Community Connection ~ June 28, 2026: Birthday Prayers for the USA
As we near July 4, during the 250th birthday of our nation (also known as the semiquincentennial - try saying that five times fast!), we wanted to offer you some ways to participate in the celebrations in both a festive, public way and a meaningful, private way.
Public celebrations of the 250th abound, and Maricopa County has a website dedicated to the ones that are happening right here in our area. Check out that location-specific America250 information here. Of particular interest to our pet-loving congregation is the Patriotic Pets photo contest, which is only open for submissions through June 29, so if you’d like to try and get your pet on the Maricopa County social media pages, get moving!
There is also a quieter, more faith-filled way of honoring this historic occasion - praying for our nation and its leaders. We found a resource on the Gospel Mount website that has some great advice to get you started. You’re welcome to read the entire post and pull out what connects with you, but we were struck by a few key ideas that can provide a solid anchor for your prayers:
As you pray for our country, consider both the good and the not-so-good. What aspects of the United States are you particularly grateful for, and what do you wish would change? Instead of praying for specific outcomes, ground your prayers in ideals like freedom, justice, peace, mercy, truth, and the protection of the most vulnerable among us.
As you pray for our leaders, focus on them as people, not party representatives. And again, rather than praying for outcomes, pray for their wisdom, integrity, and compassion.
If watching the news makes you anxious, Gospel Mount recommends using that feeling as a prompt towards prayer. Every crisis (and sometimes the news makes it feel like that’s all there is) can become a concern you lift up to God.
Here’s to the growth of freedom, justice, mercy, and peace in our nation over the next 250 years!