As a volunteer pastor for my local police department, I sometimes have the honor of officiating  a brief wreath presentation ceremony on the anniversary of the EOW for officers who gave their life in the line of duty in our city.  I would like to share  with you my brief tribute to Officer Jillian Smith on this 10th anniversary of her End Of Watch. I hope this is also an encouragement for ALL officers that service and sacrifice will always be remembered.
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Thank you for being here today. I am Pastor Rob and it is my privilege to have the opportunity to share this time with you as we remember the courage and sacrifice of  Officer Jillian Smith.

Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies once said, “In the film world, we can all be heroes. In the real world, where heroism can cost your life…, people aren’t so willing to make those sacrifices. When they do, they are set apart from the rest of us.”

When people hear Jillian’s story, they realize that her actions that night 10 years ago did set her apart.

Looking at the actions of someone who gave their life to protect another like Jillian did, it is natural to ask, “What did they draw from to allow them to act with such courage?” I never had the opportunity to meet Jillian, but I have met and talked with you, her family, these past two years and it is obvious that the Lord was her strength/her motivation and that this was a calling for her.

As I was thinking about both the tragedy and the heroism we are remembering today, I was reminded of a story I read about another young person who leaned on the Lord for strength and followed his calling. I saw some similarities between the two.

In the early 1900’s, 16-year-old William Borden graduated from high school, an heir to the Borden fortune. His parents sent him on a trip around the world for his graduation present and during this trip, something happened that nobody expected. Seeing the hurting people of Asia, the Middle East and Europe, Borden came home and informed his parents that he wanted to become a missionary. Many of his friends told him he would be “throwing his life away as a missionary.”

Returning to the US, Borden graduated from Yale and then Princeton Theological Seminary. On his way to China, he stopped in Egypt to learn the Arabic language so that he could also reach Muslim people. While in Egypt, 25-year-old Borden contracted spinal meningitis and died within a month.

Borden’s death was reported in the major American newspapers. His biography states, “A wave of sorrow went around the world...he not only gave up his fortune, but himself to be a missionary.”

“When Borden’s parents were given his Bible, they found the following: Just after he renounced his fortune to become a missionary, he wrote the words, “No Reserve.” His father told him he would always have a job in the company, then at a later point, his father told him he would never let him work in the company again. At this time Borden wrote in his Bible, “No Retreat”. Then, they discovered in his Bible these words written shortly before his death in Egypt, “No Regret”. (Outreach Magazine, July 8, 2018)

Jillian will always be remembered as one who lived a life of No Reserve and No Retreat. I think if we could ask her today, she would tell us...No Regret. 

THAT is a definition of a hero, the definition of love and a shining of example of one who knew her every step was in the Lord’s hands.

And now we are going to honor Jillian’s life of service and her sacrifice with the placing of a wreath.

WREATH PRESENTATION

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we are honored to gather here today to remember Jillian's life, service and sacrifice for our City. Please let her family, friends and co-workers experience your peace today. May her life and her courage challenge us to live lives of no reserve, no retreat and no regret.

BLESSING
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. Amen.

As a volunteer pastor for my local police department, I sometimes have the honor of officiating  a brief wreath presentation ceremony on the anniversary of the EOW for officers who gave their life in the line of duty in our city.  I would like to share  with you my brief tribute to Officer Craig Michael Hanking on this 26th anniversary of his End Of Watch. I hope this is also an encouragement for ALL officers that service and sacrifice will always be remembered.
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​REMEMBERING CRAIG
Thank you for being here today. I am Pastor Rob and it is my privilege to be here with you as we remember the life and service of Officer Craig Hanking whose End of Watch was August 3, 1994, 26 years ago today.

I don’t know about you, but these ceremonies are particularly meaningful to me this year in light of the false narrative being promoted about law enforcement right now. It is GOOD and APPROPRIATE that we remember, respect and honor these fallen heroes. 

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote these words:
GIVE to everyone what you OWE them; 
Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, 
and give RESPECT and HONOR to those who are in authority. 
~ Romans 13:7

And this is why we are here today...to give Craig the respect and honor he is owed.

Giving What’s Owed
Craig’s family...every officer’s family...every officer should KNOW that sacrifice will NEVER be forgotten.

As we are here today we remember a tragedy that is not pleasant to recall, but we do it out of respect and honor  as we remember Craig's life and service.

In preparation for today, I was reading the reflections on Craig’s Officer Down Memorial page. I love the way he is remembered by family, high school friends, “you were friends with my dad”, family of other fallen officers. And these that show the impact of Craig's life on a wide cross section of people:

“The Academy staff canceled the remainder of our training at Six Flags. They told us to go home, think about what happened, and decide if we still wanted to put our lives on the line, each and every shift. To your credit, all of us returned, the next night, more focused and purposeful, in our training.”
Former APD/Class 5, dated 2010

“I was a 15 year old driver’s ed student at AHS that summer the first class of the day (and saw the scene). The police car was still there, but we were told Officer Hanking was transported to the hospital, but had passed away. It was such a tragedy. I’m 33 now (in 2012), and have never forgotten. I’ve driven by the site a few times since noticing the memorial—I’m glad it’s there.”
a girl, 2012

“As we learn & prepare to serve this great city, may we always remember the trails you blazed and the sacrifice you made. Thank you, Sir.”
Recruit Class 35 APD, 2007

Respect 
In Craig’s day, we as a society respected the police better. There was respect for and a healthy fear of the uniform. Today, our society talks about a different kind of “fear of the police” that is twisted. The Apostle Paul addressed this, too, when he wrote:

For authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what’s right and they will honor you.
~Romans 13:3

Craig was honoring those who do right in our city as he was headed to that burglary call 26 years ago. Craig, we are here to respect you and the uniform that you wore as you served those who do right in our city.

Honor
Honor is what YOU give Craig because, unlike those of us who don’t wear the uniform, you know the choices he made, what he gave and what his family gave so that Craig could serve.

You honor Craig with your presence here every August 3rd, with the memorial sign there on Cooper St, at Hero’s Park and with an annual memorial service for all fallen officers there as well as with the Fallen Officer’s Challenge. Craig, you are honored here by those who serve after you.

PRESENTATION OF THE WREATH

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the opportunity to pay Craig what he is owed today: respect as a city and honor as a family. We are thankful for his service to our city and that he was a part of this family. Bring Your peace to his family today, to those who served with him and to those who serve today.

BLESSING
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you today.