DECORATION DAY

 

Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026

 

DECORATION DAY

 

Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 

 

          We called it Decoration Day because Tennessee people, wherever they had roamed, came home to place pretty flowers on the family graves. It was a time for reunion with others who had come home.

 

          Our loved ones were all buried in the small cemetery adjoining the Pine Hill Church, probably Baptist with a Pentecostal flavor. It was there that we gathered to forget trespasses and to remember good things. The church provided “all day singing” and “dinner on the ground.”

 

          Our family had migrated to Ohio, where there was work for daddy. We took highway 27 south through Kentucky. We stopped somewhere in the mountains at a log cabin restaurant. I remember that there was a Koi pond out front which fascinated me and my siblings. They were the biggest goldfish we had ever seen. Inside was a trinket shop with hillbilly stuff. There was a coonskin hat which we did not buy but wanted to. We ate … something.

 

Lord, let me sit a spell and forget trespasses and remember good things. AMEN

 

ANOTHER PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY!

 

Sunday, May 24, 2026

 

ANOTHER PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY!

 

Matt 24:37-39

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 

Memorial Day reminds me of an old song. “Pleasant Valley Sunday” is a song by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, most famous for the version recorded by The Monkees in 1967. Goffin’s and king’s inspiration for the name was a street named Pleasant Valley Way, in West Orange, New Jersey where they were living at the time. The road follows a valley through several communities among the Watchung Mountains. The lyrics were a social commentary on status symbols, creature comforts, life in suburbia and “keeping up with the Joneses.” (Source Wikipedia) Thoughtless consumerism is not a new phenomenon, and neither is social commentary although both did spike in the sixties.

 

Jesus predicted that “the coming of the Son of man” would take place during a time of lazy luxury. People would be focused on the common affairs of daily life and that these concerns would crowd out any thought of morality, God or eternity. Jesus never recommended the abandonment of daily activities or even times of celebration, but He did warn against an irreligious life.

 

As we light the grill and slice the watermelon, let us remember those who died to give us the freedoms we enjoy. As we go about our daily activities, let us glance occasionally at the cross and give thanks to the One who died to purchase our salvation.

 

Dear Lord, let me not be so consumed with consumerism that I forget to remember your sacrifice. AMEN

 

FOUR IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEBER

 

Saturday, May 23, 2026

 

FOUR IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEBER

 

Gen 32:9-12

9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord  which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

 

          Jacob, the scoundrel, was about to return home accompanied by his wives, his children, and all his abundance. He had fled the rage of his brother whom he had cheated of both birthright and blessing. Now the prospect of meeting his angry brother causes him to pray. In this prayer I see FOUR important points to remember when we pray.

 

          One, we must understand who God is! This, at its best, is elementary because which of us has fully mined the depths of Jehovah God? Nevertheless, Jacob begins by acknowledging God as supreme. This is fundamental in our relationship with Him.

 

          Two, we must understand who we are! The word “unworthy” is a difficult Hebrew word to fully interpret. It is the word qaton which, essentially means “to be made small.” Jacob saw himself shrinking before God’s great person, power, and patience. God’s goodness to him was so overwhelming that he had to admit that he deserved none of it.

 

          Three, we must express our concerns! Jacob correctly began his prayer with the words “for I fear” in verse eleven. In my opinion, Jacob feared that his brother would be as ruthless as himself. In his returning parade, Jacob sent ahead with his substance and then what could only be described as the sacrifice of his family before he, himself, met his angry brother. Always the manipulator, Jacob thought to assuage the anger of his offended brother. This was his fear and his prayer.

 

          Four, we must remember God’s promises! Jacob reminded God of his promise to do him good and to make him a great nation. I suspect God needs no reminder, but we need to remind ourselves of God’s covenant with us. If God has promised blessing, then this fear is not well founded. Only when we are convinced of God’s good intentions toward us can we move forward in faith.

 

Awesome God! I shrink before you as one who has no standing with you without your great kindness. I bring to you my fears and concerns. Remember your promises to me. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN