This is a sweet book written for kids whose parents might be at war by a little boy while his dad was in Iraq.
Veterans' Day in 2007 falls on Sunday, November 11. In most years and most times, Veterans' Day passes in our churches with little or no mention. Historically and traditionally, Veterans' Day has been more a civic than a sacred observance. As with New Year’s Day, Mother's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and others, Veterans' Day is not a part of the liturgical calendar — although sometimes local congregations will observe these days in some manner in Sunday congregational worship. The worship area of the GBOD Web site has helpful history and worship resources.
Unfortunately, ‘going home’ is neither simple nor easy. Six months of combat training at Camp Shelby, followed by sixteen months of combat operations, the longest Army Guard tour of duty in Iraq, combined to forge these men and women into warriors. Within three hundred hours of their last combat mission they were demobilized and on the streets of Minnesota.
A United Methodist church more than 7,000 miles from the Middle East has shortened the distance for U.S. soldiers there to call home and speak with loved ones in the United States. St. Timothy on the North Shore United Methodist Church of Mandeville, La., collected $10,700 during a churchwide campaign in March that will purchase 2,140 phone cards - almost triple its original goal. Meanwhile, the children of the church made hundreds of greeting cards to send to United Methodist military chaplains for distribution to service members, along with the phone cards.
To assist in the transition from war to civilian life this liturgy gives the congregation the opportunity to participate.
Liturgy prepared by Laura Bender, U.S. Navy, endorsed member of the New York Annual Conference. May 2007.
Liturgy prepared by Laura Bender, U.S. Navy, endorsed member of the New York Annual Conference. May 2007. For assistance contact umea@gbhem.org.
The continued conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, now beyond their fourth year, have generated much attention to the fact of casualties and what is required to treat wounds both visible and invisible. The medical model for the former is inadequate for the latter. Therefore, it is important to develop a wide range of alternative models to accomplish the healing of soulful or spiritual or emotional wounds.
Palace HART is the Air Force response to OSD’s initiative to ensure all combat-related ill/injured, medically separated/retired DoD members receive information on entitlements, benefits, and follow-on assistance as they transition back to civilian life. This information has value for all military branches and for those in support of persons in the military.
GBOD has developed a number of worship resources for preaching, music, and prayer to assist congregations in times of war or significant international crisis that may lead to war. The focus of these resources is to help congregations offer themselves to God in prayers for peace, reconciliation, and comfort in the face of war. You may download and use these resources, subject to the copyright notice on each.
The suggestions listed appeared in the article, "Chaplains, Social-Action Advocates Unite to Aid Military, Joint effort seeks to have churches help 'hurting people'," by Cynthia B. Astle, UM NeXus Editor.
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