1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

The following is a copy of the proclamation issued by President George Washington concerning Thanksgiving. [New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in thecourse and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

For more information you can check out this site.

"The Most Important Election"

Today is Election Day. I capitalized it because our culture has turned it into it's own twisted kind of holiday. It's own kind of holy day. A day that we either choose to, or not to, celebrate the democratic process by casting a ballot. I voted. I think it's important to vote, but not necessarily for the same reasons you may think it's important to vote.

I have heard it said every four years going as far back as 1988 in the race that won George Bush Sr. the presidency that "this election is the most important election of our lifetime." And maybe that is true. Maybe each presidential race carries an inherent level of immediacy and magnitude that promotes it to the epitome of electoral importance. Maybe. However, even if that were the case.  Even if today is the most important election of our lifetime, what does it really mean for you? In 24 hours how much will the results affect you personally.  In four years (or eight years) and 24 hours, how much will the day's events affect you personally. For most of us, barring extreme circumstances, not much.

Participate in the political process. Do it because it is your right and your chance to freely express your political opinion without fear of reprisal. But let's none of us be naive enough to think some man sitting somewhere in the Not-Quite-Circle Office will really affect that great of a change on our lives.  And if he can, if that man holding that position can assert himself in such a way, whether actual or imagined, that it does indeed truly affect your daily disposition, then I am deeply sad for you.

Enjoy today, because after today is over we will hopefully have at least four more years until the most important election of our lifetime.

Merica's gods: Greed & Consumerism

I've spent the last several months thinking about the utter waste in our nation. We waste resources, education, and effort on a wealth of idolatrous pursuits that are at the epicenter of American culture. It makes me sad. It is deeply sinful. And one of the saddest parts about it is that the American church has done or is doing very little to call it's people to repentance. Shame on us. Greed is the root of all evil. Every type of evil imaginable can be traced back to greed. Pride is essentially having a greedy opinion of yourself and wanting others to as well. Envy is the greedy instinct to desire something not in your possession. Sexual addiction, gluttony, and theft are all sinful results of greed.

In many places around the world greed takes the form of another idolatrous monstrosity known as consumerism, but perhaps no one demonstrates it as obviously as America. We don't know how to separate want from need, and even if we did we probably wouldn't have the self control to bother with it. We pursue possessions. Having and buying are at the heart of what many think it means to be American.

Sadly, this same mentality is too often reflected in the Church. We "shop" for places of worship and evaluate them based on ideas of what we "can get out of it" or how well "we are being fed." It's deeply tragic when we place value on a place of worship based on the scope of their facilities, size of their budget, or compartmentalization of their programs.

Because we consume so greedily, often there is little left from the church budget to things of incredible significance, like outreach. We spend selfishly.

What would our Church look like if we were generous, and not so self centered or glutinous in our spiritual consumption? What if Jesus wanted us to stop thinking of ourselves entirely?

More posts in this series:

Etiquette, Etican, Etican't

Football, Athletes, and Idolatry

Mirrors, Models, and Muscles

Education

Sex

Culture Wars

Religious Tradition and Dissidence

Intolerance

Greed & Consumerism

Merica's gods: Intolerance

I've spent the last several months thinking about the utter waste in our nation. We waste resources, education, and effort on a wealth of idolatrous pursuits that are at the epicenter of American culture. It makes me sad. It is deeply sinful. And one of the saddest parts about it is that the American church has done or is doing very little to call it's people to repentance. Shame on us. When I was a little kid my brother was an even smaller kid, and there were plenty of times he would do something that would make me want to slug him. Sometimes I did, which was quickly greeted by a parental reroof, but more often than not I simply tolerated whatever newly contrived annoyance he had come up with.

Our culture's working definition of the word tolerance is broken. Tolerance is a beautiful thing, but in recent years there has been a steady shift in just what that word means. No one really thinks of tolerating something as putting up with something you don't like anymore. Or at least that's not the way it is discussed in popular media.

We've sort of collectively replaced the definition of tolerance with the definition for acceptance, especially in terms of cultural squabbles. No longer when two parties disagree is there a mutually held respect, accompanied by a venerable tolerance based on the opposing side's inherent human dignity. Politically, socially, economically, and religiously, when someone inevitably disagrees with our ideas we label them as being intolerant.

We are so silly sometimes. By its vary nature, it is impossible to show tolerance for an issue unless we disagree with it. Christians should be the most tolerant people on earth. We should understand all too well that you don't, can't, and shouldn't attempt to force your beliefs on others. Of course we will regularly be at odds with practically everything about current trends in morality. But that doesn't mean we simply start demonizing everything and everyone. No, we don't have to remain silent in our disagreement, but we can voice our opinions without turning into crusading moralistic bullies.

The other side has a problem with this too. Often the far left labels Christianity as an incredibly intolerant faith because the vast majority of us refuse to sway from our historical core beliefs about God and moral issues. The truth is that our refusal to budge from our stalwart moral position, while still acknowledging the dignity and worth of those belittling us, is actually what proves the level of our tolerance.

Both sides of this issue of intolerance need to wake up. The level of vitriol and hate mongering that goes on today is disgusting. It's beneath us. We need to pull intolerance down off of its thrown and listen to what our neighbor has to say. It could be that taking the time to learn their opinion might give you insight into their basic human decency, even if you don't agree with their position.

More posts in this series:

Etiquette, Etican, Etican't

Football, Athletes, and Idolatry

Mirrors, Models, and Muscles

Education

Sex

Culture Wars

Religious Tradition and Dissidence

Intolerance

Greed & Consumerism

Merica's gods: Education

I've spent the last several months thinking about the utter waste in our nation. We waste resources, education, and effort on a wealth of idolatrous pursuits that are at the epicenter of American culture. It makes me sad. It is deeply sinful. And one of the saddest parts about it is that the American church has done or is doing very little to call it's people to repentance. Shame on us. Some people are just educated beyond their own intelligence, or humility. Admittedly there are times that I battle with both. I love to learn. I am good at it. And I love to share what I learn. But there comes a point when someone actually does begin to be so well educated that they abandon all wisdom.

Probably the most blatant form of nonsense drummed up by this mentality is the prevailing presupposition that declares the supernatural impossible. Men have attributed such a high value to their capacity for understanding that they assume nothing can or does exist which might actually surpass that capacity. What an absolutely arrogantly absurd assumption! This is only one example. There are numerous others.

One of my favorite scriptures is Mark 12:30 in which Jesus answers a question by telling the gathered crowd that we should love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Jesus is saying we should love God will all of our being. It is sad to me that instead of loving God with these aspects of our nature, we often choose instead to replace God with one of these aspects of our nature.

When we begin to hold dangerously lofty views of our own thoughts and opinions we begin to withhold the love of our mind from God, instead choosing to use our mind to love ourselves. When we continue to formulate ideas, or dwell on thoughts that promote ourselves we are doing the same thing in a different way. When we begin to weigh the value of someone based solely on the power of their mind, or whether or not we agree with their conclusions, we are in sin.

All over the country kids are starting back to school, universities are filling up, and teachers are heading back to work. Let's use this opportunity to develop our minds in a way that helps others, while loving God; and not a way that helps ourselves while loving ourselves.

;

More posts in this series:

Etiquette, Etican, Etican't

Football, Athletes, and Idolatry

Mirrors, Models, and Muscles

Education

Sex

Culture Wars

Religious Tradition and Dissidence

Intolerance

Greed & Consumerism

Guest Blog: 10 American Blunders

I love America, but we (Americans, first worlders, ect) tend to do a few things that don't make sense. Here's 10 (okay 11 because American's don't always follow the rules) common American blunders. 1. Lawn sprinklers. Why do we waste water watering our sidewalks and streets when drinkable water is a luxury many countries can't offer?

2. Spend $250 on a pair of jeans. I promise, you can find some for less than that, which will still make your butt look awesome. In many places around the world $250 is considered to be a good monthly salary.

3. Rent storage buildings. Why spend so much money on junk that won't fit in our house so we have to pay money to store it?

4. Buy SUV's and complain about gas prices. (guilty)

5. Take our kids to the mall instead of the library.

6. Accept the use of foul and degrading language around us.

7. Have more TV's in our home than people. Have more computers in our home than people (majorly guilty).

8. Buy homes we can't afford, decorate them with things we don't love, to impress people we don't like.

9. Do anything (including having risky surgeries and taking strange untested medications) to lose weight. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you eat less and get in a little exercise.

10. Take no responsibility. Blame everyone.

And one extra:

11. Worship athletics. Million dollar grass. Billion dollar stadiums. Million dollar salaries. Thousands of gallons of fuel for one sport. Enough said.

Merica's gods: Football, Athletes, & Idolatry

I've spent the last several months thinking about the utter waste in our nation. We waste resources, education, and effort on a wealth of idolatrous pursuits that are at the epicenter of American culture. It makes me sad. It is deeply sinful. And one of the saddest parts about it is that the American church has done or is doing very little to call it's people to repentance. Shame on us. I was reading an article this morning about the new football stadium in Allen, TX. The pricetag for this new pigskin palace? $60 million. Oh, and did I mention that it's a high school stadium? The same school laid off 44 teachers last year. Wha.....?

We all know Texas loves their football, but lest we forget about the plank in our own eyes, so does pretty much everywhere else in this country. And if it's not football it's something else; basketball, baseball, soccer, this list could get really long if I kept going.

We idolize sports. American arenas are the modern version of their Greco-Roman counterparts, places where athletes competed in violent rites of competition. The spirit of competition is a large part of the problem. We don't know how to compete without making an idol out of it. We don't know how to recognize the incredible athleticism of someone without trying to promote them above who and what they are. We don't know how to watch without worshipping. Any time we attribute more value to something than it actually deserves we have turned it into an idol. Shame on us.

This latest monument to idolatry in Allen, TX is only one small part of a much larger issue. Those of us who call ourselves Christians need to openly repent, and then we need to ask God to help us change our behavior. We can start by detaching some of the passion we have for sports and redirecting in a way that brings God glory. There's nothing inherently sinful in turning on our TV and watching our favorite team, but there is something deeply sinful going on when we become overly passionate about it.

;

More posts in this series:

Etiquette, Etican, Etican't

Football, Athletes, and Idolatry

Mirrors, Models, and Muscles

Education

Sex

Culture Wars

Religious Tradition and Dissidence

Intolerance

Greed & Consumerism

Merica's gods: Etiquette Etican Etican't

I've spent the last several months thinking about the utter waste in our nation. We waste resources, education, and effort on a wealth of idolatrous pursuits that are at the epicenter of American culture. It makes me sad. It is deeply sinful. And one of the saddest parts about it is that the American church has done or is doing very little to call it's people to repentance. Shame on us.

I once dated a girl that had attended a private Catholic school. At this school they spent about four hours a day learning manners. When she finally entered public school she was clueless when it came to the simplest of mathematical principles, but she knew what a salad fork was. One of the best lectures I ever heard in college came from my English Comp professor, who spent an hour explaining why grammar is silly. What do these two stories have in common? Etiquette.

In a lot of ways etiquette is stupid. We put such a high value on something of pretend importance that we often degrade people based on a perceived, and altogether faulty, system with absolutely no actual value. In a lot of ways we lift up etiquette as an idol, especially when we use it as a tool to pass a sinful judgement on someone.

Sometimes people smell bad. We snicker about it, or demean them, but how often do we hug them? How often do we give them a place of honor, instead of mockery? When did the value of their aroma surpass the worth of their humanity and dignity. It didn't.

Of course, there are some people who are blatantly rude. We call that being obnoxious. But really we only see them as obnoxious because they have infringed on our perception of acceptable social mores.

Etiquette is dumb. Like so many other things in our lives, it is a type of idolatry. Whether its a system of ideas that gauges how we value someone's appearance and image, a method of criticizing someone's written or spoken word, or an elaborately imagined acceptable formula for "appropriate" dining behavior, it has no value--and the moment we place more value on it than we do on the person committing an imagined infraction, we are idolaters.

;

More posts in this series:

Etiquette, Etican, Etican't

Football, Athletes, and Idolatry

Mirrors, Models, and Muscles

Education

Sex

Culture Wars

Religious Tradition and Dissidence

Intolerance

Greed & Consumerism

Blue: the Sadness

A lot of people in our country are mad these days. I don't find that very helpful. In fact, that seems to me to actually be kind of dangerous. Instead I get a little sad about the current state of this United States. Because where madness usually drives people to take crazy action; a sadness borne of deep affection usually drives believers to loving action and dedicated prayer. There are a lot of things about our country that make me sad. It's mostly because I love it so much. I think the best way to describe it, is that it's like watching a very dear friend go through difficult times, and feeling as though you are largely unable to help them out. I just mostly feel powerless to do anything about it, but I know that I can pray, and I do, and will continue to. These are just a few things I'm sad about.

I am sad because I think our nation has lost a lot of the selflessness that once made us wonderful.

I am sad because the Democrats want to give everything away, and I fear we will not survive it.

I am sad because the Republicans are stingy beyond reason, or compassion.

I am sad because both parties act like spoiled little brats.

I am sad because bi-partisanship has died in the last decade.

I am sad because the words "Tea Party" used to mean something great before its recent scary revitalization and rebranding.

I am sad because our political system is a rotten quagmire of crooked career politicians, more interested in currying favor and power, than in helping people.

I am sad because our country's moral compass takes its bearing from the relativist fickle masses rather than objective truth.

I am sad because we are turning into a nation of cynics, talking heads, and "reality" TV, and I am trying not to fall into any of those categories (it's not easy).

I am sad because every time a stranger looks at my son I think about how I can protect him from them if they turn out to be a psycho or pedophile.

I am sad because in a nation of so much, so many have so little.

I am sad because schools no longer teach kids how to think, they try to teach them how to test.

I am sad because shame is an antiquated idea.

I am sad because we are addicted to ourselves.

I am sad, because sometimes that is more helpful than being mad.

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness

White: the Innocence

I was watching The Munsters with my nephew and brother-in-law this weekend. It was great. It had been so long since I had watched it, that I had forgotten what a wholesome, family friendly, show it was. It made me start to think about a lot of things that seem to have grown dirty and soiled over the years. TV definitely, but I think in general our pop-culture has certainly lost its innocence. Hearing yesterday's big news on the passing of TV legend Andy Griffith was for me, like so many others, a proverbial nail in the coffin.

In the aftermath of the very sad news I was watching an interview with the classy Matlock star the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame some time ago. The interviewer questioned Andy about his opinion on the "modern" state of TV. I found his answer to be a sad commentary. In short, he had stopped watching TV long ago, really only preferring the news if he watched at all. A public indictment from Mayberry's humble Sheriff is quite the statement on the condition of entertainment in America.

I'm not some ultra-conservative fundamentalist here to bemoan all aspects of media and entertainment. There are still a few decent programs you can watch. It just takes some research and censorship on our part to find them. Particularly for me, I find myself watching less and less television all the time. My chief sources for entertainment have shifted to books and film, where I am incredibly critical and careful of both. (I recently greatly enjoyed seeing Brave and John Carter.)

Growing up through the 80s the TV landscape was vastly different than today. The Andy Griffith Show reruns I used to watch have been replaced by really crappy reality TV, vitriol spewing news networks, and filthy "comedy".

Traditionally the color white has always stood for purity, wholesomeness, and innocence. This 4th of July, as my wife and I stay indoors to watch movies together (The Vow, Patriot, and Captain America) I am wishing that were still the case.

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness

10 Things I Love About America

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. I really love this country. My heritage goes deep. I'm part Native American, and part English immigrant, but one way or another my family was here from the very beginning of this great nation. I've always been patriotic, as anyone that knows me well at all can tell you. Here are ten things I love about this wonderful land we live in.

1. The Bill of Rights is pretty awesome. Owning guns and being able to read the free press are WIN scenarios any way you slice it.

2. Captain America. I don't believe that requires any further explanation.

3. Charity; people all across the board like to point fingers and gripe about everything from entitlement, perceived socialism, welfare, deficits, and stinginess, but facts are facts. The U.S.A. Is the most charitable country on the Earth both inside and outside its borders. Whatever side of the political aisle you find yourself on, next time you want to gripe about charity, you would do well to remember that once upon a time that word actually meant LOVE and not HANDOUT.

4. Creativity; thinking and doing are appreciated in a myriad of ways. We aren't the only creative culture around, but we manage it with a sense of style that is uniquely American.

5. Freedom of Expression; some people choose to exercise this particular freedom like bone-headed-nincompoops, but that is their prerogative. For every flag burning moron out there, there are an army of sensible artists ready to wow us with their beautiful minds.

6. Protection; if you come to my house and threaten the life of my family, I will kill you, and it will be legal.

7. Natural Beauty; this is a remarkably beautiful place. I can drive less than an hour from my home and see sights that take my breath away.

8. Military; we have the most powerful armed forces in the world, and it's made up entirely of volunteers.

9. Capitalism; for the most part I decide where my money goes. Do I want to buy seventy bags of Corn Chips? That would be ridiculous, but if I want to I can...or I can buy a pile of ground beef and grill burgers for my family. Not everyone handles this freedom responsibly, and plenty of people wish they had a little more wealth to be (ir)responsible for/with; but if you have it, it's yours to do with as you please, or as your conscience dictates.

10. Worship; I've been reading a lot of stories lately about churches in my movement facing violent persecution around the world. I can sleep easy knowing no one is going to come into my home and attack me for my faith...but if they do I can always fall back on number 6 (Kidding! Kind of.)

Red: the Sacrifice

I don't worship America. What a funny way for an American pastor, and US Missionary, especially one that professes to be so incredibly patriotic, to start off a blog right? Well, I just felt like I needed to come right out and say it. There is a sad kind of fervent religious nationalism I continuously sense in the American church, at least here in the South. Sometimes it borders on idolatrous. Sometimes, it is just plain idolatry.

Jesus didn't die for America, He died for the world; and as much as I love both Jesus, and America, those are two very different focuses for two very different levels of affection. Even though Jesus didn't die exclusively for America, there have been thousands of men and women who did die exclusively for America. I don't worship them. I don't worship their sacrifice, or even the incredible freedoms it has bought me, but I do honor them. I do remember them. I do thank them.

For me, when I think of the red, white, and blue that has come to mean so much to me over the years--the red is a constant reminder of all the blood that was spilled making this nation what it is today. Some of it was spilled unjustly and serves as a sad reminder, as when the Native Americans and African slaves were treated cruelly and often murderously by zealous settlers or tyrant land owners. Some of it was spilled innocently, as when terrorists threatened and attacked our civilian population. And some of it was spilled valiantly, as when brave men, women, and sometimes children, took up arms to galvanize the hope for democracy for another generation.

No, I don't worship America, but I am thankful for all whose blood paved the way for mine and my family's freedom. And though this country is not a recipient of my worship, it is a focus for my pride. Join me this week in honoring those whose sacrifice made the possibility of our freedom a reality we enjoy daily.

Here are a few stats on the number of combat related deaths from ten of our wars. 1. World War II - 291,557 2. Civil War - 212,938 3. World War I - 53,402 4. Vietnam War - 47,355 5. Korean War - 33,746 6. Revolutionary War - 8,000 7. War on Terror - 4,977+ 8. War of 1812 - 2,260 9. Mexican–American War - 1,733 10. Northwest Indian War - 1,221

Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness