12th Anniversary of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001

A Service…

On the 12th anniversary of 9/11, my children will proudly take part of a prayer service at their school.  What will they do?  How will it happen?  What can you do?  Here is an overview of what is planned for our 9/11 morning, feel free to create your own tribute.

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Our service will happen the minute school starts for the children.  Cub Scouts, Girls Scouts and the American Heritage Girls will hold a flag that was flown over a forward base in Afghanistan and was donated to their pack for their support of the troops.

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Together with roughly 1300 students and staff they will remember the many people who died in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. They will pray for them and their families. They will recall the police, fire fighters, medics and chaplains who were the first responders, and how grateful we are for their sacrifice.  We know that many among us will have known someone who was personally affected by the events on 9/11 – friends, relatives, co-workers. We will remember them, as well.

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Lastly, we will pray for the soldiers who are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq as a result of 9/11, and their families. We will come together and keep all these people into our hearts, along with all our love and concern, and lift them up to God.  In their honor, we will observe a moment of silence.

I invite you to take a moment of silence today and if you feel inclined, read the prayer we shared at school.

Loving God, we gather today to recall the events of September 11. We lift up to you all those people affected by 9/11 – those who died in the attacks, those who responded, those who now fight in wars as a result of that dark day, those we know who were personally impacted, and all those who still mourn the loss of loved ones.

We lift up our prayers and our concerns and our desire to bring your love to a broken world. Send your Holy Spirit among us now, O God, to open our hearts and minds to your presence. We know you are a God of life, not death; you are a God of mercy, not vengeance. Lead us into holy actions that will glorify you and honor those who died.

As we turn our attention to scripture, open our ears to hear your life-giving Word, and stir our souls to respond to the grace you so freely bestow. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Reading – Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Pledge of Allegiance

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.”

Can you hum a tune today, bet this one will make you smile.  God Bless America by Irving Berlin

God Bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above;

From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.    

Last year our family remembered the fallen with our community, click here to see photos.  I am sure you will see us flying our flag again this year.