Dear Friends,
Monday is a holiday. Memorial Day. And I wonder how many of us will pause to consider the significance of the day.
Memorial Day always makes me think about one of the lesser known verses of the hymn America The Beautiful. After Katherine Lee Bates wrote about the majestic natural beauty of our country, she turned her poetic attention to a different kind of majestic beauty:
O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife.
Who more than self the country loved and mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness and every gain divine!
The idea of a young man or woman putting his or her life on the line to protect our nation and defend our liberties feels like a forgotten virtue in our time. I wondered this week if our public schools still teach children songs like My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee or God Bless America. We seem to have become a nation preoccupied with our faults and failings while we take for granted all that is right and good and noble about the ideals on which our nation was founded and the goodness of our way of life.
My parent’s and their contemporaries earned the sobriquet “The Greatest Generation” in part because of their selfless sacrificial commitment to do whatever was necessary –including shedding blood – in the face of unbridled evil. We have to wonder if someone like Hitler were to emerge in our day whether we would see lines forming at the Army recruitment offices.
My dad served in World War II. His transport, the Susan B. Anthony, sank off the coast of Utah Beach on the morning of June 7, 1944, less than 24 hours after the allied invasion of France had begun. It staggers the mind to think that the Battle of Normandy – just one battle in the war – claimed the lives 73,000 allied soldiers.
At the base of the famous statue of the men planting the American flag in the middle of the Battle for Iwo Jima is this inscription: “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue."
Mike Strank is one of the six men who planted the flag. A week after the iconic photo was taken showing the men anchoring the Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima, Mike was leading a group of his fellow marines across a strip of ground when Japanese snipers opened up on them. The men were pinned down. Mike was laying out a plan for his men when a mortar shell exploded, and ripped open a hole in his chest. He died instantly.
I wonder what my dad and Mike Strank and the other World War II veterans who are buried under a white cross at Arlington Cemetery would think about our world today. About our values. About how we live. About whether we take our liberties for granted.
My mom used to talk about the rationing that went on during World War II when my dad was overseas. She would often say to me “Your generation would never make it with rationing, would they?”
As we read last week about the souls of the martyrs in Revelation 6, I wondered to myself what any of us would be willing to die for. Our allegiance to Christ? The safety of our loved ones?
Would we value mercy more than life?
I hope you enjoy the three-day weekend. I hope you fire up the grill and enjoy time with family. And in the midst of the holiday, I hope you take time to think about those who “more than self their country loved” and who paid the ultimate price so we can live in freedom and worship as we choose.
At least for now.
You know what would be fun? Spending a Saturday with friends from church floating down one of the most scenic waterways in America – the Buffalo River.
Turns out you can do just that.
Our Roots students are headed to the Buffalo a week from Saturday (June 1). In past years when our students have hit the river, there have always been couples and families who have tagged along. And Pastor Cole Perkins told me that option is open for any of us this year too.
Here’s the catch. Cole has to let the company that’s outfitting us know on Friday – this Friday – how many canoes we’re reserving. So if you’re interested, click here (https://mailchi.mp/77b9792f3720/O%20beautiful%20for%20heroes%20proved%20%20In%20liberating%20strife.%20%20%20Who%20more%20than%20self%20the%20country%20loved%20%20And%20mercy%20more%20than%20life!%20%20%20America!%20America!%20%20May%20God%20thy%20gold%20refine%20%20%20Till%20all%20success%20be%20nobleness%20%20%20And%20every%20gain%20divine!), then click the register link and reserve your canoe. The cost is $30 per person – and that gets you a sandwich and chips as well.
We’ll leave from the church parking lot at 7:30 Saturday morning and be back by 6:00 that evening.
Questions? Cole has the answers. Hit him up at colechristopherperkins@gmail.com (mailto:colechristopherperkins@gmail.com).
The month of June kicks off with a couple of back to back nights.
First, guys, our final First Tuesday Men’s Meeting of the year happens on June 4. Whether you’ve been to any of the previous meetings this year or not, you’re welcome to join us.
And then the next night, Wednesday June 5, it’s our annual Backyard Burger Bash (formerly the Parking Lot Picnic). Yes, I will be grilling my now famous Pastor Bob’s Burgers™. We’ll have inflatables for the kids. Competition (Cornhole?) for everyone. And lots of food, fun and fellowship. Put it on the calendar and plan to join us out back!
Backyard Bible Club registrations are looking good! Our younger kids will be learning about the Fruit of the Spirit next month. If your kids aren’t yet signed up, here’s a link (https://redeemerlr.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2268897) so you can take care of that right now!
This week, I asked Jen Gurney if she was all set for the week or if there was anything she needed. She smiled and said “I’ll send you a list.”
Here’s the list. Look it over and see how you can help make it a special week for our kids.
1. Come and help every day during the week of June 10-14 in a variety of ways with the kiddos (contact Jen if you have questions or would like to sign up to help: jengiles1@gmail.com (mailto:jengiles1@gmail.com)).
2. Can’t come every day? Come on out for any of the days to help out with the kids.
3. Come spend an hour or so helping to decorate the rooms around the church on Sunday afternoon, June 9 at 2pm.
4. Here’s a way you can help. Order an item off the Backyard Bible Club wish list to help with needed supplies. Click here (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/9lFt7Al?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_2LP9HxfTz9Bx6%20(https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/9lFt7Al?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_2LP9HxfTz9Bx6)) to shop and contribute items from Amazon.
5. Pray for the week!!
You may remember a few weeks ago, I encouraged you to consider reading through the JI Packer classic Knowing God with a friend. Well, this summer, our NxtGen ministry for college aged students and young adults will meet three times for lunch right after church to discuss the book and to get to know one another.
Pat Howell and Cole Perkins will be facilitating the gatherings. And lunch is on us!
The first gathering happens right after church on Sunday, June 9, in the church living room.
Did you mean to talk to Kevin Wang or Jeff Fehlberg last week about volunteering to serve on the Sunday morning tech team? It’s not to late to let them know you’re interested!
If you know your way around a computer or a video camera, we can put your skills to work. We’ll train you. And after training, you’ll serve maybe once a month or so, back in the video booth, running either our livestream video or advancing the slides.
It’s a fun way to serve. Reach out to Kevin or Jeff to let them know you’re interested.
You’ve heard about the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7, right? People have wondered for centuries about the identity of these people. This Sunday, I’ll settle the issue once and for all. Finally! The definitive answer to all your questions!
See you in church.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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