From The Pastor’s Desk

This past Tuesday we chose whether to exercise one of our most important rights which we have as American citizens, to vote or not to vote. It is a right that we have had so long that for many Americans it is “just something else to do”. Since I am composing this on Monday the statistics are not out on how low the voter percentage was on Tuesday. I do not mention this to point fingers, but rather to celebrate the men and women who fought and many times died that we would have the freedom to vote for our form of government and the taxes we pay to support our government and public services.

At the risk of being criticized for sounding too political, I am writing about the importance of being an active American. We live in a democratic society, and it is through our involvement in our government that our great nation has withstood the problems of the past. It is the duty of each American citizen to vote in the country’s elections. Whether it is city, state, or national elections, we as citizens are choosing whom we will entrust the authority for promoting the common good. Our choices have profound, important consequences that affect the lives of millions, especially the most vulnerable people in society: the elderly, children, handicapped, and the unborn.

As we celebrate Veterans Day, we give thanks to the millions of veterans from the various United States wars who are still alive. There are approximately 620,000 veterans alive today who fought for our freedom in WWII. This year the estimate is that 555 are dying each day. That generation who gave so much to keep us free are now returning to the Lord. From 1941 to 1945 the United States fought across the world to stop dictators and their governments from seeking to dominate the world. We owe so much to those men and women. There are also many veterans from the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf, and the Afghan and Iraq Wars. Let us keep all veterans of our past wars in prayer, as well as those still fighting today that we may be free.

I would like to express our appreciation to all those who contributed their time, money and effort to the musical Les Miserables. Thank you to all the patrons, business partners, parishioners and all who filled the seats for 4 sold out shows!