Dear Friends,

This coming weekend, our country will be celebrating 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed by representatives from the original 13 colonies.

I came across the quote above by St. Augustine of Hippo in a book entitle The American Book of Fables by Matthew Mehan and John Folley. The book is a collection of fables and stories they collected from around the country. In glancing through this coffee table book, I was surprised to find this quote from St. Augustine.

Augustine seems to be asking us as a community of people, what are our priorities? For instance, I revealed Sunday that I told John my priorities are God, children, and John. John was glad he was there somewhere. What was most important to me was to follow God’s will and in so doing, this demonstrated that I loved God more than anything else.

As Christians, our priorities might be to: preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, to make disciples of all believers, and to be a service to our community.

When we think about our priorities according to a citizenship in the United States, we may hear people say: “Faith, family, and country” in that order. When we say “faith, family, and country”, we are referring to three enduring pillars that have historically shaped personal identity, community life, and national unity. These are not just abstract ideals — they are interconnected foundations that provide meaning, stability, and moral direction.

Faith – When we put faith first, we are stating that we believe in a higher power to set the foundations for how we live our lives. This faith is our “anchor in a storm” offering humility, forgiveness, and service over self-interest. We can interpret “faith” in terms of religious spiritual or moral values that are above personal gain.

Family – It is in our families where our faith is played out in the way we love, discipline, and sacrifice. It is through our familial relationships that demonstrate our true core values. It can be said that a healthy family life is a stabilizing force for any society.

Country – To love our country is a responsibility not a privilege. In this we realize that, as Augustine pointed out, we are a diverse community of people who have been brought together based on our desire to understand that we have a shared commitment to the principles of freedom, justice, and equality. This means that we would work towards its well-being and work together for a more perfect union that serves all its people.  We know that we are not perfect, but we owe it to future generations to continue to try to make it better.

By putting Faith or God first in lives we are not only living into the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me" and the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, body and soul. If we do this, everything else in our life will be informed by this basic request from God.

Or as the apostle Paul states in Gatians 5:13-14:

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, ^[but through love become enslaved to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Therefore, while you are enjoying and exploring this beautiful world that God has created for us, consider your own priorities in life and what do those priorities say about you.  Remember what Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

May God keep us all safe his summer in all our comings and goings.

I thank God for you,

Pastor Kathy Nealand