Prayer for Memorial Day
Almighty
God, strong to save,
we remember the brave men and women
who
have given their lives on the land, in the air, and upon the sea
in
defense of our freedom and liberty,
from the minutemen killed at
Lexington or Concord,
to the brothers killed from both the
North and South in the Civil War,
from the greatest generation who
gave their lives during World War II,
to the Active Duty troops and
National Guard men and women
killed in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
As
we remember and memorialize those who have died,
may the day serve to memorialize
them not through words engraved into stone
but gratitude burned into our hearts and minds.
God
of earth, sea, and sky,
we also pray that you will guard the
brave women and men
who are this very moment risking their
lives for our country
as they serve in foreign lands.
Give
them compassion for enemies who also fight for patriotic causes.
And
keep our sons and daughters,
our husbands and wives,
and our brothers and sisters
from hate that hardens,
or from scorekeeping with human
lives.
Though
they must be at war, let them live for peace,
as eager for agreement as for
victory.
Encourage
them as they encourage one another,
and never let hard duty separate
them
from loyalty to your Son, our Lord,
Jesus the Christ.
Note: I have been using this prayer for some time,
slightly redacted every year. I have
been using it so long that I have perhaps lost touch with some its original
sources. There are obvious allusions to
the Navy Hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”, #562 in The Presbyterian Hymnal, as well as phrasing drawn from a prayer
“For Those in the Military” #65 page 818
in the Presbyterian Book of Common
Worship.
