A prayer for the veterans. We offered this in worship on Sunday, 11/9:
Leader: For the men and women who serve in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
People: We ask your blessing.
L: For the family members who have made great sacrifices in order to make it possible for their service members to be on watch at home or around the world or to go into harm's way,
P: We ask your blessing.
L: For the families who grieve the death of a member who went in harm's way, never to return,
P: We ask your blessing.
L: Jesus taught that no one has greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. For all those veterans who have been willing to lay down their lives,
P: We ask your blessing.
L: For the veterans of past wars who bear scars in their bodies and spirits,
P: We ask your blessing.
L: For veterans who came home but couldn't "fit in" with their families or communities anymore,
P: We ask your blessing.
L: Lord, keep all our veterans in your care. As we honor them, we also pray for peace. We pray all these things in the name of your son, our savior, Jesus Christ.
P: Amen.
Note: This was led by Tom C, a vet, and founder of our local Veterans for Peace chapter. His son Joe has enlisted in the National Guard; they plan to be deployed to Iraq next year.
