Independence Day Propers

It is growing increasingly difficult to find a congregation offering an Independence Day liturgy on July 4. Here are the propers from the 1979 Prayer Book:

Lord God Almighty,
in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us,
and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn:
Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, ‘as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.’

All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and every- where to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
For with your co-eternal Son and Holy Spirit,
you are one God, one Lord,
in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Being;
and we celebrate the one and equal glory of you,
O Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore we praise you,
joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven,
who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest.

Thank you, lightman. And thanks for all you do for FR and for us.

My Father's God to Thee
Author of liberty
To Thee we sing
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light
Protect us by Thy might
Great God our King

"My Country 'Tis of Thee" was written in Boston in 1831 by the Reverend Samuel Francis Smith. It is set to the tune of "God Save the King/Queen", the British national anthem. The origin of the melody is unverified. It represents one of the first times a hymn was adopted as a national anthem (1745).

Happy Independence Day to all!

God bless our one nation under GOD!

Leni

Hi L. Blessed Independence Day to you too.

I’m sitting here writing to you in the peace of my little apartment, wages paid while at leisure and not at work. I’m having an excellent cappuccino. Wish I could make one for you and the rest of the posters on this thread. I think when I retire, the Lord Willing, I’ll buy a good commercial espresso machine, German or Italian made, and set up shop in a nook of an office building that caters to lawyers. I’ve this vision of my little triangular nook, replete with two sturdy mannequins, more like sturdy cut-outs, with little bubble dialogues hovering above their heads. I’d change the dialogue every few days. What do you think?

Let’s say it’s the 3rd of July, 2021.…

My female cardboard cut-out, let’s call her Sara. My male cut-out who looks like you would imagine St. Joseph to look, let’s call him Abraham, though, to those who knew him way back when he remains Abram.

Elizabeth says to Abraham, what do you suppose the basest of vices is? Abraham replies: how can you even ask that, Sara? But since you do, ingratitude!

My prayer today, L is that Our Lord remind us of the copious bloodshed of our young men throughout the life of our Country who died on the battlefield so miserably far away from hearth and home. I know I’ve heard the Italian terra whisper where they fell, thank you for liberating and never occupying.

That Our Lord remind us of the awful price we paid in our Civil War. That he remind us that we demanded our Black brothers lay down their lives for us in our wars of the twentieth century, and then we made them walk on opposite sides of the street from us.

That our Lord prepare us and convince us that we must tap into that which makes us capable of both great sin and great accomplishment, if we are called again to remove the boot of tyranny from the throat of those, who for whatever reason, cannot do it for themselves. And, to finally ask Our Lord for the forbearance towards those who following rescue inevitably despise their benefactors because they are a constant and sore reminder of their ignominy and their debt.

L, don’t know if you remember the UN talks following 9-11, but the Polish delegate (can’t remember his title) said that during the occupation of the USSR, the notion aphoristically advanced was that the way to acquire freedom was to attack the United States and force an occupation. I wonder if there were countries during the Roman Empire who harbored the same idea?

y...the Polish delegate (can’t remember his title) said that during the occupation of the USSR, the notion aphoristically advanced was that the way to acquire freedom was to attack the United States and force an occupation. I wonder if there were countries during the Roman Empire who harbored the same idea?

I am positive that there were many who had those thoughts, and that is why St. Augustine simply postulated that war was justified to preserve the peace, the pax romana

Out times more closely resemble Augustine's than they do Aquinas's, when all those accretions about the conditions of a just was began to accumulate. Our Islamist enemies are the descendants of the barbarian hordes who sacked Rome and Carthage. Now the peace to be preserved is the post WWII pax Americana as it has sometimes been termed by supporter and detractor alike.

God bless all who seek to preserve this peace.

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