A Message from Rev. Pam

This month we celebrate 250 years of American democracy. As I thought about my newsletter article for this month in the light of this very special celebration I thought about the beautiful song "America the Beautiful. “This song stands alone as both an honoring of our nation and a prayer, yet I felt led as a pastor to add some of my own reflections on the spiritual call within its poetry. I hope all of us in our own ways find inspiration in this hymn as citizens and as followers of Jesus.

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain; for purple mountains majesties, above the fruited plain.

Help us, Lord, to recall that we are stewards of this beautiful land that You have created in love. May we honor you in our use of this land by our care for Your creation: the land, the air, the waters, and the animals. I pray as we rejoice in our land, we are mindful that You desire abundance for all of your children and that we are only sojourners on this earth We pray at worship: all things come from thee and of thine own do we return to Thee. May we leave for generations to come a beautiful America.

America! America! God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

As disciples of Jesus in the United Methodist tradition, we place a great emphasis upon God's grace- mercy, compassion, and saving power. We look with humility to a power greater than ourselves who calls us to the work of grace- the ministry of servant love. Scripture enjoins us to recognize and honor diversity and at the same live into the holy unity as children of one Father. How can we work toward a biblical path of brotherhood as disciples and Americans?

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.

I pray we will honor our veterans- not just with words but with actions on their behalf. Are we helping them find housing? Are we offering consistent medical care for wounds of body and heart?  I wonder if we still cherish the notion that we find our life's purpose not by only focusing on the self but on the greater good in our local communities, nation and around the world. Both true patriotism and dedicated discipleship call us to love mercy and serve others selflessly. Indeed, may God bless America and may we be instruments of that blessing.

America! America! May God thy gold refine, till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine.

True beauty is an inward quality of goodness, kindness, and sincerity. It cannot be found at the office of a plastic surgeon. Inner beauty does not flourish in a climate of greed and egotism which distorts what is beautiful by making persons stay fixed on the mirror demanding to know that they are "the fairest of them all." This profound verse asks God's help in becoming the people God intends us to be. It recognizes the gold of goodness in our nation yet invites us to continue to allow God to help us be beautiful in soul... which is to be like Jesus.

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond years, these alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears!

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I think in heaven there are no tears. No hungry children; no unhoused persons. In heaven people do not choose between food and vital medical care. In heaven there is liberty and justice for all. Do we hold on to the kingdom vision of Christ.? In heaven we are not divided by fear. In God's kingdom there is no " us and them."  I pray our cities, towns, and farmlands are “undimmed by human tears."  I pray that as disciples of Jesus and as patriots we never lose our dedication to that vision.

America! America! God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law.

As a mom, grandma, teacher, and pastor, I know that true love recognizes flaws and seeks to heal them. What loving parent does not correct a wayward child? What doctor overlooks an illness? How could I teach teens to write more effectively if I never pointed out the students' weakness as well as their strengths? To pretend that any person, history, nation, or entity is without flaws is to succumb to idolatry. When we love something or someone, we look closely, we care deeply, we face brokenness and we seek God's amazing grace to heal and to restore.

"America the Beautiful"   The United Methodist Hymnal, 696

This song written by Katherine Lee Bates in 1904 celebrates the great beauty of our nation and invites us to ponder how we might further that beauty. As we say in God We Trust, may we live into the life to which he has called us and to the great vocation he has entrusted to us!

Happy Birthday America!!
Rev. Pam