While July 4th is on a Saturday this year, below is an excerpt from a sermon on Sunday, July 4, 1999 given by The Most Rev. John Thayer Cahoon at St. Andrew & St. Margaret of Scotland.
An Excerpt from Archbishop Cahoon's July 4, 1999 Sermon The gospel comes from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says that we should love our enemies, bless them, do good to them, and pray for them. In acting that way we act as God does. His sun shines and his rain falls on both good people and bad people, after all.
The reason to forgive and pray for people who do bad things to you is not for their sake but for your own. A person whom you hate still has a hold over you which can obsess you and wreck your life. If you can forgive, you detach yourself from them and get free - and, into the bargain, St. Paul says that if we are nice to our enemies we heap coals of fire upon their heads - our kindness makes them burn with shame.
It is difficult to take moral prescriptions which pertain to individual circumstances and apply them to nations - not impossible, but certainly difficult. One reason for the difficulty comes from the political perspective which informs the Bible. In the Old Testament everybody who was part of the main story practiced the same religion and everybody was a citizen of the same nation. The reason for the existence of the nation of Israel and for its history and for its laws was God. God alone.
The New Testament assumes that Christians will not live in a system like Israel's where the laws of religion and the laws of government are identical. We are told we are really citizens of heaven, so we are only passing through here on earth. Because we are only passing through - and because any form of political order reflects God more accurately than anarchy does - we should obey the laws of the government where we happen to find ourselves living.
St. Paul says, "The powers that be are ordained of God." St. Peter says, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." And remember that those two men lived when the Roman imperial government was actively hostile to Christianity and they both died martyrs' deaths because of it. Jesus tells Pontius Pilate, who is very impressed with his own power, "You would have no power at all over me if it had not been given to you from above."
All political power comes from God. Obey the laws where you happen to live - including the ones that have to do with paying your taxes. Those are the hallmarks of Christian citizenship.
The reason for our gratitude on this July 4 is not that we are free of Great Britain - our best friend internationally, our father culturally and linguistically, and our mother religiously. The reason for our gratitude is that we are free to come to church without having a policeman take down our names. The reason for our gratitude is that no government official checked this sermon out before I got into the pulpit. The reason for our gratitude is that people have been willing to give up their lives to make certain that all this remains true.
If we are looking for encouragement and for a challenge on this Independence Day, we should think about Jesus' words: "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required."
This Saturday, July 4, at Noon – Holy Communion service
Sunday, 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM services, for online participation go to https://www.facebook.com/saintsofscotland or to https://www.youtube.com/@StAndrewandStMargaret/streams
Nursery during both services
Sunday School, on recess for the summer, returns in September
Wednesday, July 8, 7:30 to 9:00 PM in the church undercroft, Fr. Bragg will offer a relaxed, informal course of Wednesday evening classes on the Hymnal that will run through August 26. Each meeting will be a stand-alone session on specific hymns, focusing on the circumstances of their writing as well as their theological and devotional content. Every hymn has a story behind it, and many of them are fascinating.
Saturday, July 25 - Saint James, 12 noon service
Thursday, August 6 - Transfiguration, 12 onon service
Monday, August 24 - Saint Bartholomew, 12 noon & 700 PM Services Saturday, August 29, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. in the undercroft. Women's brunch honoring the MaRiH Center: Enjoy some end-of-summer fun and fellowship while helping local women and their babies. Please bring an item from MaRiH Center's critical needs list. Brunch is potluck; please consider bringing a dish to share. RSVP to margot.anderson@proton.me.
Save the date, Sunday, Sept 20, Annual Parish Picnic, following combined 10:00 AM service. More information to follow as the date draws near and plan to invite family and friends.
MaRiH Crisis Pregnancy Center: Updated Critical Needs & More
Below are 2 updated lists: the critical needs list and the needs list:
Critical Needs: Diapers, sizes 5 and 6 Spring/Summer clothing (Boys & Girls), size 0-3 months, size 2T Baby Wipes Baby Blankets Baby formula: Similac Advance Formula Bibs: toddler Car seat: infant Other needs: Diapers, newborn, 1, 2, 3, 4 Spring/Summer Clothing, 3-6 month, 9-12 month, 18-24 month, Bibs, infant Maternity clothes (Spring/Summer) Wash cloths Hooded towels Diaper rash ointment, Baby Shampoo Baby bottles Baby formula: All other Similac & Enfamil types. Also accept Alimentum & Nutramigen. No other brands are accepted. Please make sure dates have not expired. There are two options for helping the Center with these needs: Option 1 Amazon has all the specific items needed. You can order the specific item(s) and have them delivered directly to the Center.
The MaRiH Center 3230B Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-4521 703-370-4774
Option 2 Go to your local store, purchase the items requested and drop them off at church on Sunday. We will deliver them to the MaRIH Center .
Food Bank Needs
The food bank continues to need our assistance to feed the hungry. Please help this month with a food donation if you are able. Those we help feed are very thankful for the food we provide to them each month. Please also buy low sugar cereals (and not the kid's types that have lots of sugar). Also lower sodium products are better and more healthy.
Current needs include the following: canned meats (chicken, corned beef, spam) tuna (cans or foil packages) peanut butter. jelly canned vegetables (corn, green beans - (regular and low sodium) individual fruit cups (low sugar) canned fruit (low sugar) canola or vegetable oil (48 oz) boxed cereal (low sugar) and instant or old fashioned oatmeal (18 oz or 42 oz) pasta (regular and gluten-free): instant potatoes single serving fruit juice macaroni & cheese soups: Chunky or Progresso, chicken noodle soup; chicken broth, cream of mushroom. tomato coffee, cooking oil, flour, sugar