Fort Bliss: A few days before Christmas I was invited to take part in a promotion ceremony at Fort Bliss. Scott Miller, a young officer in our church, was being promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel. He had invited me to give the invocation at the ceremony. Needless to say I was deeply honored to be part of such a significant rite of passage in his life.
When I arrived on base I was ushered into the assembly hall that was filling up with young soldiers and airmen. Since Scott served a joint task force all the branches of the military were present in the crowd. As the ceremony began we pledged to the flag, and I was invited to pray. After my prayer the commanding officer of the task force invited Scott to step forward to pledge his commitment to our country. It was very moving to be in the presence of men and women who would lay down their lives for our nation and for me as a citizen.
After his swearing in, the commander invited Susan, Scott’s wife and his two boys to help in the penning on of the symbols of his new rank. I wish you could have seen the pride in the eyes of his sons as they stood with their father.
After the rank was conferred, Scott was given an opportunity to address the troops. It was at this point my heart swelled. Scott thanked his wife and sons for being there. He thanked me for my participation. Then he shared with the troops why it was so important for his pastor to be there to offer an invocation. Scott declared that this ceremony represented his core values. The values that he believed led to his advancement and promotion to the rank of colonel.
Simply put, Scott’s core values are:
God, First
Family, Second
Country, Third
There in the presence of his comrades in arms, Scott confessed his faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke of how Jesus had guided and directed his steps and flown with him in battle. He spoke of how Jesus had transformed his life and given him purpose for his future.
As Scott spoke I thought of King David–the warrior king–a man after God’s own heart. I realized I was in the presence of a man who loved God, loved his family and loved his country more than life.
We speak of lifestyle evangelism. We claim the words of St. Francis as our own:
“Preach the gospel, if necessary use words”
There is no question that our examples are critical if we are going to make a difference in the world, but there is no substitute for a man or woman who is willing to stand before his or her peers and proclaim openly their faith in the Lord Jesus.
Thank you Colonel Scott Miller for serving our King with such honor and dignity.
Thanks for sharing this post David. You are a blessing to me and a lot of others. Thankful for your ministry and how you’ve touched many lives – including mine.