This is the first in a series of ramblings about Prayers We Don't Mean (PWDM). I doubt they will come one right after the other, but from time to time, the topic will be revisited. I invite you to post a comment for pwdm's that come to your mind to add to the discussion. For you first time blog visitors, commenting is easy. Just click on comment and follow the instructions.
If God gave wedding gifts, I don't think He would feel restrained by the list of gifts the couple had chosen at the local department stores. I think God takes a lot of time in picking out just the right gifts. Sometimes he gives gifts we don't think we need or want . . .but we really do.
God Bless America. It is sung by celebrities and amateurs, in moments of incredible crisis and before some sporting events. It is used as a sign off by politicians and government officials. It punctuates our prayers and liturgy around Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veteran's Day.
Kate Smith's velvet voice singing Irvin Berlin's song has brought tears to my eyes.
But it is a prayer. It is a request for a gift, a blessing, for a country. As a nation there are a lot of blessings we have registered for: remaining the most powerful country in the world, winning the Iraq war, keeping our soldiers safe, safety from terrorists, cheaper oil, maintaining our way of life for ourselves and our children.
If we are just saying the words, basically violating one of the big ten, you know, don't take the Lord's name in vain, then the best thing that can happen is nothing.
If we are truly praying the simple three word prayer, which is a great one I think, then we are submitting our nation to the will of God. The blessing of being a Godly country may look nothing like our list of blessings we registered for.
I believe that God's blessing for our country would be for our country to do His will. . .not necessarily ours. His will does not look like ours. God might bless us to be servants,to take care of our neighbors, to love our enemies, to not resist the evil doers. To be blessed is to be poor in spirit, to be peacemakers, to hunger and thirst for righteousness sake, to be persecuted for His sake and the sake of his children. To be blessed requires the strength to choose to be last rather than first.
God Bless America. It's kind of scary.
The United States of America is about freedom. We have these certain inalienable rights, right?
ReplyDeleteObviously, one of those is to be THE nation blessed by God. That's what bothers me about "God Bless America." I do desire God's blessing for America. And for Lithuania. And France. And Mexico. And Iraq. We should pray that God will bless all these nations, and that all of us will replace our will with God's will, no matter what name we call God.
Of course, the next thing we do is to get busy telling God exactly how to go about blessing us. Yes, in all the ways you mentioned and more. Make it easy, God. Shower us with those blessings and don't make us do anything but receive them.
There's no question that our nation has been in the power seat. We of all nations know best, so don't make us give that up. OK? Amen.
But aren't we confused about where power really lies? It's not in flexing muscle, it's in turning the other cheek. It's not in dominating, it's in submitting. It's not in having all you want, it's in sharing all you have.
Christian nation? America can't claim that because America doesn't act like it.
Maybe Charles Dickens said it best... God bless us, every one.
this made me think of the senior high campers' prayer (they were handed news articles and asked to share prayers concerning those current events. they got an article on deaths by "friendly fire"). the prayer: dear God, please help us to kill only those we are supposed to kill. amen
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