A Veterans Day Prayer
Gracious and Holy God,
we come before you with grateful hearts on this Veterans Day. We give thanks for the men and women who have served our nation with courage, discipline, and unwavering commitment. We acknowledge the weight of their sacrifices and the burdens borne by service members, veterans, and their families.
We lift up to you:
Those who have served in harm’s way, seeking peace, justice, and the common good.
Families who have sacrificed time, resources, and stability while their loved ones were distant or in danger.
Veterans living with the visible and invisible wounds of war, including trauma, grief, and physical pain.
Those who work for reconciliation, healing, and safety within communities torn by conflict and fear.
Lord of mercy, you are our source of strength and hope.
We pray for:
Courage and discernment for current and future leaders, that they would seek peace, protect the vulnerable, and honor the dignity of every person.
Compassion that surpasses partisanship, so that healing and unity may rise from our shared human dignity.
Justice that addresses harm, restores communities, and creates roads toward reconciliation.
Grant comfort to grieving families, and sustain the spirits of veterans as they transition to civilian life, education, work, and service in new ways. May they find communities of welcome within local churches and neighborhoods, where they are valued, heard, and celebrated for their sacrifices.
We ask for your blessing on the work of the Church, that we may:
Be agents of reconciliation, seeking opportunity to listen first, then act with humility and love.
Stand in solidarity with those who suffer, offering practical aid, spiritual care, and advocacy for just policies and humane treatment for all veterans and their families.
Proclaim your peace, working toward a world where the costs of war are reduced and the gifts of peace are cultivated.
Teach us to honor veterans not only in words, but in deeds, through prayers offered, through support given, and through lives lived in ways that reflect your grace. May your church be a place where healing meets hope, where strangers become neighbors, and where the light of Christ shines in every corner of our communities.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever. Amen
Between Sundays: New Life, New Season, New Hope
This past Sunday we had the joy of welcoming 19 new members into the Calvary family, and yes, I know what you’re thinking: “Beth, aren’t three of those your own kids?” Correct. But still, nineteen!
New life is new life, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the energy, gifts, and stories each person brings into this community of faith. Calvary is growing, and that is a beautiful thing to behold.
Meanwhile, the building is buzzing, literally humming, as this week becomes Bazaar Week. Volunteers are sorting, crafting, arranging, lifting, rolling cheeseballs, and transforming the building into a place of welcome and wonder. I hope you and your family will join us this Saturday from 9–3 for this year’s Holiday Bazaar. It’s one of Calvary’s most joyful days, where good food, good finds, and good fellowship all land in one place.
Then on Sunday, don’t miss our next Concert Series event. Bring a friend, enjoy an afternoon of beautiful music in our sanctuary, and maybe wander downtown afterward for a bite to eat. These are the small joys that knit community together, moments of beauty and belonging.
Of course, this is also the kind of season where our calendars overflow and our energy sometimes runs thin. Scripture doesn’t pretend otherwise. Again and again, God calls busy, stretched, ordinary people to pause long enough to remember who they are and whose they are.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Stillness doesn’t mean stopping the good work we’re doing, it means grounding that work in trust. Trust that God is at the center. Trust that our efforts matter. Trust that we don’t carry this alone.
This week, you’ll receive your Stewardship package in the mail. I invite you to take some time, truly take the time, to read, and prayerfully consider your commitments for the coming year. Not from a place of pressure or fear, but from gratitude for what God has already done here, and hope for what God will continue to do through us. We will bring these commitment cards to the altar on November 23rd, dedicating them to God with open hands and trusting hearts.
Friends, this is a vibrant, generous, growing community. New members, mission efforts, music, welcome, worship, it all points toward the same truth: God is at work here.
May this busy season be filled not only with activity, but with purpose, peace, and a deep sense of God’s presence in all we do.
Until Sunday, and all the days between,
Dr. Hutton