A Prayer for Memorial Day
(This is the prayer that I will offer this morning with my congregation at church, so I thought I might share it with my ‘congregation’ here as well. — Tj)
Gracious God, we lift to you our thoughts and prayers this day; both those we have spoken aloud, and those we carry with us in the quiet of our hearts.
Especially this Memorial Day weekend, we remember and give thanks for the brave women and men of our armed forces.
We thank you for those who died protecting and preserving the lives of others.
We thank you for those who served, many who returned home with wounds of mind as well as body. May we never forget their sacrifice either.
We thank you for those who continue to serve, those who are far from the comforts of home, those who continue to put their life in harm’s way for the protection of others.
We pray for those left behind: spouses, children, families, and loved ones who wait for the safe return of those who serve. Give them comfort and peace, and may their loved ones return to them both safe and sound.
Help us not to become discouraged or lose sight of the hope that one day “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). Give us the courage and conviction to work towards that goal.
May our remembrance of those who have given their lives in service and sacrifice not be limited to only this weekend, but may we always remember those who have died, and continue to work to find ways to live at peace with one another, so that no more lives will be lost, so that no more more bodies or minds will be broken. Help us find a way towards true peace that is more than just a brief lull between wars.
For all these things we pray.
Amen.
Photo Credit: Flags & Roses (Memorial Day 2012 at Los Angeles National Cemetery) by Kevin Baird.