July 4, 2026: Time to Party or Pray?
[This article was written by LPC’s Pastor, James Butler, for whom July 4th has always been both a serious and a fun holiday.]
July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence from Britain and King George III. Unlike the public’s enthusiasm leading up to the Bicentennial celebration fifty years ago, the 250th anniversary seems, well, very lackluster at best. And there is growing concern that, rather than a huge national celebration that uplifts, unifies, and recognizes America’s political history and many types of diversities, national events will be overtly partisan in spirit. Hopefully, that will not be the case. There are other reasons Americans are not in a celebratory mood: We are dealing with many troubling issues such as inflation and the cost of housing, healthcare, food, and energy; American foreign policy including the U.S. attack on Iran and weakening support for Ukraine’s defense of Russian aggression; partisan gerrymandering as the midterm election draws near; violations of the checks and balances between the three branches of federal government; and abuses of executive power and the emoluments clause to name a few.
Another serious concern for many of us, whether religious or non-religious, is the lack of recognition and respect for America’s religious diversity, along with a disregard for constitutional protections of religious freedom and the prohibition of establishing a state religion. There is a fervent minority of Americans hoping that before the 2028 presidential election arrives, the federal government, and many state governments, will enact laws that will solidify what is known as “Christian Nationalism,” despite the fact that the U.S. constitution does not even reference God, a supreme being or Christianity. This loud minority includes some members of the House and Senate and the Trump administration.
In response, the Presbyterian General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations has identified core principles of the Christian nationalist movement and how they do not align with the life and teachings of Jesus, or Paul and the apostolic leadership of the early church. Christian nationalists assert that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and that it must reclaim it as a state religion. It is true that the first Pilgrims left England and its state church (Anglican) in 1620 in order to practice their specific form of Protestant Christianity in the new world. But soon after, Christians from other traditions, including Roman Catholics, and some Jews, started to arrive for the same reason. One hundred and fifty years later, after the colonists fought for and won their independence from Britain, the framers of the constitution, including the Christian ones, devised a system of government that provided freedom to practice a diversity of religions, but also freedom from recognizing any one of them as the state religion, or forcing citizens to live under its teachings. But this is precisely what Christian Nationalists want to happen. They believe that America is divinely chosen and blessed, and that all laws and policies should reflect Christian beliefs, usually those arising from the evangelical and fundamentalist theological traditions. Some believe that discrimination against Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants, women and the LGBTQ+ community is acceptable if needed to preserve a white Christian America and what they consider to be “biblical values.”
The chief concern among theologians, past and contemporary, is that the joining of a particular religion and the power of the state will become dangerously idolatrous, that a believer’s highest allegiance and authority will turn away from God and to a particular form of national identity and politics. A frightening, not-so-distant example is Nazi Germany, which was able to merge some, but not all, Christian traditions with the secular state, and then used a perverted form of Christianity in their efforts to conquer the world. Theologians and pastors warned the German people of this insidious evil as Hitler carefully gained power and appealed to the public’s patriotic values and religious inclinations. And many, for example Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who courageously preached against German Christian Nationalism, lost their lives.
Just before July 4th, the Presbyterian General Assembly will have reviewed, and hopefully approved for public proclamation, a faithful response against Christian Nationalism. Other Protestant denominations are also engaged in the same important task.
So, pray or party? I consider myself a patriotic person, and I don’t plan to sit on an ash heap and weep all day, but America is at an inflection point. Democracy has been seriously damaged. Important constitutional lines have been crossed without consequence. Read the constitution and the amendments to it and see if it syncs up with current events. Prayer will be my higher priority. How about you?
A Message from the Pastor
by the Rev. Dr. James Butler
The big event in our church’s life for July is our triennial youth retreat. When Aliyah Kennedy joined the church staff back in 2015, she proposed planning summer youth events that would work on a three-year cycle. Year one would be a retreat, year two would be a mission trip, and year three would be the national Presbyterian Youth Triennium. So, after worship on July 5, we pack into a van and head for beautiful Hocking Hills north of Athens, Ohio. We have reserved a large cabin that will accommodate a bunch of kids and three adults, the adults being Aliyah, Kaori Hongo and yours truly. Why do we do this? Besides the fact that it’s tons of fun, research has shown that church youth group trips that focus on mission and spiritual formation are incredibly effective means to help young people come into a faith relationship and recognize the importance of participating in the life and ministry of a congregation. Adults who come back to a church later in life often had beneficial “off-site” retreat and missional experiences when they were active in a youth group. These trips change young lives and provide downtime to reflect and seek meaning and purpose. That’s why Kaori and I go and help. We can see it with our own eyes, plus Aliyah can’t do it all by herself. So, thank you for your support of our ministry to youth. They may not say it, but it means a lot to them. And they know these trips happen largely because of your generosity. Have a great summer!
The Music Corner with Dr. Kaori Hongo
As we relax into another kind of rhythm during these summer months, I hope we all can find time to slow down and notice the many blessings we have around us. For me this means relaxed mornings with a book and the windows up or an evening at Blossom with my family! Going to the Cleveland Museum of Art and walking through the quiet spaces with masterpieces as my company is also a favorite way I like to spend summer days (the A/C is a bonus!). In the classical music world several well-known composers have created pieces with their memories and images of summer. In our Children’s Music Activities class after service, we have been exploring Antonio Lucio Vivaldi’s (1678–1741) “summer” from The Four Seasons. An American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone and music educator, Samuel O. Barber (1910–1981), composed Summer Music Op. 31, a wind quintet (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet and horn), which premiered on March 20, 1956 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The piece is a single movement of around 12–15 minutes in length and beautifully describes the lyrical and lazy feel of “summer” to the energetic and exciting aspects of the same season! If you have a moment in your summer schedule, I hope you will listen to a recording of this short and fun piece. (Other listening: Samuel Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915; Frederick Delius, In a Summer Garden; Tchaikovsky, The Seasons Op. 37b). Happy summer!
MOJ August Follow-Ups on Eviction & Fair Housing Issues
The Mission, Outreach and Justice Ministry (MOJ) has begun some initiatives for Lakewood Presbyterian to help address the crises of evictions and unaffordable/unavailable housing in our communities, based on the ideas and feedback from participants at the LPC June events. (Please see the article below.)
- MOJ is in contact with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland to host a free legal clinic in our building for people in the community who face legal issues, such as eviction, but who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Further details including the date are not yet finalized.
- MOJ members decided to invite representatives from many of the community coalitions/agencies engaged in fair housing (we heard about June 28) to come to our meetings – one rep per meeting. We plan to ask them what they believe LPC can do to best help their organizations.
Please continue to watch for updates on these and other Mission, Outreach and Justice initiatives, please pray that our work is faithful to God’s call and please consider how you might become involved!
Recap: LPC June Events on Eviction & Fair Housing
Thank you to those who participated last month in the events sponsored by the Mission, Outreach and Justice Ministry.
On June 7, about 40 folks viewed and actively discussed the thought-provoking documentary Evicting the American Dream about the crisis of eviction and unaffordable housing in the U.S. In the words of one participant, “The documentary was eye-opening/fascinating/infuriating.”
Participants sought to better understand the situation and brainstormed about ways Lakewood Presbyterian should respond. As the discussion concluded, folks were asked to take time to think and pray about concrete actions we should take as a church and as individuals.
Then, on June 28, many of these folks reconvened to share what they had prayed about and decide on the actual actions LPC will undertake, as well as things we as individuals will do. Maria Smith, Supervising Attorney with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, shared information on approaches other cities and stakeholders have taken to address certain aspects of the unaffordability and unavailability of housing, especially to certain members of the community at large.
The deadline for this issue of Open Door did not allow for a detailed report to be included of the action decisions and outcomes of the June 28 gathering; please watch for details on the LPC website, Facebook page, weekly worship bulletin, as well as the September Open Door.
Volunteer Opportunity: Register New Voters
The Mission, Outreach and Justice Ministry recommends volunteering to help register voters in our communities this summer and early fall. Several local organizations work to register new voters.
One of those, Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates (NOVA), conducts Zoom online training for new volunteers and has a calendar showing their training dates and voter registration volunteer opportunities throughout the area. Gather some church friends or other friends and family and sign up for voter registration training and volunteering with NOVA at https://nova-ohio.org/volunteer/.
Another organization, Mobilize the Vote NEO, does the same. Check out their training sign up at bit.ly/mtvneo-vr-training and their volunteer calendar at https://tinyurl.com/3j45mznc.
Some other local organizations that do similar work include the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland and Ohio Organizing Collaborative, among others.
LPC at Lakewood Arts Festival
Please join Faith Formation members to represent LPC at the Lakewood Arts Festival. Sign up for an hour or two on Saturday, August 1 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Our booth is located near Chipotle in Marc’s plaza. Aliyah always supplies a simple craft, which draws folks to the booth, as well as information regarding LPC’s varied offerings. Enjoy some time with other church members and the beautiful and varied art work. Contact Aliyah Kennedy or Cindy Dugan to let them know when you’d like to volunteer.
Hand in Hand Programs for July & August
On Friday, July 10 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Hand in Hand will gather in the Reed Room to hear a couple of 20-somethings talk about and answer questions regarding the current world situation from their point of view. This is a golden opportunity to check in on the younger generation and learn their thinking. All are welcome to join us.
On Friday, August 14 at 11 a.m. in the Reed Room, Foster Brown from the Metroparks will return by popular demand. He will come dressed as “Digger” and talk and sing about the Erie Canal. This moment in history changed commerce forever, and Foster Brown has done research on the canal. Join us for a fun and educational time together.
Books Selected for Women’s Summer Book Discussion
Select a day and time to join us as we read this summer. Groups will meet in person on Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings.
Book selections and discussion dates are:
- The Quaking of America by Resmaa Menakem (July 20 at 7 p.m.; July 22 at 10:30 a.m.)
- Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn (August 17 at 7 p.m.; August 19 at 10:30 a.m.)
Please provide your name and meeting preference to Cindy Dugan. We hope you (and maybe a friend) will join us!
LPC Library Adds More New Books
These books are dedicated to parents and grandparents. Enjoy!
- Grandparents as Parents: A Survival Guide for Raising a Second Family by Sylvie de Toledo and Deborah Edler Brown — The book draws directly from real-life case studies of grandparents navigating these exact challenges. “You raise your kids; you think it’s over. No one tells us it’s just the beginning.” (Colorado grandmother)
- Rhubarb written by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robin James about an adorable dog at Rickity Tickity Farm. Stephen Cosgrove’s books are winsome delights, and Rhubarb is up there with the best of the Serendipity series. Ruby, the jewel of the farmyard, earned her nickname because she is as rare and valuable as the sparkling gem. You will love this book!
- Night Owls by Sharon Denslow and beautifully illustrated by Jill Kastner — Charlene and her nephew, William, celebrate an evening picnic … enjoying all the wonders of the night, while listening for the sounds of night creatures and blowing bubbles toward a star-filled sky.
- Puss in Books edited by Maria Polushkin Robbins — Delightful line drawings accompany a collection of feline wisdom by Oscar Wilde, Charles Darwin, Edith Wharton and other notable authors. A timeless classic, and not just for children!
–Kathryn Hack, Library Committee
Teachers Needed!
We are looking for a few more volunteers to rotate leading WeeKirk, our children’s church time. A teacher information and training session will follow fellowship hour on Sunday, August 30 at 11:20 a.m. in the Reed Room. All lessons and materials are provided. Teachers typically rotate on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. If you are available to help, please contact Aliyah Kennedy for details.
Save the Date! – Gathering Sunday
Gathering Sunday is September 13 beginning with worship at 10am. The Chancel Choir returns plus a special after-worship event!