Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Karl & Trish Silfee at the passing of Trish’s son, Josh Teal, on Monday, May 18. Arrangements are pending.
SYMPATHY: to David Bellomy at the passing of his wife, Carol Bellomy, on Sunday, May 17. The funeral service was held on Friday, May 22, in Sykesville.
SYMPATHY: to the family and friends of Carole Whitaker, a member of the Good Shepherd Class, who passed away on Wednesday, May 13. The funeral service was held on Friday, May 22, in Reisterstown.
CONGRATULATIONS: to David & Dianne Kirby on the birth of their granddaughter, Brooklynn Irene Kirby, on Sunday, May 17,
weighing 8 lbs., 8oz., and 21¼ inches long. The proud parents are Alex & Hannah Kirby.
BUS WORKERS: Starting on Thursday, June 4, and continuing through the summer, bus workers are invited to enjoy dinner with the Soul Winners each Thursday evening in joint operation, before heading out for visitation.
SUPER SIXTIES BIBLE MUSEUM TRIP: The first bus is full! We are trying to add a second one, but we will need 30 people. Stop by the Welcome Desk to sign up - the deadline is May 27. Open to all ages.
From My Heart
Happy Memorial Day! Do you know where Memorial Day started in our great land? This wonderful show of appreciation and honor to whom honor is due had its beginnings on May 5, 1886, in the little town of Waterloo, New York. The folks of Waterloo gathered on this day to honor those who had died in the Civil War. It was the first official “Memorial Day,” and it rapidly spread around from city to city, both in the north and the south, as a grateful nation sought ways to pay homage to the more than 200,000 who had lost their lives in that terribly bloody conflict.
Since then, the dead of other wars were included, with the result that the veterans of all of America’s wars and conflicts are now honored: the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the many recent wars against terrorism in the Middle East. In all of these wars and conflicts, the Department of Veteran Affairs reports over 616 thousand Americans have died fighting for our great country.
I think it is safe to say with certainty that few families in this country have not been touched by at least one of those wars, and in some cases, by several of them. Also, as a nation, we simply cannot overlook the brave men and women who have lost their lives in actions during so-called “peacetime.” I am thinking of the 246 soldiers from Fort Campbell who died in the plane crash in 1986, in Gander, Newfoundland, and also the 241 Marines who were killed by a terrorist’s bomb in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983. And the list goes on and on as time passes.
This weekend, as Americans lay wreaths on the graves of the deceased and honor them in other ways, there is a longing and hope that ways can be found to prevent wars in the future. Certainly, there can be no doubt but that another major war, if it were to come, with today’s nuclear weapons, could possibly be much worse than all the conflicts of the past put together! But sadly, war has been a major part of world history, and it seems there is a very small appetite for peace in our world today.
But one day, the Prince of Peace, God’s only begotten Son, is going to come out of Heaven, and He will finally bring peace that has alluded mankind ever since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. Isaiah 9:6 tells us, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Jesus is the only person who will ever be able to bring peace to this earth.
Have a wonderful day, and may God bless America.
Pastor Norris