Sunday, June 12, 2022
Your personal invitation to:Independence Sunday,
Sunday, June 26, 2022
“…if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land…”
(1 Chronicles 7:14)
In a time of extreme division in our nation, Independence Sunday is an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate America and to acknowledge “God and Country” no matter what our political, religious, or regional stripe may be. We come together intellectually,
emotionally, and happily to really let down our hair and enjoy our heritage, with bright hope for the future, despite the soothsayers. For one brilliant Sunday we lay down our
various advocacies to experience a sense of unity in the midst of diversity and difference of
opinion. Please note that this occasion is a joyful, but people-friendly, service of worship.
It is in a Lutheran church, but our principle readers will be Jewish and Muslim. We are
pleased to announce that we have a distinguished American, the Honorable Quentin L. Kopp as our special guest speaker this year.
Judge Kopp
straddles the political fence unlike most
well-known political experts on the scene today.
Here is a gentleman who has a brilliant
Harvard University mind and decades of
experience before the American public,
a heart for “a more perfect union” in our country.
many call him the man exemplifying President
Abraham Lincoln’s notion of a public figure
“…of the people, by the people, for the people…”
We’ll also feature the Toot Sweet Jazz Band on
hand to provide us with great traditional American
music. The United States Marine Corps Color
Guard (23rd Marine Regiment/4th Marine Division)
will present and post the “Colors” as we sing the
National Anthem. This event will be the only
focused and insightful celebration of the
National Day of Independence this year, as well
as being well-planned and joyful.
Independence Sunday has been happening
for decades now and has always delighted
those attending. In former years we have
provided an All-American lunch, but this
year, for obvious reasons, we won’t have
lunch this year.
This very special event celebrating our national day of
independence takes place at 1165 Seville Drive in the
Linda Mar district of Pacifica, California. It is the site of
Holy Cross Lutheran Church. The program begins at
11 o’clock sharp on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Be on time
and let us know you are coming. We need to plan.
Plan to come early to get a seat for you and those you
bring with you. You definitely want to be there to enter
the sanctuary with “When The Saints Go Marchin’ In”
before the Marines present the flag ceremony. This will
be the beginning of an interesting, memorable program.
The service will end with the congregation singing
“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” with the band.
The format will include a min-concert in the middle
and will include dramatic readings of the “Preamble of
the Constitution” as well as the “Gettysburg Address”.
There will be more great American music interspersed
with the context of the crafted program, meant to really
celebrate “God and Country”. This celebration of the
Fourth of July will, indeed, leave you tapping your feet
and singing out lyrics of some pretty inspiring musical
material. You really don’t want to miss this.
To wit, isn’t this very special American celebration more
than just firing off fire-crackers and eating special foods.
I think so. American Independence Day is really about
much more. To a large degree, we’ve unfortunately
forsaken vital information among our citizens that would
keep our focus on government and nationhood alive,
interesting, and passionate. Now I’m not talking about
scandals. I’m talking about developing and treasuring
an informed mindset in regard to that kept us focused
upon making “a more perfect union”.
The fact is—we can do better than we have in recent
years. Note. The underlying purpose of Independence
Sunday is to stir up in each of us a love of country that
is deeply, truly informed and well-grounded in American
customs, politics, and culture.
I said this ten years ago, and I will say it now. As a
general populace, we’ve become farther and farther
removed from the roots of what moved the Founding
Fathers (and Mothers) of our American republic to
stand their ground, put their possessions and their
lives on the line, by signing the Declaration of
Independence of 1776, and the Constitution of the
United States of America in 1783.
Our celebration of Independence Day must have
“substance” to it, a reminder of the fact, that, though
we are a free people, the cost of personal freedom,
even at the very beginning, did not come free.
Our community event called Independence Sunday
brings us back to a particular perspective, and in
that, the emphasis of who we are as a people,
what we stand for, what liberties are guaranteed to
us as well as what obligations we are privileged
to honor. Americans like those of us considering
the idealism of this article desire to seek direction
concerning where we are going from here, based
upon the idealism that formed this nation from the
beginning. Our citizenry are at a point in our
national history when we need vital unbiased
information about our past to determine an informed
forward direction.
We’ve come to fall short in cherishing American
foundational principles. I saw that coming twenty
years ago. Most Americans live in an era when
we don’t even know what our cultural foundations
have been, and what American political traditions
are all about. In a recent conversion with a local
college graduate (and professional), this person
didn’t know neither who James Madison was or
Louis Armstrong. [I wasn’t going to get into who
Miles Davis and John Coltrane were.] There is
a need for exposure to solid American culture,
institutions, and history.
Independence Sunday attempts to address this
pressing issue. If we don’t learn and study the
lessons of American history we’ll be forced to
repeat its mistakes. In some ways we’ve done
that in recent years, and of course, before.
In Independence Sunday, we witness the
finest in “pageantry” with the United States
Marine Corps Color Guard on hand. This
military presence is not an attempt to
memorialize the “Military-Industrial Complex”
or to glorify war. This celebration does not
glorify uninformed, flag-waving Americanism.
It will not favor “extreme right” or “radical liberal
left”. On the other hand it will not exclude them
if they want to participate to celebrate “unity in
diversity”. Independence Sunday 2022 will not
be a gathering of liberals, or conservatives, or
independents with their own distinct agenda
and perspective…
We will gather to celebrate America.
The presence of military personnel will remind
all of us that we are Americans—ready if need
be—to defend our nation, against all enemies.
The stars on the American flag will be to
symbolize every single American citizen. It
will acknowledge liberals and conservatives.
It will recognize Americans of every national
origin, every racial group, every gender, every
faith, and every constitutional political ideology.
Once again, we want to affirm “unity in the
midst of diversity”.
The musical format is Dixieland jazz—because
it is, yes, totally American. All the selections have
a comfortably sacred feel to them. Selections
also include musical selections that touch our
hearts in a special way as Americans.
We have invited the Honorable Mayor of Pacifica
and the members of our City Council, as well as
county, state, and national representatives. We’ve
also invited representatives from the Pacifica
Police Department and the Fire Department.
The program will hopefully derive inspiration from the
experience of being an American—and having grown
some roots. It will be joyful and fun. Though that
doesn’t sound religious—let it be! Just get involved
and enjoy the experience.
It is designed to give pertinent expression to the
larger, more profound, idea of celebrating the
Fourth of July. You can count on the program
running about an hour or so in length.
Let us know you can make it. Please contact me at — nibbet@yahoo.com. You are cordially
welcome to bring your family, especially your little ones and especially your teenagers. It is imperative that we receive your intention to participate now so we can plan for you.
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