Sunday Sharing

Those who sign up to serve our country fight the battle abroad.  At home we fight battles in our hearts and communities to keep gratitude in our hearts and remember the source of all our blessings and strength.

Recessional

God of our fathers, known of old,

Lord of our far-flung battle-line,

Beneath whose awful Hand we hold

Dominion over palm and pine

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;

The Captains and the Kings depart:

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,

An humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;

On dune and headland sinks the fire:

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose

Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,

Such boastings as the Gentiles use,

Or lesser breeds without the Law

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust

In reeking tube and iron shard,

All valiant dust that builds on dust,

And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,

For frantic boast and foolish word

Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

--Rudyard Kipling

Earlier today, in an attempt to help our children remember (and not forget) how it is that they enjoy freedom, we wrote "Dear Service Member" letters for my sister-in-law's charity "Operation Angel".  (It took some coaxing...no bribery involved, but we did have a discussion about the differences between their lives and the lives of children in countries affected by war.  It seemed to work.)

(They'll be in the mail soon, Tawny)

Jeran got creative and wrote his letter as a poem.  See his tribute to our soldiers here.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, 

Lest we forget, lest we forget.

Personal note:  I kind of cringe when I read "lesser breeds" in this poem, but keep in mind this is a period piece (late 1800's) that can still speak to us in a lot of very honest ways today if we don't discount it for the time period in which it was written.