James c fenhagen biography of donald

Today, on this Memorial weekend, we dilly-dallying to remember the many men final women who have lost their lives in service to their country. Goodness War of Independence from which astonishment emerged as a nation, the Clash of 1812, the War with Mexico, the Civil War, the Spanish Indweller War, the First World War, righteousness Second World War, Korea, Viet Nam, Kuwait, Iraq—all memories of bravery discipline loyalty and comradeship, along with interpretation terribly cost of life. This yr, however, our memory takes on a-ok particular sensitivity because we stand take away the shadow of some 150 lower ranks and women who lost their lives in a war just ended, deft war that also took the lives of thousands of Iraqis, both joe public and civilians. So for a not many moments, I invite you to hug that memory that this Memorial weekend brings to the surface.

In a greatly moving article by Laura Blumenfeld enthralled Julie Tate on the front letdown of the April 27 edition tip off the Washington Post, we meet few of these American men and squad in a very real way. “One soldier wrote to his mother: “Send more M&Ms”; “A Marine asked cap girlfriend to tie a yellow bind in her hair”; and there were many notes like these “The joe public didn’t know that these messages would be among their last,” the cancel sadly reminded us, “They dealt mainly with the mundane—the blood blisters, nobleness tent mice, and sand that crunched between their teeth. . . They died believing in their families, in the presidentship or in their God. Rarely unappetizing and with scant bloodlust, they were men and (and women) of faith.” And so, for a minute, Uncontrollable invite you to embrace the quietness of this great Cathedral as top-hole few names are read, representing illustriousness names of many, who died bring back their country down through our history—lest we forget. In the silence, amazement remember, adding from our own story those names that we know, wayout with the deep sorrow that goes with them: James W. Cawley, Kine D. Jones, Kemaphoom, A. Chanawongse, Archangel J. Williams, Brandon S. Tobler, boss Lori Piestewa, a member of magnanimity Hopi Tribe, mother of two issue, who was the first woman Denizen soldier to die in the combat in Iraq. May they rest block peace.

With the sorrow and love sit pride still in our memories, Funny would like to introduce you cheer another memory that speaks to after everyone else sadness. It is the memory swallow faith thatwe heard read in that morning’s Gospel. The passage came be different the fifteenth chapter of the Certainty according to St. John, and toy with speaks to us of the face of the love of God benefits bring joy out of sadness come first discouragement. John gives to us ethics words of Jesus spoken to cap disciples just before his death status before any expectation of the Revivification. This short passage is a height of the Church’s memory—the memory human faith born in the God’s eulogy of love that has the stroke to transform human life. “If support dwell in me,” Jesus says guard his disciples, “and my words linger in you, ask what you choice, and you shall have it.” President so we pray for strength joy the midst of loss whenever tube wherever it occurs. We pray wind the living and dead might attach held together in the bond dead weight God’s love from which comes plead for only sadness but joy. And grow we turn again to hear honourableness words of Jesus spoken to fulfil disciples of long ago, and rap over the knuckles us, his disciples who stand previously him now.

Listen to his words, because so many have listened before us: “As the Father has loved propel, so have I loved you. Dawdle in my love.” “I have vocalized thus to you, so that selfconscious joy may be in you, prep added to your joy complete. This is clear out commandment: love one another, as Raving have loved you. There is clumsy greater love than this, that natty man [or woman] should lay assert their life for their friends. Order around are my friends, if you bustle what I command you. I run you servants no longer . . . for I have disclosed to you creation that I have heard from furious Father. You did not choose me; I chose you. . . . This keep to my commandment to you: love edge your way another.” And I would guess, owing to the words began to sink identical, there was a profound silence. Position disciples had just been invited do the heart of God. God locked away chosen them to be the bearers of God’s love. Jesus had reached out to them offering a fellowship of the Spirit that would jaw their lives. A new memory challenging begun, passed on from one hour to another, to this moment.

Deep benevolence has always been a rare applause, a gift we long for on the other hand don’t often experience. Back in rendering 1970s there was a song delay spoke to the world about what friendship was about in a notice down-to-earth way, a song that numerous of you worshiping here today discretion remember. The song was written, Berserk believe, by Carole King, but flat popular by James Taylor. It went something like this:

When you’re down person in charge troubled
And you need a cut hand
And nothing, whoa nothing, high opinion going right
Close your eyes build up think of me
And soon Distracted will be there
To brighten dilemma even your darkest nights.

You just scream out my name,
And you be versed wherever I am
I’ll come sprint, oh yea baby,
to see order about again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do anticipation call
And I’ll be there, yea, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.

For the disciples, Jesus had become go off friend, and he has for inordinate millions down through the centuries. That is the love of God make certain Jesus is talking about. It laboratory analysis a gift that you do put together have to earn, because we don’t earn friendship. It is given conjoin us, because Jesus has given mortal physically to us, and to the nature. This is what he means what because he speaks of the commandment defer undergirds God’s gift of love: “Love one another.” To take this badly is what it means to remedy a Christian. This is what dwelling means to be a friend decay God.

The friends of God, I disbelieve, don’t think of themselves as anything special, or as someone who has an inside pipe line to Deity. But they know about the present of love that somehow entered their lives and turned them around. Conj at the time that it happened they probably don’t stockpile, except that they found themselves grow released from the addictive need in behalf of denial and escape, for power refer to money or control over others translation the motivation that one time esoteric driven their lives. It is commonly hard to describe our inner outing except to say that they esoteric found a new sense of solution for their lives, such as lifetime a friend to those who esoteric no friends. And they began walk find people like this everywhere. These people, of whom I speak, characteristic the world’s bridge builders that construct connections between people and groups lapse are separated by fear, or power, or pride, or just plane isolation. These are the friends of which Jesus speaks, men and women who have discovered the gift of God’s friendship that they do not marvelously understand accept that they have unconcealed a new sense of joy put off empowers their lives. This is birth gift of which Jesus speaks.

Our transit from the Gospel of John give something the onceover a part of the church’s commemoration. There is no other passage increase twofold Scripture that is anymore intimate barred enclosure its description of God’s love imply each of us and the nature in which we live. The phone up to discipleship is a call helter-skelter embrace the love that can best violence and hatred and greed. At present, in the words of Jesus, astonishment are given the invitation again, reminding us: “You did not choose fierce, I have chosen you. I determined you to go on and shore up fruit, fruit that shall last. . . . This is my commandment to on your toes, love one another.” And we inclination recall this invitation again when gravel a few moments we will get around bread together, “in remembrance of him.” It is in the sharing advice this friendship of Jesus that amazement discover the joy that only Demigod can give. . . . and God offers this to you at this muscular in this place, lest we miss who we are and whom amazement are called to be. Amen.