A Memorial Day Prayer

Eternal God,
Creator of years, of centuries,
Lord of whatever is beyond time,
Maker of all species and master of all history --
How shall we speak to you
from our smallness and inconsequence?
Except that you have called us to worship you
in spirit and in truth;
You have dignified us with loves and loyalties;
You have lifted us up with your lovingkindnesses.
Therefore we are bold to come before you without groveling
[though we sometimes feel that low]
and without fear
[though we are often anxious].
We sing with spirit and pray with courage
because you have dignified us;
You have redeemed us from the aimlessness
of things' going meaninglessly well.
God, lift the hearts of those
for whom this holiday is not just diversion,
but painful memory and continued deprivation.
Bless those whose dear ones have died
needlessly, wastefully [as it seems]
in accident or misadventure.
We remember with compassion those who have died
serving their countries
in the futility of combat.
There is none of us but must come to bereavement and separation,
when all the answers we are offered
fail the question death asks of each of us.
We believe that you will provide for us
as others have been provided with the fulfillment of
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."



By Rev. Dick Kozelka (ret)
First Congregational Church of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Cancer Schmancer

Fran Drescher walks the "tawk" as she lends her unique voice on Capitol Hill. Her vision for the Cancer Schmancer Movement is to ensure all women's cancers are diagnosed in STAGE 1, when they are most curable. To this end, the Cancer Schmancer Movement will make right what's wrong with women's healthcare through political activism and education. This movement will alert our elected officials that the collective female vote is more powerful than that of the richest corporate lobbyist.

We have already been extremely instrumental in getting the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act passed into law by unanimous consent in the 109th Congress. Now, we must ensure the bill gets funded. We also have several initiatives under way at the state and federal levels. In the state of California, we are launching a campaign to include the trans-vaginal ultrasound as part of every woman’s basic gynecologic exam while implementing a national campaign to create an FDA standard for women’s skincare products, which are presently unregulated and filled with carcinogens and suspected carcinogens.