“PRAYING FOR AMERICA”
JULY 2, 2006
COMMUNION
READ SCRIPTURE
GOD BLESS AMERICA
LAND THAT I LOVE
STAND BESIDE HER AND GUIDE HER
THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH A LIGHT FROM ABOVE.
FROM THE MOUNTAINS — TO THE PRAIRIE
TO THE OCEAN WHITE WITH FOAM —
GOD BLESS AMERICA — MY HOME SWEET HOME
GOD BLESS AMERICA — MY HOME SWEET HOME.
So are the words of this familiar patriotic song.
The sentiment of this popular song — written so many years ago — is shared by most of us today. I am sure that all of us here today — especially as we begin this glorious week when we will celebrate the 230th birthday of our great nation — are proud to be citizens of America — and we pray for God to bless America. I know I am glad to live in this great country of ours — and I am sure all of you are, too!
But — today is not only July 2 — it is Sunday, July 2.
Sunday — the day we gather together to worship and give praise to God.
Sunday — and on this particular Sunday we gather around the Lord’s Table to partake of the sacrament of Communion.
How do we combine our love for God and our love for our country?
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
What does our relationship and loyalty to God ask of us?
What does our relationship and loyalty to our country ask of us?
How can we ask God to bless America?
What will we have to do for God to bless America?
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
Our Gospel, Epistle, and Old Testament Lessons for today give us no direct answers — but they give us some guidance to the question of what we must do –what must be done – for God to bless America.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
“Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?
Should we pay them — or should we not?”
When asked a “trick” question — a question intended to force Him to make a statement that would either make the Roman government or the Jews mad — what does Jesus do?
Jesus does a very wise thing.
He asks for a denarius — the money used to pay the tax.
On it was a picture of Tiberius — the emperor — and an inscription bearing Tiberius’ name. Clearly — the coin — with the picture and inscription of Tiberius — belonged to Tiberius. So Jesus replies:
“Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s,”
but — then He adds —
“give to God the things that are God’s.”
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
But – what do we owe God – and what do we owe the country?
Sometimes we get a bit confused on this.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
At times we might be so supportive of America – of our country – that we feel everything we do is perfect in every way – and that God will indeed bless us just because of who we are – regardless of what we do.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
What will it take for God to bless America?
What must happen for God to bless America?
Our Old Testament Lesson for today can help us understand the true relationship between God and country – and what must happen for God to bless America.
Here is King Solomon — King of Israel — a great king in his own right and son of King David – completing the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. This was the Temple that King David had wanted to build — but it had been left up to Solomon to build this magnificent Temple for the Hebrew people to assemble in and worship God.
God speaks to Solomon after the Temple is completed — and tells Solomon that He approves of what Solomon has done — and will bless Solomon and his country – if they will follow in God’s ways.
But — if they fail to follow in the way of the Lord — He will not bless them — but will curse them.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
God promises to bless Solomon and the people of Israel if they will follow Him.
“if My people who are called by My name
humble themselves, pray, seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
However, God also promises a curse upon Solomon and the people of Israel if they fail to follow His way.
“But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you,
and go and serve other gods and worship them,
then I will pluck you up from the land that I have given you;”
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
The promises that God gave to Solomon centuries ago still hold true today.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
These are indeed great words — and the thought behind them extremely commendable — but — we have to ask ourselves –
What must happen for God to bless America?
Well, for God to bless America – Americans are going to have to follow God.
Listen again to what God says to Solomon:
“if My people who are called by My name
humble themselves, pray, seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
If we want God to bless America – then we as Americans are going to have to humble ourselves – pray – and seek God’s face.
If we seek for God to bless America — if we truly want America to receive God’s blessings — then we need to – as Jesus says — give to God the things that are God’s.
We need to give our lives to God.
We need to follow God’s teachings and God’s ways.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
The great words of the Declaration of Independence give us a description of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans:
We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable rights
that among these are life and liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.
Great words.
But – the Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:13:
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.
Freedom is a gift from God – freedom means that we are free to live in the ways God has called us to live.
It means being free to live in God’s ways – or as Paul says by “the fruits of the Spirit” —
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
So – we have and we celebrate great freedoms,
But – for God to bless America – we have to celebrate God’s freedoms – and live by the fruits of the Spirit – the gifts of
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
For that to happen – we as Americans must live in God’s ways.
As God told Solomon:
“if My people who are called by My name
humble themselves, pray, seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
But – as God also told Solomon:
“But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you,
and go and serve other gods and worship them,
then I will pluck you up from the land that I have given you;”
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
Many times we do not live in God’s ways – and we suffer – and America suffers.
For God to bless America – we as Americans are going to have to repent – and begin following God.
Humble ourselves – as God says – and pray.
Pray for God to forgive us of the times we follow our ways instead of God’s ways.
Pray for God to forgive us of our hard headed, sinful ways – as individuals and as a country — and commit ourselves to living in God’s ways instead of our own – in God’s will instead of our wills.
This takes repentance.
This means confessing that we are wrong and that we need God in our lives and in our country.
Repentance is never easy.
Confessing sins is never easy.
But – it is necessary.
But — repentance does not just mean saying we are sorry – it – also means living in new ways.
Repentance is not basically a religious word. It comes from a culture where people were essentially nomadic and lived in a world with no maps or street signs. It’s easy to get lost walking through the desert. You become aware that the countryside is strange. You finally say to yourself, I’m going in the wrong direction. That’s the first act of repentance.
The second act of repentance is to go in an alternate direction.
Repentance on our part.
Finding new ways to live.
That’s what’s needed for God to bless us – and for God to bless America.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
Friends — America has been called a great nation.
This is very true — America is a very great nation.
However, America is only truly great if Americans have a truly great faith in God — truly give to God the things due God and to our country the things due our county — and live in God’s ways – sharing God’s love with all people – and working for God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace on earth.
America is only as great as our faith in God.
America has been called a Christian nation.
Indeed, our country was founded upon Christian principles — but we must return to those principles — truly give to God the things due to God — and deepen our faith in God.
But — America is only a Christian nation as long as we — Americans — are a Christian people. Once we stop following God and Christ, we can no longer be considered a Christian nation. As a nation, America is only as Christian as we — it’s people — live out our faith and let our faith determine what we do as individuals — and as a country.
America has been called a strong nation.
Once again, this statement is only true if we — as Americans — have a strong faith in God – a strong commitment to giving to God the things due to God and to our country the things due our country
Only if we let our strong faith in God and our strong commitment to God determine what we do as individuals — as a community — as a Church — and as a nation can we be considered a strong nation.
Only if we commit ourselves to acting on our faith – and working for God’s love and God’s will a world filled with God’s love, justice, and peace – can we be considered a great nation.
America’s greatness, America’s virtue as a Christian nation, and America’s strength depends upon the depth of the faith of its people — the depth of its people’s commitment to give to God the things due to God.
America’s greatness, America’s virtue as a Christian nation, and America’s strength depends upon our ability to confess our sins – humble ourselves – and pray for God to forgive us – and find new ways to live.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
Bless America with true blessings that come with working for God’s will for justice and peace for all people.
Bless America with true blessings that come from being humble before God – confessing our wrongs — and doing God’s will.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
This will only happen when we as Americans confess our sins and begin again living in God’s ways.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
This will take prayer.
As God told Solomon:
“if My people who are called by My name
humble themselves, pray, seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land”
Friends – for God to bless America – we have to pray. We have to pray that we can turn back to God — and do what we can to bring our country back to God.
GOD, BLESS AMERICA
Come to the table — and commit yourself again to giving to God the things that are God’s — your love, your life, your thoughts, your words, your actions.
Commit yourself to doing what you can to ensure these liberties we talk so much about are experienced by all.
Commit yourself again to repenting of your sins – and living in new ways.
This is what it will take for God to bless America.
Indeed —
GOD BLESS AMERICA — MY HOME SWEET HOME
GOD BLESS AMERICA — MY HOME SWEET HOME.
AMEN
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