The faith community has many resources in liturgy and traditions that can be used to bring healing of the soul and begin a process of developing spiritual resilience. Congregational spiritual practices, activities, and rituals create a climate of healing and communicate a sense of care to the veteran and their family. The following resources are by no means exhaustive. However these resources provide opportunities for the church to walk with veterans on a healing journey, whether the veteran is part of a faith community or not.
Many veterans embark on a spiritual quest for forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation. The dynamics of forgiveness and reconciliation, spiritual direction, and confessional dialogue play a key role in helping veterans find peace of mind and soul. Traditional rites of confession and forgiveness have been practiced in the church for centuries, and provide a safe, life-giving, and and affirming formal structure to those who have a history of participation in religious rituals. The following resources offer a formal traditional and an experiential encounter toward reconciliation and restoration.
Veterans signal the need and desire for forgiveness differently. For those who do not have a history of participation in formal religious rites, a more informal confessional conversation may be warranted.
The faith community’s story is a narrative of hope and healing. The narrative reveals profound connections among the physical, emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of human interaction with God. The following resources provide opportunities for renewal, rebuilding, and restoring relationships with family, friends, community and God. They offer a traditional, experiential and non-traditional approach toward healing and restoration.
Suggestions for raising awareness of moral injury in worship service from the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School.
(Click here to download a Word document that you can edit for your context) MEMORIAL DAY SUNDAY WORSHIP CELEBRATION PRELUDE POSTING OF THE COLORS *OPENING HYMN *CALL TO WORSHIP LEADER: God makes the sun to rise and the sun to set. God makes summer and winter to come and go. PEOPLE: GOD IS FAITHFUL FROM […]
What is Veteran Spiritual Mentoring: Spiritual mentoring aims to deepen and strengthen the veteran’s experience of and relationship to the Divine in a way that is authentic and meaningful. Assists the veteran to name, understand and work with the problems, blocks, and patterns in his/her life by using spiritual perspectives, practices and tools. Guides the […]
BACKGROUND The United Methodist Church deploys chaplains and pastoral counselors in a variety of settings both in the continental United States and around the world. John Wesley’s best known affirmation, “The World Is My Parish” has been a driving force for persons in ministry since the beginning of the Methodist movement. This is especially true […]
Mission Statement: Vet to Vet is a mutual peer support group meeting addressing veteran concerns; emotional, spiritual, educational, vocational and transitional needs of veterans and their families. Vet to Vet Group Composition: Each component (Active, Reserve, and Guard)and branch of service (Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Coast Guard) Combat and peacetime vets Officer, […]
(Click here to download a Word document that you can edit for your context) VETERANS DAY SUNDAY WORSHIP CELEBRATION PRELUDE POSTING OF THE COLORS *OPENING HYMN *CALL TO WORSHIP LEADER: We gather in the name of God, who loves us and who is in our midst. PEOPLE: WE GATHER IN THE NAME OF THE ONE […]
(Click here to download a Word document that you can edit for your context) SERVICE OF HEALING TIME OF GATHERING Thoughts for consideration; Come into this place of peace, and let its silence speak to your soul; Come into this place of memory, and let its vision strengthen your soul; Come into this place of […]
(Click here to download a Word document that you can edit for your context) SERVICE OF HEALING TIME OF GATHERING Thoughts for meditation; Come into this place of peace, and let its silence speak to your soul; Come into this place of memory, and let its vision strengthen your soul; Come into this place of […]
(Click here to download a Word document that you can edit for your context) PREPARATION FOR HEALING SERVICE AREA SET-UP: Arrange chairs in a circle Place large table in center of circle On the table include the following; at one end of the table have an open Bible and lit candle, and the other end […]
(Click here to download a Word document that you can edit for your context) ACTS OF REMORSE, RESOLUTION AND RESTORATION GATHERING (Instrumental music played on CD player.) THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION Those of us seeking healing, seeking hope, seeking life, God has time for us! Not for those who do know, but those who need to […]