America the Beautiful: May God Thy Gold Refine

Psalm 33:12-22, I Timothy 2:1-4

​As I began preparing this sermon I realized something—I love America!

It has been my joy throughout my life to live in 13 different states! From the mountains of Idaho, to the beaches of California, the pine barrens of Arkansas, the hills of Kentucky, and this great city of New York (amongst other places), every single place, no matter how rural, how urban, or suburban, has been a fantastic place to live! This is a beautiful country.

But that's not why I love America; we all have issues with Washington. But for Presbyterians the core identity is not found in the place of power. For example, the essence of our denomination is not the General Assembly, but it is the people.

I love America because I love Americans!

The people I've encountered have their unique cultures, eccentricities, and faults but also have this joyous, faithful, peaceful, hopeful, respectful, compassionate, loving,and generous spirit everywhere I have been.

Certainly our country has its faults and not minor ones. And God takes these very seriously. Jesus' death on the cross shows us how far God will go to restore justice and harmony.

But today that's not what I'm going to focus on. Because I believe it is through focusing on what is good and uplifting that more goodness comes—that can push out our flaws.

I want to highlight two founding principles of this country: America as the land of opportunity and the true gift of freedom of religion.

America as a land of welcome and opportunity for people from around the world.

The US Congress declared December 11, 1783, A Public Day of Thanksgiving for Independence. Brick’s founding pastor, John Rogers, delivered a sermon entitled “Divine Goodness Displayed.”

In his sermon Rogers spoke directly to his gospel hope for our country as a place of welcome and refuge.

What great things has the God of Providence done for our race! By the revolution we celebrate today, he has provided an asylum for the oppressed in all the nations of the earth, whatever the nature of the oppression.

The gathering of people from around the world is the theme of Pentecost. At that moment when the church was born, God had brought people from many different nations into that room and they experienced a miracle! With tongues of flame suddenly people of different cultures and nations and historic enmities all felt the power of the Holy Spirit in their midst. God had shattered those barriers.

Over the past few years our country has struggled mightily with this identity. But that is not the only story.

Perhaps you saw the following headline: “World Cup visitors aren't holding back their reactions to American culture and Wow!” I clicked on it expecting to be saddened by what I read but it was the exact opposite!

"I'm not trying to be offensive at all — so far, every American I’ve met has been incredibly friendly — but man…you guys are loud."

"Very diverse (at least in California) and no one treats you as a 'foreigner' if you are not white. You really don’t feel like an outsider as a person of color, which is really nice. As a foreigner, I truly don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted anywhere else I’ve been so far. This has been such a wholesome experience."

(And then one that was just so true!)

"Nobody warned me that American portion sizes are actually a threat to your health. I ordered a medium coffee and received what my country would classify as a bucket."

It’s been called a great international sleepover with small towns across the country thrilled to welcome Algerians, Scots, Iraqis, and more. There’s been an exchange of culture and a joyous connection between people. International fans have been posting emotional videos about their renewed faith in the American dream.

This is what we want and hope to be as a country. And it is one of the most powerful ways I have experienced the presence of God. Meeting people with radically different backgrounds and cultures but all of them amazing.

It was the people of Magnolia that taught me that hospitality wasn’t just putting a plate of food out and saying hello; it was a way of helping people encounter the love of God. A wonderful member of the church known as Mama Sue showed me the way.

She took me to visit a blind elderly man, Chapman, who had no family or friends. I expected my job was to listen and console him, to offer a pastoral presence. But the refrain that kept coming out of his mouth was “God is so good, God is so good.” And he believed this because of the goodness of the people in that town.

But of course, the town was not perfect. In 1994, Magnolia, Arkansas, like many southern towns, feared those affected with AIDS. They had been pushed out of their own churches and had no spiritual support when they needed it the most. But a member of First Presbyterian Magnolia came to the session and asked us to become a church, the only church in town, that would agree to host a RAIN team, Regional AIDS Interfaith Network. And for the next several years we supported those with AIDS, with Mama Sue, with love, with home-cooked meals, with parties at the church, with car rides to the doctor, and help with the byzantine process of navigating the medical bureaucracy.

In Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2004 a church member was watching the news; there was a severe ethnic war devastating the hill people in Thailand known as the Hmong people. This church member contacted their state representatives, and before you knew it the church and the town were resettling a family that had fled. They had four children and only the youngest boy at five years old spoke any English.

They helped the parents find jobs; first it was sweeping and cleaning motels and other places. Over the course of many bumps, including a fire that burned down their house, through the town and the parents' perseverance all four children received an excellent education and are now living successful lives as doctors, teachers, and more. Twenty years later that five-year-old boy came to the church and thanked the entire congregation at a service of worship. Those folks completely changed their lives.

So though as a country we seem to struggle with how to welcome people from around the world, in every state I lived I have known people devoted to doing exactly that—all to share the love of God.

Freedom of Religion

The freedom of religion, another foundational principle of this country, has made this an amazing place to live. Listen again to our founding pastor’s sermon from 250 years ago:

The rights of conscience—both in faith and worship—are secured to every denomination of Christians. No denomination can oppress another. All stand on the same common level in religious privileges. Nor is this confined to Christians: the Jews also have the liberty of worshiping God in the way they think most acceptable to him. No man is excluded from the rights of citizenship on account of his religious profession—nor ought he to be.

In every state I have lived in, I have been enriched by the diverse religious experiences. It has expanded my vision of God. In Pentecost-like fashion despite these differences I have seen people in this country come together across faith differences to make a great difference.

In Buffalo it happened at 9/11. The first few days after that terrible day the faith community gathered for a service of prayer — Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and more. They came together to weep as one, to share their stories and to show their love of this country. And when we recited the 23rd Psalm together suddenly those words, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” took on a power I had never known before. We feared less because we mourned together and prayed as one people of God.

But it wasn't only a prayer gathering; the border shut down like a hammer and people who had made their way to Buffalo from all over the world were trying to get into Canada but could not cross; winter in Buffalo was not far off. And so the people of that church went to their homes not to grab their leftover blankets and pillows but brought wonderful furniture and we made a home for 30 refugees. We got them library cards, enrolled the children in school, and we shared fellowship and faith together, despite the religious difference.

Here at Brick Church I see it at the Brick Church School. Beginning with its mission:

We commit to creating a welcoming and joyful environment for children and adults of all backgrounds in our diverse and inclusive community, where the dignity and value of each person is recognized and celebrated.

The school welcomes people of many faiths but all the children come together every Thursday in chapel. I focus on God’s love for all people. I met one Hindu father on the street who told me my son’s favorite time every week is chapel! And I said it’s mine too!

As I reflect on God’s great gift of life and my experiences I see the truth of Genesis, which to me is the very core of our country.

Genesis tells us that everyone is created in the image of God. And our Declaration of Independence stated it in this way:

All are created equal.

These truths are at the center of who we are as a people but they do come with responsibility. Listen once more to John Rogers:

God has put within our reach all the blessings of civil and religious liberty. Perhaps no nation has ever had so fair an opportunity to become the happiest people on earth. Yet misery as well as happiness lies before us, unless the present state of things is wisely improved.

The incredible principles of this country are unmatched on the planet. They are what we aspire to: equality and opportunity​ for all, freedom of religion, the rule of law, and so many more. We have the principles and so we fervently pray God gives us the strength to live into them.

As in the words of the wonderful hymn, America the Beautiful,

May God thy gold refine,

till all success be nobleness,

and every gain divine.

Finally, as Presbyterians we believe it is not simply the responsibility of the government to deliver them but the call from God to each of us to make this a land of hope, freedom, and abundance for all!

America, happy 250th birthday!

Amen.