Patriotic Concert in
Medford, Oregon

May 18, 2008

By Mindy Meeds

On Sunday, May 18, the Medford, Oregon, Apostolic Faith Church choir and orchestra, directed by Reverend Kerby Thompson, presented a patriotic program honoring those who have previously served and are currently serving our country, and reaffirming the Christian principles that America was founded upon. The program opened with the presentation of the American flag by a Color Guard from a local National Guard unit, and the congregation joined the choir in singing the National Anthem. While the Color Guard exited, the orchestra played a rousing rendition of Sousa's “Stars and Stripes,” followed by “Colonel Bogey,” a march made famous by the movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”

The centerpiece of the program was “The Spirit of America,” a patriotic musical celebrating the attributes that have made America great. The musical honored our nation's service men and women, and reminded us that we are all the descendants of emigrants from many different nations. Most importantly, it acknowledged that God has been the foundation of our country, and without Him, we have no hope of success in any of our endeavors! One touching moment was when the former service men and women present were asked to stand as the song for their branch of the armed forces was sung, and those in attendance had the opportunity to express appreciation for their willingness to risk their lives to protect our nation.

After “The Spirit of America,” the program continued with Reverend Bill McKibben reading “The Penny,” an essay exploring how the penny represents America. Then a small drama group recited “How I Remember 9/11,” a poem about a day that changed the face of America forever, as seen through the eyes of a variety of people, from students to construction workers, and military veterans to seasoned spiritual veterans. The song, “American Tears” followed, performed beautifully by Ellie Jensen and Erin McKibben, and then Milton Friesen, an Air Force veteran, led us in a somber moment of reflection with an essay about “Taps.” As Mark Ross and Ben Marincus played a trumpet duet of “Taps,” we could almost hear the lyrics in our hearts:

Day is done, gone the sun,

From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

We were reminded of the supreme necessity of Christ as the Cornerstone of our nation as the choir sang the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and its wonderful chorus proclaiming, “ Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on! ” Angie Andrews and her daughter, Shalee, used a dramatization called “The Star” to show that just as many mothers and fathers have seen their children go to war and give their lives for freedom, our Heavenly Father also watched His own Son willingly die to bring us the greatest freedom of all! The concert ended with “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.” As the congregation joined the choir for the final chorus, Reverend Bill McKibben asked us to truly make that commitment to pledge our allegiance not only to our country, but above all, to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.