Twelve ways to observe Memorial Day
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A UMNS Report
by Barbara Dunlap-Berg*
2:00 P.M. EST May 27, 2011
Cadence Cobb, 2, waves an American flag as she rides on the shoulders of
her dad, U.S. Army veteran A.J. Cobb. A web-only photo by Dee Dee Cobb.
From sea to shining sea, United Methodists are finding special ways to
observe Memorial Day in the United States. Here is a sampling of ideas.
- Pray for all who have given their lives for our freedom. “The
major emphasis of the Memorial Day worship time,” said the Rev. Alan
Brown, Hayes Memorial United Methodist Church, Fremont, Ohio, “is not on
a secular observance; rather, it is the message of the gospels and the
sacraments of the church.”
- Read the names of fallen veterans, and toll a bell after each name is read.
The Rev. Walter L. Graves, who will preach at a community-wide service
on Memorial Day, encourages people to read the names when they see a war
memorial. “Remember,” said the pastor of Reelsboro United Methodist
Church, New Bern, N.C., “that was a person who had … dreams and
desires.”
- Provide special worship music with a PowerPoint presentation.
“My church has a slide show of friends and family, living and dead, who
have served in the military,” reported Leslie Haggs, lay leader at
Angelica United Methodist Church in New York.
- Offer a candlelight service. Bishop James Swanson of the
Holston Annual (regional) Conference will preach at joint services of
three congregations — Mount Wesley and New Victory, Telford, Tenn., and
Mayberry, Jonesborough, Tenn. A candlelight service for those interred
in the church cemetery this past year will be part of worship.
- Wave a flag. Youth of First United Methodist Church,
Koppel, Pa., raised money to buy an American flag for all 225 residences
in the little town. “I’m a flag-waver,” admitted the Rev. Donald A.
Anderson. Quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he expressed hope that
the flags would “bring Koppel a sense of pride in participating in this
great holiday honoring those who fought to protect our freedoms.”
At Arlington (Va.) National Cemetary, flags decorate the tombs of those
who died in the service of their country. Photo courtesy of Arlington
National Cemetery.
- Lay a wreath. In Illinois, Malta United Methodist Church
will have a special worship service. The congregation invites veterans
of the community to pay tribute to fellow soldiers by marching as a unit
from the church to the township library, where a wreath will be
dedicated.
- Decorate veterans’ graves. “After Sunday service,” said
the Rev. Charlie Johnson Jr., a local pastor serving three congregations
in the Lynchburg, Va., area, “we go into the church cemetery, remove
the old flags placed on the graves of veterans last Memorial Day and
replace them with new ones. … We remember our active-duty military every
Sunday during prayer.”
- Do a project for active troops. In Maine, the North
Searsport United Methodist Church is recruiting the community to join
parishioners in a mission project to benefit soldiers going overseas.
Participants will sew small pillows for military personnel. The project
is in response to recent articles about soldiers having to pay for
pillows on their flights.
- Make military care packages. As part of their recent Change the World activities,
the congregation of First United Methodist Church, Alice, Texas,
brought items for military care packages to mail to troops serving
overseas. “Many of us have loved ones who are serving in the military,”
member Stefany Simmons explained. “Each of us signed cards to include
for the troops.”
- Be part of a community-service day. Manatee United
Methodist Church is one of two Bradenton, Fla., locations for the
Journey of Remembrance, an annual community-service day honoring U.S.
military veterans and their families for their care and sacrifice.
Parades are one way to honor those who sacrifice daily for our freedom. A web-only photo by Dee Dee Cobb.
- Learn about issues affecting veterans. At Christ United
Methodist Church, Troy, N.Y., a guest speaker will focus on the history
and social justice issues related to military mental illness. “At Christ
Church,” said the Rev. Nina Nichols in the Bennington Banner, “we honor
those who serve their country, who served with the hope of bringing
justice on behalf of our nation. But as a people of faith, we must not
fail to call for a better way to peace than war. This Memorial Day we
pray for peace for the war-weary.”
- Glorify Jesus as the Prince of Peace and reach out to those whom others may forget.
On Memorial Day — as he does throughout the year — John Alexander, a
member of East Lake United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Ala., will be
involved with Kairos Prison Ministries. A Christian, lay-led,
ecumenical, volunteer, international prison ministry, Kairos brings
Christ's love and forgiveness to incarcerated individuals and their
families.
*Dunlap-Berg is internal content editor for United Methodist Communications.
News media contact: Barbara Dunlap-Berg, Nashville, Tenn., 615-742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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