Memorial weekend is kind of fun for us in a small town. It’s easy to be involved, and as a Minister, it makes it very easy! It starts at the American Legion Hall for breakfast. This year there were probably 30 or so bikers, maybe more. They started at the Canadian border and riding down to Seaside, Oregon and stopping at all the American Legion Halls on the way. After breakfast we headed to the Cemetery to help put up flags. I started talking to others and didn’t help with flags. Of course, Wyatt helped. I ran into some minister friends from Four Square Church. They are Co-Pastors from Electric City. Love catching up with them! The flags we help put up are 5’ x 9 1/2’ (casket size). There are 2 people for each flag. The flag can’t touch the ground. I talked to Ben at Friday’s food bank, who is in charge of getting all the flags to the cemetery. They are all in alphabetical order. The procedure of getting all the flags in order and setting them in the ground is run like a well-oiled machine. There are 600 plus flags. I love watching it all go together. It takes 3-4 hours. Then at 3:00 pm on Monday it is all picked up and stored until next time.
After the flags are in place on Saturday, the lights go up. Some young people stay all weekend to guard the cemetery. From the deck of the parsonage there is a sea of red and blue! Awesome sight.
The service was Monday and was well attended! The Scouts fold the flag. The men and women who died this last year will be honored and flags will go up with their names. There is always an opening and closing prayer and usually a Memorial Address given by a commissioner. There is a talk on the meaning of Taps. The Lutheran Minister is an Army Veteran and plays Taps on his bugle. I love all of the program.
I think one of my nephews has all of my dad’s medals including a Purple Heart he received in Germany during World War II. The Memorial service reminds me that Freedom isn’t free. The service is steeped in God, prayer and country and honoring those who have gone before us.
For me it is a reminder to win as many as I can for the Kingdom. I am a little shy of a million souls. The Great Commission keeps me going.
Why do we have Memorials in the first place? In the Bible some Memorials were not people that died. The first explicit Memorial is a Command. A divine act.
In Exodus 16:32-33 God commands Moses to collect an omer (approximately 2 quarts) of manna and preserve it for future generations.
The fourth book of Joshua tells of the twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River, where the Priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had stood. The stones served as a Memorial for the Israelites, reminding them of God’s power and a sign for future generations demonstrating God’s faithfulness and guidance.
There are a lot of Memorials that remind us of what God has done for us. The Rainbow, The Passover, and the Communion; reminding us of what Jesus did for us!
Jewish funerals usually are 7 days starting at the burial site. It might be shortened, if it is close to a major holiday or the Sabbath.
Most of the Prophets were buried near Jerusalem, which is Tomb of the Prophets on Mt. Olives. It contains Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Isaiah is buried in Iran. King David is at Mt. Zion, City of David.
Memorials can be a simple stake in the ground. It serves as a physical marker. It can be more sacred than symbolic. Mourning is different for everyone. We all have to go through the process.
I leave you with Matthew 5:4 blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessings,
Pastor Wanda