Yesterday I attended the annual Veterans Day Service, hosted by Christ Lutheran School in Norfolk. Our grandson Bentley is a 2nd grader at CLS, so he participated, & Lois, my dear wife, taught at CLS from 1997-2019 & still volunteers there.

This service helped drive home for me the service & sacrifice of family. Lois' maternal grandfather serve in World War I, was gassed, & was pretty much an invalid for the rest of his life, leaving her grandmother a widow at an early age. My Uncles Harold & Royce served in the Army in the years immediately following WW II. My brother-in-law John served in the Air Force. Lois' brother John served in the Army. My late brother-in-law Paul was a Marine, & Lois' sister Kathy served in the Navy. Lois' sister Anita served in the Air Force. My two nephews, Kyle & Kory, are serving in the Navy, & my son-in-law Craig serves in the Nebraska Air National Guard. I am well aware of the dangers faced by my loved ones. And I'm also aware of the sacrifices made by them & their families, especially during their deployments. It is an honor to remember their service.

Back to yesterday's Veterans Day Service at CLS. Lois has often told me what a great event this is, & she was right. Veterans from American Legion Post 16 & VFW Post 1644 marched in. Kindergarteners led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, & the Jr. High band led us in the Star-Spangled Banner. Winners from Grades 3-8 read their essays which included topics honoring our country, our symbols of freedom, & our veterans. Sergeant Lance Harvey delivered "A Soldier's Story," which was very moving. Before a closing prayer, students sang an "Armed Forces Medley." As each service's song was sung, members who served in that service stood & were applauded.

In a time in our country when patriotism is denigrated & the service of our countrymen & women is neglected, what a great way to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy & the sacrifices of those who make those freedoms possible. God bless America! And God bless those who have served & continue to serve our country.

PRAYERS ON VETERAN'S DAY

"O Lord, I remember on this day the horrors of war & the mercies of Your providence in the past. I give you thanks for those who have served in our armed forces & the families that have loved them, missed their presence, interceded in prayer for them, & rejoiced in their return. Especially, though, I pray for those families who did not see their loved ones return because they gave their lives in defense of freedom & this land that I love. May I never forget the sacrifices that have been made for me by these courageous men & women. Lord of the nations, I pray, according to Your good & gracious will, that You would grant peace among nations in this time as well. Put into the hearts of rulers & nations the desire to avert bloodshed, strife, & selfishness, & cause all to see the folly of war. You guarantee to all eternal peace in Christ. May Your Gospel be proclaimed that the foundation of love may be laid in Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace. In His name I ask it. Amen." Lutheran Book of Prayer

"Lord Jesus, the Captain of my soul, who endured the pain of battle with the old evil Foe in order to secure my redemption, grant me a grateful heart for the freedoms I enjoy through Your grace & mercy. Help me to treasure my spiritual freedom from sin, death, & the devil, & open my lips continually to praise You for my liberty in You. 

"Teach me to be thankful for my liberties in this blessed land, which were won & preserved for me by the sacrifices of my countrymen. Help me to honor their memory by a conscientious & loyal citizenship & a readiness to defend the rights of free people everywhere. Grant Thy comfort to families who today remember with sorrow the deaths of those who gave their lives for our country. Sustain those veterans who are confined to hospitals throughout our land, who bear the scars of war, so that I might enjoy the wholesomeness of peace & freedom. 

"Keep me from forgetting the heroes of the past, lest I become a coward in the face of the future. Grant the gift of peace to our land & to the world, so that Your Gospel may have free course & more people everywhere may march under Your lordship beneath the banner of Your cross. Amen." My Prayer Book