On July 4th of 2026, the US is celebrating its 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Currently, the Administration in Washington DC is turning the 4th of July celebration into a major event of faulty patriotism – “America First”, based on white supremacy and the erasure of entire histories, people, species. The Administration adheres to the false belief that histories that mention the horrors of slavery, attempted genocide of indigenous people, climate change, LGBTQ+ liberation, Latino/a rights, and women’s rights and achievements are not valid histories, not appropriate for children and others to learn or are just plain unimportant and inconvenient.
These worship resources are an invitation to engage in pushing back and telling a different story.
Joy, gratitude, and wonder, in and of themselves, are holy. They are also acts of resistance in these times. For so many reasons, and especially in this season, it’s important to engage with wonder. There are resources here that engage with joy and wonder.
It is also important, in these times, to engage in remembering – who we are as beloved children of God, who we are as seekers after justice, inclusion, peace, and healing of creation, who we are as a nation with all its flaws, its violent and oppressive histories, and its places of grace. There are resources here that engage with remembering.
As people faith, we are called to resistance – to resist the powers that would lead us to despair, powers that destroy dignity and lives of all, powers that reduce liberties and desecrate the Earth. These resources are one attempt to engage in faithful resistance.
They are in PDF form at this link.