The 4th of July

I’ve railed more than once over the past five years about confusing patriotism with faith. The two are not the same and a flag-waving rally does not belong in a worship service.

But, that’s not to say that flag waving rallies belong nowhere. They do indeed have a place and a time and today may be that time and almost anywhere other than church might be the place. I truly appreciate the freedoms that we have here in the United States. Perhaps the most important of which is the freedom to worship. It is a real blessing to be able to worship God as I believe His spirit is leading me. It is a blessing to be able to travel anywhere in this country without having to show identification or without being tracked. It is a blessing to be able to sit and write what I feel like without fear of governmental reprisal. My grandparents and great grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from the Netherlands and from Ireland and I’m glad they did. God chose to put me here and for that I’m grateful.

So, on this Fourth of July I thank God for the U.S.A.