Many years ago, while ministering in a conference in another nation, I was told that the Christian queen of that nation was having a birthday during the coming month. There would be a big celebration for the beloved queen, and the people of the conference wanted to do something to acknowledge her special day. I suggested singing the national anthem of the nation and having a few brief testimonies from some who had been delivered from a life of crime and drug dependency followed by a prayer for the queen and her nation. They all thought this was a good idea except for one thing, no one knew the national anthem. I was totally amazed at that discovery. They did not even have a song book where they could find all the words and melody to the song. The discovery of that day was interesting to me. I realized there was no real sense of national loyalty or patriotism. They were losing something important and precious as a nation.
Patriotism is at the root of the defense of America. When courts begin to vote that the American flag no longer has to be flown over our schools, it won’t be long until they begin to fly any flag which certain interest groups desire on those flag poles. Those in that national conference no longer knew that something so simple as their national anthem should make us want to fly our nation’s flag high and sing our national anthem louder than ever before. This is FOURTH OF JULY WEEK, and I am proud to be an American! I am going to sing the national anthem with all my heart, especially the last stanza:
Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "IN GOD IS OUR TRUST":
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Your loving pastors,
Cleddie and GayNell