Independence Day

An Independence Day Reflection

Order of Worship

As you are able: ▲ = Please stand. ▼= Please sit

Prelude

▼ Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14

Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14

Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her-- that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom. For thus says the LORD: I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bodies shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

Text: Katherine L. Bates, 1859-1929, Music: Samuel A. Ward, 1848-1903

This Far by Faith 298, Augsburg Fortress Press

O beautiful for spacious skies,

for amber waves of grain,

for purple mountain majesties

above the fruited plain:

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood

from sea to shining sea.

(spoken over music)

Reading 1:

"The way, the only way to stop this evil is for the red man to unite in claiming a common and equal right in the land, as it was at first and should be now – for it was never divided but belongs to all. No tribe has the right to sell, even to each other, much less to strangers. . . . Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children?"

1810 Tecumseh protesting land sales to Governor William Henry Harrison

From: Sharon O'Brien, American Indian Tribal Governments [1989]

Reading 2:

. . . [W]hen I was in the Justice Department as an Assistant Attorney General in the Nixon Administration, Jerry Hansler called me one day in spring 1970 and said, "Have you heard of this new agency called E[nvironmental] P[rotection] A[gency]?" I said, "I don't know what you're talking about." He said, "The [Roy] Ash Commission has recommended that the president create this new agency. I would like to recommend you as the new administrator." I said, "I don't know anything about it, let me look into it." I looked into it, he called me back, and I said, "That's about as big a long shot as I've ever heard." . . . The big difference between the early 1960s (when we struggled to get anything done in Indiana) and the 1970s, was the shift of public opinion. There was no public support for the environment in Indiana in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Anything done was the result of individuals like myself or Jerry Hansler deciding, "This is terrible, we've got to stop some of this. After all, the law says it's wrong." . . . Public support only began to explode in the late 1960s. It led to the creation of EPA, which never would have been established had it not been for public demand . . . [Y]ou've got to have public support for environmental protection or it won't happen. That's what shifted between the early 1960s and the time EPA was formed.

William D. Ruckelshaus: Oral History Interview

From: www.epa.gov/history/publications/ruck/05.htm

A: God of love and mercy,

P: You have lavished your creative might on this land, giving us an abundance of natural beauty and resources.

C: Lord, may we always remember that this earth is yours and we are its caretakers. Guide us that we may use what you have given us with care and thanksgiving.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

whose stern, impassioned stress

a thoroughfare for freedom beat

across the wilderness:

America! America!

God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

confirm thy soul in self-control,

thy liberty in law.

Reading 3:

During World War II, the U.S. government ordered 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry into prison camps. . . General John L. DeWitt was responsible for the defense of the West Coast. Without any real evidence, he believed that people of Japanese ancestry, citizens and non-citizens alike, could not be trusted. He said that the lack of any sabotage on the West Coast only proved that they were waiting for the Japanese invasion to begin.

Working with others in the War Department, General DeWitt developed a plan to remove all the Issei and Nisei from their homes in the Western states and lock them in prison camps. The Justice Department, FBI, and Army intelligence all concluded that such a drastic action was not necessary. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, however, accepted General DeWitt's recommendation.

On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. This gave General DeWitt authority to order the mass evacuation of Issei and Nisei from the West Coast and other military areas. This order affected about 120,000 citizens and non-citizens of Japanese origin.

From: http://www.crf-usa.org/terror/korematsu.htm

Reading 4:

. . . The USA PATRIOT Act was passed, giving FBI agents vastly expanded power to secretly obtain records and personal belongings of anyone in the country. Section 215 of the Act, which gives the FBI these powers, also prohibits persons served with orders to turn over files, computers, library use records, mailing lists, or "any tangible things" from telling anyone of the information sweeps.

. . . Bridge [Refugee Services, an affiliate of Church World Service's Immigration and Refugee Program] would have to turn over personal information disclosed to it in strict confidence. . . . "I wouldn't be able to tell anyone (of the Section 215 order)," said Lieberman. "We can't even file a motion to quash, because the order comes out of a secret court."

With these things in mind, Bridge has joined the first-ever legal challenge of Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. Filed July [2003] by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Bridge and five other plaintiffs, the lawsuit against the US Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI director Robert Mueller argues that Section 215 violates the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

. . . Commenting on Bridge's decision to join the lawsuit, board member Lawrence Beach said there was initial concern about a community backlash because of the type of organizations and causes the ACLU defends. In the end the board decided it was the right thing to do.

"Every time something happens to this country that threatens it," said Beach, "we seem to come up with laws that are too broad and repressive. Each time the country has backed off. Hopefully, wiser heads will prevail, and we'll pull back from infringing individual liberties for the sake of the whole."

Community response in Knoxville has been mostly positive. "Churches—our most important constituency—haven't turned away from us," said Lieberman. "Whenever I'm on a panel addressing this issue, there's tremendous applause for Bridge."

Thomas Abraham, Tennessee affiliate in landmark challenge to USA PATRIOT Act, November 3, 2003

From: http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration/archives/2003/11/36.html

A: God of love and mercy,

P: You shower us with mercy not condemnation, with love not hate, with acceptance not fear.

C Lord, may we always remember that justice is more than law. Give us the wisdom to see injustice disguised as "protection", and the courage and knowledge to challenge such laws.

O beautiful for heroes proved

in liberating strife,

who more than self their country loved,

and mercy more than life:

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

till all success be nobleness,

and ev'ry gain divine.

Reading 5:

. . . The 372nd was one of four all-black US Army units (the 369th, 370th, and 371st were the others) that were detailed to the French army during World War I, . . . For these segregated US troops, reaching the battlefields of France was an accomplishment in itself. . . . The black soldiers "had to put up with trench foot, pneumonia, snakes, even quicksand," quite apart from the racial discrimination within the military that they had long endured. "Germans weren't all they had to worry about," . . . .

. . . [N]o plaque or statue in the United States commemorates their service, but that in Monthois, France–just south of Verdun–a monument honors their courage and service. . . . Black troops had ably and effectively served in combat in every American war since the Revolution. Nevertheless, in early 1917 the country was divided about the potential use of black troops in battle. The reluctance was racially motivated. Southerners especially were uncomfortable with the notion of highly trained and armed black troops. But tactical concerns were also expressed: Military officials claimed that integrated units would fail to remain cohesive, especially in combat.

Craig J. Renner, The Forgotten Black Regiments of World War I

From: http://www.worldandi.com/specialreport/1998/November/Sa17604.htm

Reading 6:

The Three Servicemen Statue of the National Vietnam Memorial: The lead soldier was modeled after a 21-year-old Marine who was stationed in the Washington, D.C. area in 1983. The soldier carrying the machine gun on his shoulder was modeled after a Cuban-American, and the African-American is a composite of several young men who the sculptor used as models.

Sculptor Frederick Hart's goal was to create a moving evocation of the experience and service of the Vietnam veteran. He has described it as follows:

"The portrayal of the figures is consistent with history. They wear the uniform and carry the equipment of war; they are young. The contrast between the innocence of their youth and the weapons of war underscores the poignancy of their sacrifice. There is about them the physical contact and sense of unity that bespeaks the bonds of love and sacrifice that is the nature of men at war. And yet they are each alone. Their strength and their vulnerability are both evident. Their true heroism lies in these bonds of loyalty in the face of their aloneness and their vulnerability."

From http://www.tourofdc.org/monuments/VVM/ & http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=103

A: God of love and mercy

P: You have filled this nation with peoples from all races and cultures, blending us into a country blessed with diversity and strength.

C: Lord, remind us that patriotism, courage and love of country are qualities we all share. Make us alive to the subtleties of prejudice which makes us unaware of our blindness. Open our hearts and minds that we may rejoice in our diversity.

O beautiful for patriot dream

that sees beyond the years

thine alabaster cities gleam,

undimmed by human tears:

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood

from sea to shining sea.

Reading 7:

. . . [T]his Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth. As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did. They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Mississippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help...

1973, Gordon Sinclair, "LET'S BE PERSONAL" Topic: "The Americans" Broadcast June 5, 1973 CFRB, Toronto, Ontario

http://www.phillytalkradioonline.com/comment/usa.html

Reading 8:

Mercy Corps is mobilizing staff and resources to mount a quick response to the recent tragedy in Ryongchon, North Korea. Aid workers have been dispatched and a truckload of critical medical supplies has arrived at the devastated site.

Last Thursday, a series of massive train explosions in Ryongchon, a busy town near the Chinese border, resulted in overwhelming casualties and property damage. According to initial estimates, more than 160 people were killed and nearly 2,000 injured. Structural damage from the blast is widespread, destroying more than 1,800 dwellings and severely weakening over 6,800 more residences. As a result, more than 8,000 residents are now homeless.

Survivors of the explosions are suffering from critical burns, broken bones and respiratory problems, and are in desperate need of medical attention. A Mercy Corps shipment of medicines and medical supplies arrived near the disaster site on Monday morning. These critical provisions are being delivered to local hospitals and treatment centers for immediate use. . . .

Mercy Corps is working with the North Korean government to ensure a quick and effective response to the tragedy.

"Contact and cooperation are essential in mounting a quick response," said Mercy Corps Senior Vice-President and Co-Founder Ellsworth Culver. "Our staff is working with local authorities to make certain that aid and supplies get to those who need them most."

Mercy Corps has been committed to humanitarian programs in North Korea since 1996. The organization recently hosted discussions between a delegation of North Korean officials and representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at its Portland, Oregon headquarters. . . .

Mercy Corps Responds to North Korea Tragedy, April 28, 2004

From: http://www.mercycorps.org/items/1861

A: God of love and mercy

P: You have blessed this land of ours with more riches than most of the world can comprehend, and with an energy and vitality that can produce wonders and marvels.

C: Lord, may we always act to share our wealth, taking the gifts you have given us to the world, reaching out to friend and foe, alike.

How Beautiful, Our Spacious Skies

How beautiful, . . more we're grateful for

life's bounty all around.

Indigenous and immigrant, . . . a sisterhood and brotherhood

from sea to shining sea.

A: God of love and mercy

P: You have blessed this land making it a great and wonderful place to live and work and play.

C: Instill in us the humility which comes from the knowledge that we have done nothing to deserve the blessings we have. Sensitize us to the dignity of all people that we may respect their individuality of culture and spirituality. Lead us to understand their needs within the context of their lives. Supply us with the wisdom to assist them with out imposing our customs upon them. Continue to direct and enlighten us that we may be servants to the world and all peoples. We ask this in Jesus' name, who is God yet servant to us all. Amen.

Response Song: This Is My Song

This is my song, O God of all the nations, . . . dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean, . . . peace for their land and for mine.

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Let us pray,

Prayer of the Day is spoken

Praise Song: My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness

(Haugen, Holden Evening Prayer)

▼ Second Reading: Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16

.Psalm Glory and Praise to Our God

Tune Name: GLORY AND PRAISE

Text Source: Text: Daniel Schutte

Music Source: Music: Daniel Schutte

. ▲ Holy Gospel: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

▼ Music for Meditation & Message

▲ Theme Song: The Church of Christ, in Every Age

Tune Name: WAREHAM

Text Source: Text: Fred Pratt Green, 1903-2000

Music Source: Music: William Knapp, 1698-1768

Statement of Faith (see Statements of Faith if not using the Apostles' Creed)

Prayers of the Church

Greeting of Peace

▼ Offering

▲ Offering Song: Make Me a Servant

Tune Name: SERVANT

Text Source: Text: Kelly Willard

Music Source: Music: Kelly Willard

Offering Prayer:

A: Lord of all, we give you thanks and praise,

C: For you have richly blessed us in this nation with an overflowing wealth of health, peace, safety, and all things needed for our daily lives. By those blessings you entrust us with greater responsibility towards others less blessed. May we never take for granted what you have bestowed us, and always seek to share those blessings with those less fortunate. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer:

P: You know that you were ransomed from the useless way of life

not with perishable things,

silver and gold,

But with the costly blood of Christ—

as a lamb without blot or blemish.

Christ having been known before the foundation of the world

was made visible at the end of time for your sake,

through him the faithful are in God

Who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,

So that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:18-21

For I received from the Lord

that which I also handed down to you—

that the Lord Jesus

in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

and after giving thanks, He broke it and said,

“This is My body, which is for you;

do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant which is in My blood;

do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

I Corinthians 11:23-26

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

▼ Communion Song: As the Grains of Wheat

Tune Name: AS THE GRAINS (Haugen)

Text Source: Text: Marty Haugen, b. 1950

Music Source: Music: Marty Haugen, b. 1950

▲ Dismissal from Communion

Post-Communion Song: One Body, One Spirit

Words & Music: W. Michael Aguilar III

Prayer:

A: God of love, you have brought us into community with people of every time and place through your Son Jesus Christ. We give you thanks and praise for this gift. Open the hearts of all your people that we may see our differences as a joyful expression of your never-ending creation. Instill in us a spirit of acceptance and understanding that we may be Christ to our nation and our world.

C: Amen.

.Blessing:

P: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be caring towards you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

C: Amen.

▼ Announcements

▲ Sending Song: Battle Hymn of the Republic

Tune Name: BATTLE HYMN

Text Source: Text: Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910

Music Source: Music: American, 19th cent.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

who is trampling out the vintage

where the grapes of wrath are stored;

who has loosed the fateful lightning

of his terrible swift sword:

God’s truth is marching on.

Refrain Glory, glory! Hallelujah!

Glory, glory! Hallelujah!

God’s truth is marching on.

God has sounded forth the trumpet

that shall never call retreat;

and is sifting out the hearts of all

before his judgment seat.

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer and

be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on. Refrain

In the beauty of the lilies Christ

was born across the sea,

with a glory in his bosom that

transfigures you and me.

As Christ died to make us holy,

let us live to make all free,

while God is marching on. Refrain

A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord. C: Thanks be to God!

Postlude