Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
God of life, on this day we honor those who have sacrificed in the service of their country in the military. Bless their gifts, and bring healing to those who have suffered and comfort to those who have lost loved ones.
We honor those who have sacrificed in the service of their country by working for peace, nonviolence and reconciliation. Bless their gifts, and bless us that we may receive the spirit of peace, the spirit of Christ.
We honor those for whom there is no national day of remembrance: for civilians who have suffered from war, and for the soldiers of other nations, who have also served their countries, who, but for fleeting circumstances, would be our friends.
We confess our collective sin of war, and lament our participation in actions that have caused suffering and loss. We repent of our violence, and ask you to nurture in us a deeper reverence for life. We confess our failure to speak out against war, violence and coercion; our willing participation in injustice for our own protection comfort; our failure to live nonviolently.
We pray for peace, for the healing and reconciliation of all peoples, and for the coming of your reign of mercy and justice according to your promise. In the spirit of those we honor today, those who have bravely served their country with arms, who have given of their time and hearts and bodies and lives, grant us deep reverence for life and your spirit of peace, so that we may serve the human community with courage and gentleness, in hope of the day when all people and all living beings will live in peace as you have intended. Amen.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Steve Garnaas-Holmes
unfoldinglight@hotmail.com