Dv050503

Woodhaven Baptist Church

5 May 2003

Dear Friend,

The major conflict is over, but the birth pains of a new nation are beginning. Men and women from different countries laid down their lives in the hopes of bringing freedom to a foreign people. Whether you supported the war or not, your prayers were and still are needed for protection and guidance over soldiers over in Iraq and leaders at home in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The men and women that served our countries and the world did so voluntarily. Some viewed serving nation as an obligation, some as a privilege, some for their family and friends, some for their God. The prophet called out many years ago to a different people in a different land and said this:

"And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it, for in its peace you will have peace." Jeremiah 29:7

May we seek the peace of our land here in the U.S.A. and in the U.K. Some of you may not know that this little devotional goes global. I thought of Shakespeare's 'This England' speech from Richard II and a song by Johnny Cash as I watched President Bush on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. God has richly blessed us by placing us in these great nations. ...I'm sorry I cannot find my copy of Richard II, but to the rest of you please look at the words of "Ragged Old Flag."

I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench, an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kind of run down."
He said, "No, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your old flagpole is leaning a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hanging on it."
He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our liitle town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
but we're kind of proud of that ragged old flag.
You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
when Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder burns the night that Francis Scott Key
sat watching it, writing, 'Oh say, can you see.'
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Pakenham and Jackson tugging at the seams.
And it almost fell at the Alamo
beside the Texas flag, but she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville.
And she got cut again at Shiloh hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard and Bragg.
And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag.
On Flanders' field in World War I,
she got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II.
She hung limp and low a time or two.
She was in Korea and VietNam.
She went where she was sent by her uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam.
And now they've about quit waving back here at home.
In her own good land here, she's been abused.
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.
And the government for which she stands
is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
but she's in good shape for the shapes she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before.
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.
So we raise her up every morning, we take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground, and we fold her up right.
On second thought, I do like to brag,
'cause I'm mighty proud of that ragged old flag."

* written by Johnny Cash 1974.

With love,

Pastor Scott Patz

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Last updated: 16 June 2005