Independence SunDay

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. 

Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. 

Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. 

Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. 

Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be Justice and Peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. 

In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday evening the Fourth of July, I love the dark, ominous cloud that heralded the thunderstorm that approached 7H at 6:02 pm, and then swept over us with heavy, white, torrential rain. And the cooler temps it brought: 73° 94% and mostly cloudy this morning, clear and clean. Soon we will be back to the summer mornings when we wake to lightning in clouds over the Gulf. 

Sunday. My morning in the pulpit, in fact, pulpit and altar at Eight o'clock, Nine-fifteen, and Ten-thirty, as the Rector is vacationing with his family, children and grandsons. I'll publish my sermon notes as blogpost before locking up and leaving the church after the 10:30 service. And by the time I arrive home about noon, I will have earned that martini. 

Being gathered together, especially inside, is said to increase covid19 risk, so we are doing things to reduce the time we're assembled in church. No singing. Take advantage of rubrics that say material may be omitted. Read one lesson and the gospel, or just the gospel. Cut sermon length by 30 to 40 percent. Let you read the Creed yourself (during the sermon no doubt) instead of everyone standing and saying it together. Less time preparing the Altar for Holy Communion, in fact I may prepare it ahead of Time. Communion in "one kind" which is to say Bread only. No Closing Hymn, the congregation leave during the postlude after the Benediction & Blessing. Instead of an hour to an hour and ten minutes, worship services have been some forty minutes. I pray the Lord blesses you in your worship, and I hope you bless the Lord as you leave.

Here's that cloud again. What a beauty she was!

Tom+