Message from Pastor Mori
Dear RFUMC Family The UMC Book of worship says that Memorial Day is "observed the last Monday in May or the previous Sunday. This day honors the war dead of the United States. It was first celebrated in 1866 in Waterloo, New York. Many observe the day by decorating graves, especially of persons who died in war." Wikipedia explains Memorial Day is " a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties while serving in the United States Armed Forces….Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. Military. Many volunteers place an American flag on graves of military personnel in national cemeteries." Every year as Memorial Day approaches, I find myself thinking about the words of Jesus to his disciples, recorded in John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." I believe God gives us Memorial Day to remember the ones who loved their family, neighbors, and their country so much. So, we have a chance to honor the people who served their country through a Memorial Day prayer during worship. (in-person worship Sign-up link here) Also, for me, this Memorial Day is interesting because last year around Memorial Day, we all witnessed the tragic death of George Floyd. I remember when the protest started in downtown Chicago last year a day after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis. We watched dozens of people marching and crying out for justice. I think our heart was full of grief when we watched the video of the final moments of Gorge Floyd's life. One year later, the grief still remains. When I think about his death, I feel sad and am so overwhelmed, and I feel pain because I vividly sense the powerlessness. Still, we are not free from the anguish, violence and anxiety. Yes, the COVID-19, vaccine has given us the freedom to start to go back to normal life. However, are we prepared to be move forward our mourning of injustice? I think this Memorial Day, we should remember what we saw last year, and have enough time to mourn our brokenness. The author of "Mourning in America: Race and the Politics of Loss," David McIvor, also said that "Mourning is the work not only of integrating what has been lost into our personality, but also of integrating the personality itself: our fears and our hopes, our vulnerabilities and our power. To do this, we first have to overcome the defenses that dissociate us from the pain of loss – our own pain and that of others" Our God knows our broken heart, God knows our disappointment, God knows your grief. So, bring it to God. Pray and ask God to take care of your mourning. As we remember our grief, we will continue to challenge violence and open the door to those who have an unequal access to liberty.
Blessings
Pastor Mori | 
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