God Bless America… After She Repents

Independence Day (observed)
Deuteronomy 10:17-21; St. Matthew 5:43-48
© 2009 Rev. Matthew L. Whitehead

The liturgical celebration in the Church of a national holiday such as Independence Day has been controversial from the beginning. In the decades of 1770 and 1780 not all American clergymen were supportive of the American Revolution. The suggestion that Independence Day receive its own short liturgy and propers was feared to be a divisive issue, and the idea was lobbied against by such influential men as Bishop William White (who had otherwise been a patriot and supporter of the Revolution). Nevertheless the motion carried, and a form for the liturgical celebration of Independence Day appeared in the trial American Prayer Book of 1786. As it turned out, the form was not used much, and it was removed just three years later in 1789 when the first authorized American Prayer Book was printed. A hundred-fifty years later sentiments changed. A set of propers for Independence Day were included in the 1928 American Prayer Book, and we have inherited them into our Reformed Episcopal Prayer Book.1

The motivations driving the issue in times past were patriotism and practicality. It turned out that even the patriots saw no need to so blatantly bring their politics into the pews, and it was therefore impractical to spend time and money printing such liturgies. There has always been tension in the American mind as to how much we should integrate religion and politics. Indeed, the Pilgrims sought refuge here so that the practice of their faith might be free from government intrusion; Thomas Jefferson, and other of the founding fathers, sought to isolate religion and politics. Back then they sought the separation for the protection of religion; in our day that concept has been twisted to mean that the separation is for the protection of politics.

With that history in mind, we come to the propers selected for the observance of Independence Day: the Epistle lesson, from Deuteronomy chapter ten, relates to Old Israel – God s chosen covenant people, the theocratic nation of the descendants of Jacob who, until about the first century A.D., occupied the land which we now call Palestine. The Gospel lesson, from Saint Matthew chapter five, relates to New Israel – God s New Covenant people, the Church, “the company of all faithful people” which exists in heaven and earth, bound neither by time nor geography. The United States of America has not been chosen to be God s vassal amongst the nations. That fell to Israel under the Old Covenant, and now under the New Covenant God s Kingdom exists in the Church, outside of worldly politics. We do believe, however, that as God raises up and cuts down nations for His glory, So He has blessed our nation, and that He has used our nation for His purposes and His glory. This was the firm belief of many of our founding fathers, many of whom were devout Christians, and who made sure our laws were rooted in the Judeo-Christian ethic.

I fear that those days are past, and that God s work amongst our nation will soon turn from blessing to judgment (if it has not already). As a nation we have strayed from the solid religious foundation on which we were built, and we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own [collective] hearts 2. I read a thought provoking quote this week: “What makes people think God will bless a country that has murdered almost 50 million of it’s own children. If God blesses the United States, he’d better apologise to Nazi Germany.” 3 That quote makes us uncomfortable, does it not? Those of you who grew up during World War Two probably remember first hearing of the atrocities of the Holocaust. The abortion industry spawned by Roe v. Wade works with efficiency that the Nazis could not even dream of. And we can carry that sentiment further: If we continue to legislate immorality, should we not expect God to issue apologies to Sodom and Gomorrah? For all we can tell, their perversion was not written into law the way we have done. Our laws have been revised to destroy the integrity of the family, and now the concept of what constitutes a family is being revised to include all manner of disordered sexuality. The America my children will grow up in is not the same America of even half a century ago.

In today s Gospel lesson we read that the standard for human holiness is God s holiness: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”. In today s Epistle lesson we read that God is no respecter of persons, nor can His favor be bought. God blesses those who honor Him, and He punishes those who dishonor Him. We can write “In God we trust” all over the place, we can say “One nation under God” over and over, and we can sing “God bless America” until we are blue in the face, but God will not be mislead by our show of patriotic religion. God will weigh the sincerity of our hearts, and He will judge the fruit of our actions. If we, as a nation, do not meet God s standard of holiness, then we have no reason and no right to think that He will bless us as a nation. If we continue to rebel against God s standard of holiness, then we can expect nothing but judgment from His hand.

This is where theology and politics intersect: issues of life and morality. It is not on secondary issues like taxation, socialized medicine, military policy, education, electoral process, or any other such issue upon which the religious right wants to put a veil of holiness. Our primary objective as Christian citizens must be to uphold the sanctity of human life and the integrity of marriage as a lifelong contract between one man and one woman.

In 2009 our focus on Independence Day should be quite different from 1776. Then they were thankful for their freedoms, which they were convinced had been granted unto them by God s grace. Now we must take this day to repent for how we have abused those God-given freedoms and turned our hearts against His holy ways. This Independence Day we must entreat God s mercy, that He would turn the heart of our nation back to Him, so that we might return to the holy foundations upon which our great nation was founded.

These are hard words to hear. They are hard words to preach. Everything I have said this morning I say as one who has sworn his life in defense our country. I love America. It is precisely because I love my country and have sworn to protect her, that I speak such harsh words against her. To speak anything less than the truth would not be loving, and would disqualify me as a priest, as a citizen, as an airman, and as a chaplain.

Let us pray:

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour. Bless us with industry, prosperity, learning, and purity of life. Save us from discord and violence, and from pride and arrogancy. Preserve us from public calamities, pestilence, and famine; from war, privy conspiracy, and rebellion; and especially from national sins and corruption. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with wisdom those in authority, that justice and peace may prevail. Make us strong and great in the fear of God, and in the love of righteousness, that, blessed of thee, we may be a blessing to all people. In prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in trouble suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 4

1 Shepherd, Massey H., Jr. The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary. New York: Oxford University Press, 1950. 263-264.
2 From the “General Confession” found in the Anglican Daily Offices (see REC BCP, pp.7, 25)
3 Source shall remain anonymous.
4 “For Our Country”. REC BCP, p.62.