Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead". While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem: 

We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights. And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

Blessings,

Pastor Craig

Jump!

I have done it. I thought it would never happen. It seemed so far off. It was the impossible goal set beyond reach. Others are far ahead of me. One is already through, yet I plod along. 

I have sent off what I hope is the final version of my thesis proposal! In one sense a huge amount of work is now completed. In another sense, the door has opened on a whole new closet needing to be cleaned out, bigger and messier than the one before. It is much like writing a sermon or even this weekly column. Much of the effort is in taking the first step. Once pen is put to paper, or in this case, fingers to keyboard, the journey has begun.

What journey has God laid out for you? Some of us are traveling uncharted waters. We are in the deep end of the pool with little or nothing with which to pull ourselves out. We have made a commitment. Once we jump off the diving board we know we are going into the water. We can’t stop halfway down and go back up!

Following Jesus, is just like that! Christ, Himself, says, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God. Strong words. We can’t go back. It is all or nothing. That’s what Jesus is saying. You wouldn’t be fit for the Kingdom because the Kingdom requires total commitment just as jumping off that diving board requires total commitment.

I am in over my head now. The next eighteen months will be consumed with reading, writing, interviewing, taking surveys, and analyzing data. But, we’ve all been in over our head for a long time as disciples of Jesus. It isn’t a sink or swim situation though, like it is with the academic work, because Christ guarantees your success. He is not just the lifeguard. He is the one who swims for us when we can’t even dog paddle.

So many times we hold back. We stand, bouncing on the end of the diving board, not really wanting to take that big leap, but knowing that to climb down off the platform is not the way we would like to exit the situation either. The problem really boils down to one of trust. Christ is there telling us to Jump, come on! Everything’s going to be fine! But, we don’t trust Him. We like to be in control and we know that once our feet leave that board, we are not in control any longer. So we stand there bouncing. It’s time to make a decision. What will you do? Come on in, the water’s fine!

Blessings,

Pastor Craig

Wait

Wait! – One of our Scriptures for today comes from John 5:1-15. It’s the story of the pool of Bethesda. A certain man lay by the pool hoping to be the first one to get in when the angel of the Lord came down to stir up the water. He had been sick for 38 years and had probably been coming to the pool almost everyday waiting for the waters for that whole time.

There is a legend that goes with the story we have in Scripture. Among the crowd of people waiting for the ruffling of the surface is a physician incurably ill. Though a healer himself, he has come seeking help from a strength greater than his own. As he pushes forward, an angel stops him. Healing is not for the physician, he tells him. Then, with an insight undoubtedly inspired by the apostle Paul, the angel adds,

Without your wound where would your power be? It is your very remorse that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In Love’s service only the wounded soldiers can serve. Draw back. . .

Sometimes, that which we desire most is kept from us. We are the ones who, in our brokenness can show the compassion others need to experience. We experience it ourselves as the writer of Hebrews tell us:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:15,16)

Yes, we may have to wait for our hearts desire. We may be tried. We may have to show years of patience before we are granted the answer we wish to our prayers. However, we never have to wait for the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to be given to us by our Lord and Savior. He knows how you feel because he has been there himself.

Pastor Craig