Minute for Mission: Memorial Day Devotional: Remembering. Honoring. Walking Together.

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Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

There are moments in history that leave marks too deep for time to erase. Wars are among them. They shape generations, redefine communities, and leave behind both visible and invisible wounds. For those who have served — and for those who have loved them — these marks are carried long after the conflict ends.

Memorial Day invites us into a sacred pause. It is more than a long weekend or the unofficial start of summer. It is a day set apart to remember, intentionally and reverently, those who gave their lives in service to others. It is also a day to acknowledge the quiet grief carried by families, friends and communities who continue living in the absence of someone they love.

Remembrance is not passive. It asks something of us. It calls us to see the cost of sacrifice, to honor it not only with words but also with presence. For some, this remembrance is expressed in ceremonies and flags placed beside gravestones. For others, it is found in silence, in tears or in stories shared around a table.

As people of faith, we are also called to care. To stand beside those who mourn. To listen without rushing. To offer comfort not just through words but also through companionship. Sometimes the most meaningful ministry is simply refusing to let someone grieve alone.

We may not fully understand the weight carried by those who have experienced war firsthand or the depth of loss felt by their families. But we can be a community that bears witness to their stories. We can be people who embody compassion, extending grace and support in both small and profound ways.

Our denomination has over 120 chaplains serving in the Veterans Affairs hospitals, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the military, and they are ministering within a broader community where that reality is an indelible part of their life journey. While it will be a day for remembrance, as chaplains, it is, more importantly, a time to share a prayer, offer a shoulder to cry on, counsel, or walk in silence, but never alone. Hopefully, it will become an indelible support in a time of remembering. 

On this Memorial Day, may we remember with gratitude. May we honor with humility. And may we walk alongside those who carry loss, offering them the steady reminder that they are not alone.

Rev. Dennis Hysom, Executive Director, Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

Let us join in prayer for:

Jessica Kelley, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Publishing & Editorial, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Wilson Kennedy, Associate Director, Annual Giving, Administrative Services Group    

Let us pray:

God of mercy and peace, we remember today those who gave their lives in service to others. We honor their sacrifice and hold in our hearts the families who continue to feel their absence. Teach us to be people of compassion and be ready to listen, to comfort and to stand with those who grieve. May we reflect your love in our care for one another. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Remember Our Chaplains — Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

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Matthew 25: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me … I was sick, and you took care of me; I was in prison, and you visited me.”

On Feb. 2, 1943, four U.S. Army chaplains from different faith traditions selflessly gave up their life jackets to others on the USAT Dorchester as it sank from a strike by an enemy torpedo. Survivors recall seeing four chaplains, arms linked together, praying as the ship slipped beneath the waves. Since that date, Feb. 2 has become an observance called Four Chaplains Day, which brings together people of diverse backgrounds to recognize our shared humanity.

Our Book of Order states, “God sends the Church to join the mission of Jesus Christ in service to the world.” Just as those four chaplains were called to serve their military community during World War II, today, dedicated PC(USA) chaplains minister in various federal, state and local ministries as they seek to remain faithful to that call.

The Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies endorses PC(USA) chaplains serving in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Veterans Affairs hospitals and the branches of our military. As highlighted in Matthew 25, these chaplains are called to bring hope and transform their respective communities through acts of love and compassion: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, freeing captives, sheltering the homeless, welcoming strangers, comforting those who mourn and being present with all who are in need. These times include:

A VA chaplain called to sit with an elderly veteran in his hospital room during his last few moments of life. The chaplain conveyed words of love and reassurance and offered prayers while waiting for the family to arrive. They were grateful knowing their loved one was never alone.

A military chaplain conducted a funeral service for a soldier whose remains were identified 73 years after he was declared Missing in Action. The chaplain said it was an honor and privilege to help bring closure to the family that waited so long for their loved one to be returned.   

A Federal Bureau of Prison chaplain advocating for incarcerated adults and daily proclaiming God's grace as they deal with shame, guilt, anger and the belief that no one, not even God, can ever love them. This chaplain firmly believes these spiritual and emotional chains can be broken, and chaplains can help release them from their control.

Whether it’s 1943 or 2025, PC(USA) chaplains engage with people when life brings about cause for celebration, sorrow, accomplishment, doubt, renewal and despair. Pray for our chaplains who selflessly give of themselves so that the voice of the voiceless can be heard, the needs of those in need can be met, and the gift of hope and life itself can be given in the darkest moments in unexpected ways.

Rev. Dennis E. Hysom, Executive Director, Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies and retired Army Chaplain

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff:

Chris Abney, VP, Director of IT, Presbyterian Foundation
Susan Abraham, Associate, Mission Program Grants & Mission Development Resources Committee
 

Let us pray:

Loving God, you know how deep wounds go. You know that many in our communities suffer, and you feel that pain in their lives. You know the memories that haunt them and the scars that many of them continue to carry. O merciful Savior, bring healing to those who are still hurting. Please grant patience and wisdom to those around them who cannot understand but can sometimes help. Permit both physical and spiritual healing to wounds that remain. For this, we pray in your most holy name, Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Honoring the fallen and supporting the living

“One has indeed personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression; but as the years go by it seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years. By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.” — J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973)

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Photo by Chad Madden via Unsplash

This season is more than just a change on the calendar. It is a time to remember the people. It is time set aside to remember those who fell in the service of our country, and it is time set aside to care for those left behind: fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, friends and loved ones. Across the nation, many will take time out of their day to honor those who have fallen while fighting in the service of their country at places like Valley Forge, the trenches at Argonne, the hills of Cuba, the beaches at Normandy, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, in the streets of Mogadishu, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. For some, the remembrance is patriotic; for many others it is deeply personal.

The Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies has over 120 chaplains serving in the military and Veterans Administration hospitals. Many have either “personally come under the shadow of war and have fully felt its oppression” or are ministering within a broader community where that reality is an indelible part of their life journey. For chaplains, it is a time to share a prayer, offer a shoulder to cry on, to counsel, or to walk in silence, but never alone — and hopefully become an indelible support in a time of remembering. While some of us will never know or fully understand the sacrifices made when a father, mother, son or daughter is sent off to war, there are many who will, and they will need communities of care, support and compassion — and that is the church. That is why we take time to remember.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” — Proverbs 34:18.

The Rev. Dennis Hysom, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is executive director of Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies. Reach him at dhysom@presfedchap.org.

(Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Donald A. Walker, Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, Board of Pensions
Jacklyn Walker, Administrative Office Manager, Global Ecumenical Partnerships, Director’s Office, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

Eternal and living God, surely your goodness and your mercies have followed us all the days of our lives. Today we pause to remember that our blessings,  
liberties and rights have been secure at great sacrifice to others. Loving Lord, we ask you to console and strengthen those who mourn the loss of their loved ones. May this day be a time to remember the grief of our loss and turn our eyes forward seeking the fruit of your peace ahead. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Remember Our Chaplains — Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

Matthew 25: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…I was sick, and you took care of me; I was in prison, and you visited me.”

On Feb. 3, 1943, four U.S. Army chaplains from different faith traditions selflessly gave up their life jackets to others on the USAT Dorchester as it sank from a strike by an enemy torpedo. Survivors recall seeing four chaplains, arms linked together, praying as the ship slipped beneath the waves. Since that date, Feb. 3 has become an observance called Four Chaplains Day, which brings together people of diverse backgrounds to recognize our shared humanity.

Our Book of Order states, “God sends the Church to join the mission of Jesus Christ in service to the world.” Just as those four chaplains were called to serve their military community during World War II, today, dedicated PC(USA) chaplains minister in various federal, state and local ministries as they seek to remain faithful to that call.

The Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies endorses PC(USA) chaplains serving in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Veterans Affairs hospitals and the branches of our military. As highlighted in Matthew 25, these chaplains are called to bring hope and transform their respective communities through acts of love and compassion: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, freeing captives, sheltering the homeless, welcoming strangers, comforting those who mourn and being present with all who are in need. These times include:

A VA chaplain called to sit with an elderly veteran in his hospital room during his last few moments of life. The chaplain conveyed words of love and reassurance and offered prayers while waiting for the family to arrive. They were grateful knowing their loved one was never alone.

A military chaplain conducted a funeral service for a soldier whose remains were identified 73 years after he was declared Missing in Action. The chaplain said it was an honor and privilege to help bring closure to the family that waited so long for their loved one to be returned.   

A Federal Bureau of Prison chaplain advocating for incarcerated adults and daily proclaiming God's grace as they deal with shame, guilt, anger and the belief that no one, not even God, can ever love them. This chaplain firmly believes these spiritual and emotional chains can be broken, and chaplains can help release them from their control.

Whether it’s 1943 or 2025, PC(USA) chaplains engage with people when life brings about cause for celebration, sorrow, accomplishment, doubt, renewal and despair. Pray for our chaplains who selflessly give of themselves so that the voice of the voiceless can be heard, the needs of those in need can be met, and the gift of hope and life itself can be given in the darkest moments in unexpected ways.

For more information on serving as a Veterans Affairs, federal prison or military chaplain, go to presfedchap.org. 

Rev. Dennis E. Hysom, Executive Director, Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies and retired Army Chaplain

Let us join in prayer for:

• Susan Dudgeon, Operations Specialist, Presbyterian Foundation 
• Angela Duffy, President & CEO, New Covenant Trust Co., Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Loving God, you know how deep wounds go. You know that many in our communities suffer, and you feel that pain in their lives. You know the memories that haunt them and the scars that many of them continue to carry. O merciful Savior, bring healing to those who are still hurting. Please grant patience and wisdom to those around them who cannot understand but can sometimes help. Permit both physical and spiritual healing to wounds that remain. For this, we pray in your most holy name, Amen.

Minute for Mission: Remember Our Chaplains – Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

February 4, 2024

Matthew 25: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me. … I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

On Feb. 3, 1943, four U.S. Army chaplains from different faith traditions selflessly gave up their life jackets to others on the USAT Dorchester as it sank from a strike by an enemy torpedo. Survivors recall seeing four chaplains, arms linked together, praying as the ship slipped beneath the waves. Since that date, Feb. 3 has become an observance called the Four Chaplains Day and serves to bring together people of diverse backgrounds to recognize our common humanity.

Our Book of Order states: “God sends the Church to join the mission of Jesus Christ in service to the world.” Just as those four chaplains were called to serve their military community during World War II, today dedicated chaplains are ministering in various federal, state and local ministries as they seek to remain faithful to that call.

The Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies endorses PC(USA) chaplains serving in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Veterans Affairs hospitals and the branches of our military. As highlighted in Matthew 25, these chaplains are called to bring hope and transform their respective communities through acts of love and compassion: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, freeing captives, sheltering the homeless, welcoming strangers, comforting those who mourn and being present with all who are in need. These times include:

A VA chaplain called to sit with an elderly veteran in his hospital room during his last few moments of life. The chaplain conveyed words of love and reassurance and offered prayers while waiting for the family to arrive. They were grateful knowing their loved one was never alone.

A military chaplain who conducted a funeral service for a soldier whose remains were identified 73 years after he was declared Missing in Action. The chaplain said it was an honor and privilege to help bring closure to the family that waited so long for their loved one to be returned.   

A Federal Bureau of Prisons chaplain advocating for incarcerated adults and daily proclaiming God’s grace as they deal with shame, guilt, anger and the belief that no one, not even God, can ever love them. This chaplain firmly believes these spiritual and emotional chains can be broken and chaplains can help release them from their control.

Whether it’s 1943 or 2024, PC(USA) chaplains seek to engage with people when life brings about cause for celebration, sorrow, accomplishment, doubt, renewal and despair. Pray for our chaplains who selflessly give of themselves so that the voice of the voiceless can be heard, the needs of those in need can be met, and the gift of hope and life itself can be given in the darkest moments in unexpected ways.

For more information on serving as a Veterans Affairs, federal prison or military chaplain, email info@presfedchap.org.

Rev. Dennis E. Hysom, Executive Director, Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies, and retired Army Chaplain

Today’s Focus: Remember Our Chaplains – Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Dwayne Batcho, Production Clerk II, Presbyterian Distribution Center, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Doug Batezel, Vice President, Information Technology, Board of Pensions

Let us pray

Loving God, you know how deep wounds go. You know that many in our communities suffer, and you feel that pain in their lives. You know the memories that haunt them and the scars that many of them continue to carry. O merciful Savior, bring healing to those who are still hurting. Please grant patience and wisdom to those around them who cannot understand but can sometimes help. Permit both physical and spiritual healing to wounds that remain. For this, we pray in your most holy name. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Remember Our Chaplains – Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

February 5, 2023

Though I am surrounded by troubles,
    you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
    and the power of your right hand saves me.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life —
    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me. Psalm 138:7–8

Four Chaplains (provided)

The Four Chaplains stood on the deck of the USAT Dorchester on Feb. 3, 1943. Linked arm in arm, chaplains George Fox (Methodist), Alexander Goode (Jewish), Clark Poling (Reformed) and John Washington (Roman Catholic) sang hymns and offered prayers as the ship sank beneath the turbulent waves of the North Atlantic. Perhaps these courageous servants of God were comforted, even as we read in our Psalm, by knowing the faithful love of our Lord endures forever.

The commitment the Four Chaplains showed to their calling has inspired today’s chaplains for 80 years. Though only a few have given the ultimate sacrifice, all are committed to ministry when those they serve have need.

One of our reserve chaplains who also pastors a congregation related such commitment recently. He spent time back-filling at an installation while an assigned chaplain was overseas supporting women and men serving abroad. Like all our reserve chaplains, on arrival he immediately joined in the ministry and began to visit and support specific units. During his nearly three months on site, he made many contacts and developed trust relationships with numerous uniformed members.

One Saturday morning, a few months after completing the assignment, the chaplain received a text at 5 a.m. The text simply said, “Hey Chaplain, I have a friend going through a rough time. Can we talk?” Through more texts and conversations, the member received help and guidance. Today the friend is doing well.

The chaplain related on remembering the incident, “for me it is especially affirming because I had met this individual maybe three times total. And yet, a few months later, after no contact, when he was in need, he reached out to me.”

The chaplains sent forward by our church make a difference every day. Our congregations may not be able to reach those who serve, but through their support, prayers, and the chaplains we send to federal institutions are able to connect and respond where there is need – on military installations, in prisons, and at VA hospitals.

The Four Chaplains voluntarily surrendered their lives on that horrendous night in the North Atlantic. Their sacrifice was not in vain. Prior to their descent beneath the waves, they gave away their life jackets and other critical gear, saving many of the crew. But even more noteworthy was the witness they delivered to the faithful love of our God. Jehovah does not abandon us, even when we pass through the grave to the glory of his presence.

Lyman M. Smith, Captain, CHC, USN, Retired, Executive Director of Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies
For more information on chaplaincy or to give to support our important ministry, please visit presfedchap.org.

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Kerry Rice, Deputy Stated Clerk, Office of the Stated Clerk, Office of the General Assembly
Meg Rift, Associate for Curriculum Development, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray

Jehovah Jireh, we give you thanks for your faithful love that endures forever. Today remind us of your protection, even in troubled times. Help us act with assurance of your love in all the circumstances of our lives.

We pray today for the ones who put their lives on the line to help us live in safety and with purpose. We remember especially our chaplains. Whether they serve in the military, in health care, in prisons, in industry or in so many other settings, they go into the world each day to be your presence, O God, amid your people. Encourage them, enable them, and provide them the sure and certain knowledge of your faithful love that others may encounter the peace that only you provide.

Amen

Minute for Mission: Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

February 7, 2021

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. John B. Sears, chaplain for Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Continuing Promise 2010, gives the opening prayer to begin the Marine Corps 235th birthday celebration in the hangar bay of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, Nov. 10, 2010. Service members and civilians are deployed in support of CP10 providing medical, dental, veterinary, engineering assistance and subject-matter exchanges to Caribbean, Central and South American nations. Service members and civilians are currently off the coast of Cuba.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:23

 Standing together and singing hymns while your ship sinks into the waves, taking you to your certain death, is not normal behavior. And yet the Four Chaplains did exactly this on Feb. 3, 1943. Through their sacrifice, others were spared and many more have been inspired. Perhaps as they considered their actions that frigid night, they had in mind the words of Paul from our lectionary today, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.”

Chaplain John Sears serves as a Navy chaplain today. He, his wife and their two children are on their way to Okinawa, where he will take up his duties with Marines, Sailors and their families. Though he has not gone down with his ship, his life as a chaplain has included “doing it all for the sake of the gospel.”

Having helped new Marine recruits through bootcamp, Chaplain Sears went with Marines to Haiti to assist following a devastating earthquake. He then was assigned to cover 10 states visiting military recruiters scattered from small villages to large cities, and most recently he supported the Coast Guard as they responded to a multitude of taskings literally across our great nation.

In early 2019, Chaplain Sears created a foodbank for his “Guardsmen” (all genders) and their families as they tried to make ends meet in New York City during the 35-day government shutdown. Later that year, he accompanied his flock to the Mexican border to help care for migrant families and individuals. During his time there, he led discussions on how we treat migrants as people and children of God. His Guardsmen helped young migrant children obtain soccer balls, connected them with older siblings, and even helped unite them with parents. Chaplain Sears’ Guardsmen took to heart the insight that they were to humanize the institutional process they could not change.

In 2020, Chaplain Sears was with his people again. When the hospital ship USNS Comfort was dispatched to New York City to aid in treating victims of the pandemic, the Coast Guard was tasked to provide security. This involved literally hundreds of Guardsmen at all times of the day and night, seven days a week. Over the course of the few weeks the Comfort stayed in NYC, Chaplain Sears made more than 1,300 personal phone calls to check on his Guardsmen and their loved ones, ensuring that as they cared for others, they knew they were cared for themselves. He was augmented with a group of 10 others to visit, support and help those serving. The chaplain and his team addressed personal and family needs, and perhaps more importantly, brought assurance and peace during fear and confusion.

Today, Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies endorses more than 150 ministers of the word and sacrament who, like Sears, do it all for the sake of the gospel. Like Paul, they serve around the world, on ships, in the field, with incarcerated individuals and alongside veterans in hospitals. And they do it so they may share with them in the blessings of the gospel of peace.

Lyman M. Smith, Captain, CHC, USN, Retired, Co-Director of the Presbyterian Counsel for Chaplains and Military Personnel

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

DeAmber Clopton, Office of the General Assembly
Clayton Cobb, Board of Pensions

Let us pray:

Lord, as our Savior loved us enough to join us here in our world, may we love your children enough to join them where they live. We pray today for our chaplains who go forth, sent by you, to be with those they serve. Today, whether it be in a desert in the Middle East, on a ship in the Pacific, in a prison in Texas, in a hospital in California, or in many other settings, we give you thanks for the chaplains who are doing it all for the sake of the gospel. Enable, encourage and excite them as they bring your presence to all. Lord, may your voice of discernment be heard by those in ministry as you raise up more chaplains from the seeds that are planted. May others know your peace through the Prince of Peace. This we pray in your holy name. Amen.