From the Rector

When I was a small child, my father was the rector of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Kailua, Hawaii. Each Memorial Day weekend there would be special prayers for the many who died during World War II, in particular for the many who died on Dec. 7. I knew the relatives of people who died that day. I think about how this formed me. Later in life, I was able to walk the Vietnam Memorial with my father. We stopped at the names of his friends and of relatives, and at each, we said a little prayer. This, too, was formational. Finally, as a priest, I have had to make the drive to tell someone that their child has been lost. I have done the funerals, and I have lost a friend to what now seems like a never-ending conflict in the Middle East. For me, Memorial Day is truly a day of remembrance.

For the many who have served and lost friends, for the families of the fallen, the feeling of remembrance that I have must be magnified by an untold amount. In light of this, I invite you to take a moment this weekend to pray for those who have died in the service of our country and for those who mourn. I also invite you to pray for the safety of those who serve. And finally, as Christians, I invite you to pray for peace.

In Christ,
Mitch+