Memorial Day Message
Pastor Bill Nichols - May 30th, 2010Today's Scripture reference is First Timothy 2:5-6
Introduction
Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Although I did share with you some history behind Memorial Day last year, I think it important enough to continue to remind our children, and to share with those who may not have been here last year, why and how Memorial Day came into being.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead"
It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in General Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the Northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several Southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
I wanted to share with you a few statistics from the Civil War, from which the practice of decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers originated.
During the Civil War, the Union Army had 389,753 deaths due to battles, disease, P.O.W. and other reasons. In addition there were 275,175 who were wounded.
The Confederate Army had 289,000 deaths and another 194,026 injuries. Combined, 678,753 died in the war and there were a combined total of over 1 million deaths and casualties during that war, more than the casualties of all the other wars combined.
On Memorial Day, the American flag should be flown at half-staff until noon on Monday. It should then be raised to the top of the staff. If you raise your flag Monday morning (as opposed to having an illuminated all-weather flag you leave out all night), you need to raise it to the top of the staff and then lower it to half-staff from there.
In honor of those who have given their lives for our nation in service to their country, I would like to play a video by Trace Atkins entitled: Arlington. Will open in a new page or tab for your connivence>
Many have died and many more have made sacrifices for this great nation.
In contrast, there is one who came to this earth to give His life as a ransom for all of mankind.
First Timothy 2: 5 - 6 (New International Version)5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time.
Before He went to the cross, Jesus shared a Passover Meal with His disciples. During that meal, He instituted a memorial supper, one that we celebrate each week. This supper is called by different names, Communion, The Lord's Supper, The Eucharist, Mass, etcetera. Regardless of what you call it, it is the one memorial that we have in the New Testament that commemorates what Jesus did for us on the cross.
We find this memorial recorded in three of the Gospels, Matthew 26: 26 - 29, Mark 14: 22 - 25, and Luke 22: 17 - 20. In both Luke's Gospel and in the writings of the Apostle Paul we hear the words of Jesus, "Do this in remembrance of Me."
(Luke 22: 19, 1 Corinthians 11: 24 - 25)
The Lord's Supper is such an important part of our worship that it is not to be taken lightly by anyone. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11: 27 - 29, tells us that everyone who partakes of this memorial is to first examine himself so that he might partake in a worthy manner.
The Scriptures tell us that we will share in this memorial supper someday with Jesus in the kingdom of God.
Matthew 26:29 (NIV)29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
The Lord's Supper is a memorial that we practice each week at Gateway Christian Church. Let us do so in reverence giving honor to the one who gave His life on our behalf, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!