Photo by Matthew Huang on Unsplash
Next Monday we honor Memorial Day, a federal holiday set aside to remember the men and women who died while serving in our country’s armed forces. I cannot help but lift up the beautiful words of Finlandia, which we will sing this Sunday:
“This Is My Song”
Lloyd Stone and Georgia Harkness, UM Hymnal, No. 437
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
This Sunday, join us as we lift up prayers not only for our country’s servicemen and women who have died, but all those who have died in the world because of war. Here is a beautiful prayer, entitled A Prayer for the World by Amy Petrie Shaw.
For all who die in war
We lift up our hearts
For all who live in suffering in the aftermath of violence
We lift up our hearts
For all who give their lives in smoke and flame
We lift up our hearts
For all who go on in honor of the dead
We lift up our hearts
For all who have served
We lift up our hearts
For our country and our world
We lift up our hearts
For a planet that will find peace
We lift up our hearts
For the young and the innocent
We lift up our hearts
For the weary and war torn
We lift up our hearts
For those who would pray
We lift up our hearts
For those too angry to cry
We lift up our hearts
For all of us, for the many names of God
We lift up our hearts
We lift up our hearts
Shanti, shalom, peace, sa laam.
Amen.
