Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
(This is a sermon that I wrote last Memorial Day. It is very rare that I write out a sermon. Usually I don't write out my sermons, I just use an outline) but I felt led to write it down. I realize it is a long time until Memorial Day but as we go into a new year and a new political climate, I think it is important for us to remember the price of the luxurious lifestyle we live. It did not come cheap and those who are protecting it are still paying dearly. Let's remember them.
Freedom, born of a brave and violent Revolution.
Rights and yes, even privileges purchased with the lives and sacrifices of brave men who would die, rather than live in bondage.
A Nation whose principles helped them to grow from an infant Nation, just struggling to survive, to what is known today as a World Super Power.
Once torn and divided by issues that caused a split and a great Civil War, a war in which men on both sides were willing to sacrifice for what they believed.
A Nation that men have willingly volunteered to fight for and defend. A Nation who has answered the call not once but many times to defend weaker countries from tyrants and dictators who would rob them of freedom, and liberty, and even life.
A Nation of Brave men who:
Left home and family and comfort behind:
Who faced hardships most of us can only imagine:
The mud and cold and constant gunfire in the trenches of France in WWI, the War to end all wars.
The heat and humidity of the Jungles of the Pacific, rain and wet and Mosquitoes that spread malaria.
The beach landings on D-Day, with bullets and artillery raining down around them as they left the amphibious assault craft and stormed the beaches, their friends dead and dying all around them. They were not brave men because they had no fear, they were brave because they did what they had to do in spite of their fear.
On the ground-on foot, in trucks and tanks they advanced on the enemy while thinking of Home- this great Nation they loved.
In the air, they at first flew and fought against superior numbers while more planes were made by industry at home and more pilots were trained. And eventually they were able to win the battles because America was behind them, supporting them, making sacrifices themselves so that they would have what they needed to be victorious and return home.
Most of the Pacific fleet was destroyed in that one sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, but America met the challenge by rebuilding the Navy until our fleet was not only equal, but superior to our enemy's.
We achieved a great Victory in more ways than one. Not only did we defeat our enemy but instead of being conquerors, we were more than conquerors, we were benevolent victors. We helped them rebuild, we helped them start over with opportunity to be greater nations than they were before.
While we called it the Korean conflict, to our men in the military it was just as much a war as any other. The cold was unbearable, the fighting fierce as multitudes of the enemy attacked their positions. Brave men, wounded and dying amidst the rifle and mortar fire might disagree with the terminology of those who called it a conflict. It was a war and to the veterans of it should go the honor and respect due to men of war.
War has never really been popular, but until Vietnam we always supported and honored our men in uniform. We may not agree with the Wars, that are fought today, but we are the ones who go to the polls and elect the people that make these decisions. The veterans of Vietnam are no less worthy of our support and honor than those of earlier wars. They were no less brave, their sacrifices no smaller, and their deaths no less tragic than the Continental soldiers of the Revolution, those who wore the blue and gray, the doughboy of WWI, or the GI of WWII. Many were wounded, many were killed and many came home with scars that could not be detected by our eyes but surely should be noticed with our hearts. Let us remember them with respect and honor.
Many in the past have been drafted into the Military to serve and to protect our great Nation. Today we have a different military. A military made up completely of volunteers, those who joined, knowing they could be placed in harms way. We have the best trained, best equipped, best qualified men, and yes women, serving in the Armed Forces that this or any other nation has ever known. Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, these troops are worthy of our respect, our support, our gratitude and especially our prayers. This Nation will fight terrorists. Not because we chose to but because the nature of terrorists is to attack any Nation whose God is the Lord. We can fight them there or we can wait and fight them here. Right now that choice is ours. It might not always be.
While we remember the fallen, while we honor all those who have served to protect this Nation, let us not forget the ones who still serve and are still in harm's way.
THIS IS A GREAT NATION:
Because our God is the Lord.
When we forget that, or turn from that not only will we no longer be Great, we will be weak, and we will cease to be a great Nation.
Freedom, born of a brave and violent Revolution.
Rights and yes, even privileges purchased with the lives and sacrifices of brave men who would die, rather than live in bondage.
A Nation whose principles helped them to grow from an infant Nation, just struggling to survive, to what is known today as a World Super Power.
Once torn and divided by issues that caused a split and a great Civil War, a war in which men on both sides were willing to sacrifice for what they believed.
A Nation that men have willingly volunteered to fight for and defend. A Nation who has answered the call not once but many times to defend weaker countries from tyrants and dictators who would rob them of freedom, and liberty, and even life.
A Nation of Brave men who:
Left home and family and comfort behind:
Who faced hardships most of us can only imagine:
The mud and cold and constant gunfire in the trenches of France in WWI, the War to end all wars.
The heat and humidity of the Jungles of the Pacific, rain and wet and Mosquitoes that spread malaria.
The beach landings on D-Day, with bullets and artillery raining down around them as they left the amphibious assault craft and stormed the beaches, their friends dead and dying all around them. They were not brave men because they had no fear, they were brave because they did what they had to do in spite of their fear.
On the ground-on foot, in trucks and tanks they advanced on the enemy while thinking of Home- this great Nation they loved.
In the air, they at first flew and fought against superior numbers while more planes were made by industry at home and more pilots were trained. And eventually they were able to win the battles because America was behind them, supporting them, making sacrifices themselves so that they would have what they needed to be victorious and return home.
Most of the Pacific fleet was destroyed in that one sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, but America met the challenge by rebuilding the Navy until our fleet was not only equal, but superior to our enemy's.
We achieved a great Victory in more ways than one. Not only did we defeat our enemy but instead of being conquerors, we were more than conquerors, we were benevolent victors. We helped them rebuild, we helped them start over with opportunity to be greater nations than they were before.
While we called it the Korean conflict, to our men in the military it was just as much a war as any other. The cold was unbearable, the fighting fierce as multitudes of the enemy attacked their positions. Brave men, wounded and dying amidst the rifle and mortar fire might disagree with the terminology of those who called it a conflict. It was a war and to the veterans of it should go the honor and respect due to men of war.
War has never really been popular, but until Vietnam we always supported and honored our men in uniform. We may not agree with the Wars, that are fought today, but we are the ones who go to the polls and elect the people that make these decisions. The veterans of Vietnam are no less worthy of our support and honor than those of earlier wars. They were no less brave, their sacrifices no smaller, and their deaths no less tragic than the Continental soldiers of the Revolution, those who wore the blue and gray, the doughboy of WWI, or the GI of WWII. Many were wounded, many were killed and many came home with scars that could not be detected by our eyes but surely should be noticed with our hearts. Let us remember them with respect and honor.
Many in the past have been drafted into the Military to serve and to protect our great Nation. Today we have a different military. A military made up completely of volunteers, those who joined, knowing they could be placed in harms way. We have the best trained, best equipped, best qualified men, and yes women, serving in the Armed Forces that this or any other nation has ever known. Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, these troops are worthy of our respect, our support, our gratitude and especially our prayers. This Nation will fight terrorists. Not because we chose to but because the nature of terrorists is to attack any Nation whose God is the Lord. We can fight them there or we can wait and fight them here. Right now that choice is ours. It might not always be.
While we remember the fallen, while we honor all those who have served to protect this Nation, let us not forget the ones who still serve and are still in harm's way.
THIS IS A GREAT NATION:
Because our God is the Lord.
When we forget that, or turn from that not only will we no longer be Great, we will be weak, and we will cease to be a great Nation.
Posts
shoo we that was too long
ReplyDelete