The Sacrifice of One, Continued

Sunday morning retuning: Are you living with a forgiving attitude? That was our big idea Sunday. Trust the Holy Spirit to help you do that as Jesus leads you into the places where you will get to practice.


As I was preparing for our services this past weekend, I came across the video we used last year in our Memorial Weekend services. I found myself watching it again, and tearing up even though I pretty much remembered exactly what was coming. I know that I shared it in my Tunings/blog last year, but felt inclined to offer it again with some additional/different thought.

There are at least a couple of reasons for this. First of all consider the text of the song that is being sung as the underscore for this video. It is a powerful song of hope and rest. Honoring to the Lord, and the servicemen and women to whom it is sung.

Mansions of The Lord

To fallen soldiers let us sing
where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
to the mansions of the Lord
No more bleeding no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
just divine embrace, eternal light
in the mansions of the Lord
Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard tho the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep the mansions of the Lord.

I sometimes wrestle with how closely some people connect American patriotism with Biblical Christianity. We should be careful when we begin to draw such parallels; however, I do think their are examples from the former that are “like unto” the latter. And we see one such example in The Sacrifice of One.

But an even greater reason on my mind. Memorial Day is a chance for us to remember the sacrifice of those who have given their lives to protect our American freedoms. I think of the verse, “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay His life down for His friends.” John 15:13 The sacrifice of our military men and women is a great example of this. The sacrifice of Christ, who spoke those words, is the GREATEST example of this. He, after all, is the authority on this…and all things.

I hoped you lived some moments on Memorial Day mindful of the sacrifice of those that we were remembering. I pray you live every moment of every day mindful of the sacrifice of the One we worship.

Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. You laid down your life for us, and though we have committed to lay down our lives for you, we are apt to pick them up quickly when we feel we have need of them. Forgive us Lord, and help us live with a forgiving attitude.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy