Praying on Independence Day (USA) - 2013
Here is the prayer for Independence Day from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer: Independence Day. [July 4.] The Collect. O ETERNAL God , through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. I like this particular version of the prayer far better than the slightly embellished one found in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer {**see the end of this post}. It's short, thoughtful, and too the point. Notice how the prayer breaks down. The Attribution: First, the God from whom our forbearers gained strength to win their liberties is not some fleeting, momentary divinity, but the eternal, unending, indestructible God. Next, our liberties are attributed to this God's active, powerful providential involvement, "through whose almighty powers our fathers won their liberties of old". The Petit...