September 11

[Mountaineer]

In three days - on September 11, 2016 - I will pause to remember what happened 15 years ago. Our world was changed that day. I will remember. I will pray. I will remember a friend's fiance who was in the tower and haunts her memory. I will remember there are some who hate freedom. I will be thankful for Jesus' presence in all the polarities of time ... and for eternity where there is no more hate and war...........

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Eccl 3:1-8 KJV)

[Reub]

May the thousands of innocent Americans, firefighters and police who perished that day at the hands of subhuman Islamic terrorists rest in peace.

[curlew]

May the thousands of innocent Americans, firefighters and police who perished that day at the hands of subhuman Islamic terrorists rest in peace.

A "Subhuman Islamic terrorist" did not see the firefighters and police or any of the people in those buildings as "innocent Americans". They were all sinners and enemies of Allah.

I still considered myself a Christian at the time of this incident and when my daughter called and got me out of bed after the first plane hit I was watching Pat Robertson on the 700-Club at the exact time when the second plane hit.

Soon after, I heard Mr. Robertson agreeing with Jerry Falwell and basically with the terrorists themselves, that this was the hand of God at work. For Christians, it was because God had finally decided to remove his hand of protection from us due to our collective wickedness as a nation.

So that was a pretty significant event in my life, leading me to eventually decide that I no longer wanted to call myself a Christian.

[Reub]

I called those people innocent Americans. I don't really care how the subhumans see them.

[Reub]

As heinous an act as 9/11 was upon us with all of the loss of innocent life, it's worth noting that there are millions out there who would love to do it again.

[Mountaineer]

A prayer for September 11 by The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

http://www.antiochian.org/prayer-september-11

[Mountaineer]

Rev. Gard’s memo written on Sept 11, 2016:

It is almost 2:30 p.m. here in Chicago on this the 15th anniversary of September 11. I attended Divine Service today yet my mind was not on what I was hearing. I wish I could say that I was attentive but I was not. Only two things marked the tragedy of September 11. One was a single petition in the Prayer of the Church. The second was LSB 762, “There is a Time for Everything” by Steve Starke and written in 2002. It was played during the Offering because our Cantor, who has become like a daughter to us, snuck it in just for me.

After the Divine Service, there was a congregational lunch. My wife had to leave after worship so I went with my 13 year old son. Soon he was off to sit with his buddies and I found myself alone. My mind raced back to the events of 15 years ago. Once again I was smelling jet fuel and wondering if I would ever forget what I saw inside the crash site. But then my thoughts replayed the years since. Once again I was at sea on USS Saipan in 2003. Once again I was in New Orleans sending Marines and Sailors to war and knowing that some would not return alive. Once again I was walking the corridors of the detention camps in Gitmo. Once again, I was far away from my wife and children and feeling what every deployed service member feels – a tear in the heart that can only be mended with homecoming.

I must confess that I felt as isolated as I ever have felt in my life. Nobody there had the slightest clue where my mind was and, if they did, they would have had no way to relate with experiences they did not share. I am not in New York or D.C. or Pennsylvania. I am in Illinois with people who are separated from these events by years and by miles.

Then I remembered the strong condemnation of our national response to terrorism as articulated by some on another thread. I refuse to engage them on that topic. But I have walked with heroes. I have held the newborn child of a Sailor murdered on September 11 and saw her beautiful eyes. I have held the hands of grandfathers and a 19 year old widow when they learned of their Marine’s death. The faces of those who died and those who survived this war flashed through my mind.

I questioned whether all that these heroes sacrificed was worth it. Then I saw my son and his friends doing what 8th grade boys do. I saw small children being what God created them to be. I saw a parish full of people of all ages who had heard the blessed Gospel and received His Holy Sacrament. And for the first time today, I smiled. In fact, I laughed – but at my own foolishness and questioning. To see my brothers and sisters in Christ, whether they are aged or babies, together in Christ answers the question.

Written by:
Rev. Dr. Daniel L. Gard

------------------------------

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Lee Gard serves as the eleventh president of Concordia University Chicago since its founding in Addison, Illinois in 1864.

Gard previously served as Professor of Exegetical Theology and Dean of the Military Chaplaincy Programs at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, where he had taught since 1989.

Nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama in 2013, Gard serves as Rear Admiral (Lower Half) and only months ago was nominated for and appointed to the position of Deputy Chief of Chaplains for Reserve Matters in the U.S. Navy. In these roles, Gard is responsible for overseeing military chaplain operations in Navy, Marine and Coast Guard Reserve units around the world.

Ordained by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1984, Gard previously has served as pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mishawaka, IN. He also has held several administrative positions at the Seminary including Dean of the Graduate School, and is an accomplished author and speaker. His experiences are broad and range from ministering to civilian and military personnel to teaching Hebrew to future LCMS pastors, and from comforting grieving families on 9/11 to providing spiritual guidance to his parishioners.

During his time in the military, Gard notably served during the 9/11 Pentagon recovery operations in Washington, DC during Operation Iraqi Freedom and most recently at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In addition to his various military awards, Gard received the St. Martin of Tours Award in 2008 from the former LCMS Board for Mission Services, for his exceptionally meritorious service.

Gard was awarded his B.A. in history from Carthage College, Kenosha, WI, and his Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary. He earned both his M.A. in Hebrew Bible and Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible/Judaica with minors in New Testament and Liturgics from the University of Notre Dame.

He and his wife Annette Kay Scheumann Gard have three children: Caleb, Rachel and Hannah, a current Concordia-Chicago junior.

[buddtholomew]

Hillary just took a nose dive after leaving a 9/11 memorial.
Is Trump now running unopposed?

[Reub]

Hillary just took a nose dive after leaving a 9/11 memorial.
Is Trump now running unopposed?

She simply lost all muscle control and had to be dragged face first into the ambulance, er, I mean limo. Doesn't that happen to you a lot also?

[buddtholomew]

Only when I'm in the heat, you know, when its 78 degrees outside.

[Reub]

Only when I'm in the heat, you know, when its 78 degrees outside.

Yes, but quite humid they say.