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Every Veteran's Day it's basically the same thing at my church. All the veterans, if they can, dress in their old uniforms. The pastor has them stand up by which service branch they were in. Then they sit down by age and we all applaud the oldest. Then, we sing all the Armed Forces songs, Anchors Aweigh, The Caisson Song, Wild Blue Yonder, Sempur Parudus, The Marine's Hymn and we top it off with The Star Spangled Banner. If I left out a song or two, I apologize. After this we have our yearly thank the vets sermon. By next week no one will remember who as in what service or which war.
I was reading an article written by a former chaplain. His article was how churches need to care for our veterans. He highlighted several points
Church Attendance
1.Many veterans, especially combat veterans do not attend church because they feel church does not understand what they have endured.
2.Many feel guilt and struggle to reconcile what they have done.
3.Many feel churchgoers are hypocrites.
Spiritual Issues
1.Some churches openly oppose war.
2.Some vets feel deep shame.
3.Some vets feel they have unforgivable sin.
3.Some vets are stuck in grief.
4.Some vets are angry with God.
Death
1.Some vets turn to drugs and alcohol to deaden the pain of being around death.
2.Some vets are traumatized by physical and sexual abuse.
The former chaplain went on to offer several solutions or ideas. Have a chaplain train church members in ways to minister to vets. Volunteer at a VA Clinic or Hospital. Listen to our veterans stories.
Singing songs once a year should be simply a part, a small part, of remembering those who have sacrificed to keep church doors open and this country free.
I remember years ago when the Minister was a veteran in this small town , and one Sunday per year they would march down the main street and sit in the first three roles of the Old Church and have a meeting .and then after the meeting they would march down the street , which was back in the 1960s ..... Where to day it would be unheard of to go to a church , and even praying at the monument for the fallen veterans would be forbidden , which some do not even attend today because of the forbidden prayer to the Glory of God
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