One of my major reservations about coming to licensing school was that it was over Memorial Day. I like to be with my family on Memorial Day and I wanted to be with my churches the Sunday before. It is simply a special holiday for me.
Well, they had divided the class up into groups and each group had the responsibility for one of the weekday morning chapel services. I happened to be in the group scheduled for Memorial Day. We were to have our first planning day and I was late getting out of a class and missed it. When I saw one of the guys I asked what they had decided to do. He asked me if I would object to having the service set around Memorial Day. It was like an answered prayer.
The service started out remembering those lost in service to our country and moved to the hope of the resurrection. The scripture was 1 Corinthians 15:42-57, we read half before the prayer and half after. We had the lights dimmed in the chapel until the reading of the second half. We sang the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory". It was one of the most moving services I had ever participated in. Even knowing what was planned, I was moved. I read the following poem and offered a prayer for our fallen as my part of the service. We closed with the Korean Prayer from the UM Book of Worship.
"Gift to the Fallen"
For each soldier that has fallen so that many may stand
We honor their spirit as they pass to God's hand
For without their sacrifice we would live forever in fear
We pray for their loved ones and provide a salute and a tear
God help us heal the wounds of hate and the misery of war
That is our gift to our fallen heroes that are amongst us no more
I hope you all had a blessed Memorial Day, I did.
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