Benediction for Veterans Day, 2013

Gracious Father, we acknowledge that you have been our hiding place in all our generations. You heard us when we cried in our distress, you graciously kept us safe and free. Without you we can do nothing; we thank you for being good to us as a nation. Thank you for this service of recognition for those in service who deserve our thank you.

Now we call upon you again to let your favor be upon our men and women in uniform who have volunteered to stand against evil, intent on our destruction.  Show favor on Korean War vets as we celebrate 60 years of the Armistice. Show favor to last of Doolittle raiders, who gave their final toast a few days ago. Show favor to those who will remember the 70^th anniversary of D-Day, and the buddies they left behind. Show your favor on those who suffer physical and mental wounds in the defense of our freedom. Show your favor on our vets as they age, may they be an example of integrity, and patriotism. Let them be the peacemakers, fill them with wisdom and reason. Show favor to our Commander-in-Chief, those that make decisions in the Pentagon, our Congress, our Senate, our commissioned officers, our sergeants, and our 18 year old privates.

God, we ask you bless us and keep us. Make your face to shine upon us and be gracious to us. May you lift up your countenance upon us and give us peace.

God, in your grace, bless America.

We ask this in the Name of our Lord and Savior,

Amen

Sometimes, it’s more than just luck.

Once again, I credit my Jewish step-father for sending me this anonymous post. A sincere thanks to all you Veterans this Veterans Day.

Pastor Dave

Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WW II. He tells this
story of a World War II bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on one of their gas tanks.
“Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, John Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple.

“On the morning following the raid, John had gone down to ask our crew
chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck. The crew chief told
John that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11
unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from John.

“He was told that the shells had been sent to the bomb experts
to be defused. The armorers told him that after extensive examination
they could not say why the shells never exploded. John eventually sought
out the answer.

“Apparently when the armorers opened each of those
shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people
scoured our base for a man who could read Czech.
Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It was mind-boggling.

Translated, the note read:

*”This is all we can do for you now………”* “Using Jewish slave labor is
never a good idea.”