The July Fourth holiday greets us on the calendar this coming Monday. For many it is merely an extended summer weekend with fireworks, cook-outs and time at the beach. But it stands on the calendar of real human progress as a red letter day for the entire family of mankind.





Not only did July 4, 1776 mark American independence from Great Britain, it launched a radically different form of government from what prevailed around the globe at the time and from what had marked human history in the centuries prior.





The American revolution was not simply a Declaration of Independence from George III of England, but it was a Declaration of Independence from the autocratic rule of kings, emperors, potentates and every other form of elitist, autocratic rule over and against the rights of "the people." This revolutionary step forward, won through a hard-fought and heroically contested war with the world's greatest superpower of the day, was codified in the first three words of the American Constitution that was later enacted in 1789 by the independent and newly united former thirteen colonies: "We the people . . ."





These three words and the philosophy behind them clearly mark this nation and its experiment in self-government as exceptional in the history of this troubled planet. It is fashionable today in some circles of political statists, academia and other cultural elitists to pooh-pooh the notion of American exceptionalism. Indeed, even our current president has questioned the very concept as a mere expression of nationalistic pride, stating that Americans believe in American exceptionalism in the same way that Greeks or Brits believe in the exceptionalism of their respective countries.





This does a disservice to the radical ideas that launched this nation, to the courage and vision of those who signed the Declaration over two hundred years ago, and to all who have served this nation in pursuit of this exceptional expression of human liberty and limited government. See, at the heart of American exceptionalism are two corollary concepts. The first is that both the state and the people of that given state are subject to God ("having been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . .") Second, is the still-radical notion that the state is subject to the people ("We the people . . .")





Some so-called "progressives" today challenge the notion of constitutionally limited government as being out of step with the advances, demands and threats of the 21st century. In its current cover story, Time magazine asks of the Constitution: "Does it still matter?" Such a question, raised over the Fourth of July in one of the premier mastheads of American news and opinion ought to send chills down the spine of every liberty-loving American.



The lead article goes on to detail the obvious that those who drafted and ratified the Constitution "did not know about" all sorts of things in the world today, including airplanes, computers, television, and DNA. This may sound clever at first glance, but it is totally irrelevant and a "straw man" argument. The Constitution has never sought to micro-manage the details of the lives of the citizens of this nation--in any era or century. What it does seek to do, and what it has accomplished for two marvelous centuries of self-governance is to limit the tentacles of the over-reaching state to invade, circumscribe and control the lives of "we, the people."



Despite that, the author of the article, Richard Stengel, Time's managing editor, erroneously states that "if the Constitution was intended to limit the federal government, it certainly doesn't say so." Apparently Mr. Stengel has not troubled himself to read the very foundational document he seeks to declare irrelevant. The Tenth Amendment, one bookend of the original Bill of Rights that guaranteed the ratification of the Constitution, states clearly: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."



There are those all-important words again--"the people." Here is the key concept of the American experiment that makes this venture exceptional in the history of humankind: the power of the state is expressly limited so as to guarantee the rights, opportunities and liberties of the people.



Does the Constitution matter? Only if your freedom matters to you.



Celebrate these revolutionary concepts as you shoot off some fireworks this Fourth of July or as you raise your glass to celebrate the most exceptional experiment in human liberty and limited governance the world has yet to see. Fortunately, "we, the people" still have the right and reason to celebrate.



Pastor Rick (with grateful acknowledgement to Thomas Sowell)

On April 29 of this year I had the distinct honor and privilege of being the guest preacher at the Friday evening service of the United Jewish Center in Danbury. Several folks from Wellspring joined Debbie and me for that evening of worship and fellowship. It was so great to see the two congregations interacting with one another.

I also had the joy that evening of presenting Rabbi Cliff Librach a check for over $1500--a gift offering from the Wellspring congregation to bless UJC. That gift was received with gratitude and joy.

Now they are giving that gift away!

That's right. Rabbi Cliff informed me that the board of UJC has moved to donate the funds to a center for orphaned youth in Israel. They deemed our gift to be a holy offering and did not want to use it on their own budget. So on June 29 Rabbi Cliff and his wife Miriam will present the offering to the Yemin Orde Wingate Youth Village as a joint gift from Wellspring and UJC.

I am sharing this news with you by way of reporting and because I think it is a very exciting development. An offering, jointly given by an evangelical church and a Reformed synagogue to bless Israel makes a powerful statement. The Apostle Paul invested great effort during his ministry to raise an offering from the Gentile congregations he had planted to bless the needy in Jerusalem. (cf I Corinthians 16: 1-4; II Corinthians 8,9) He saw this as both practical outreach and as a prophetically symbolic act of God uniting Jew and Gentile believers in Messiah.

So where is this journey with Rabbi Cliff and his congregation going? Short answer--only God knows.

I don't say that facetiously. I do have a deep sense that God is up to something in this personal friendship being forged with Rabbi Cliff. And I believe he is up to something in building bridges between the two congregations. I can't begin to predict, however, how these relationships will proceed. But for the time being I am enjoying the journey and seeking to stay open to God's surprises.

And some orphaned children in Israel are being blessed. God be praised!

Pastor Rick

My dad and I took each other to lunch today. I drove and steered him toward the table. He pulled out a $10 bill, sure that would cover the tab. Like most things these days, his calculation is a bit short of present day reality.

My father has dementia--bad. It is getting worse. Sadness is what I feel most these days on this visit from Connecticut to a familiar territory that I still call home.

So we went to lunch at the local Skyline Chili. Skyline is an institution in Cincinnati and surrounding environs. Skyline is a spicy, sweet chili sauce spread over spaghetti noodles and laden with finely grated cheddar cheese. That is "3-Way." "4-Way" adds onions; "5-Way" adds onions and red kidney beans. If you grew up around Cincinnati, like I did, you were probably weaned off the breast straight onto Skyline chili. My standard order is a "3-Way" and a cheese coney--that is a steamed hot dog with chili sauce and lots of grated cheese.

So we went to Skyline for lunch and to share a meaningful activity when talk is difficult because my father hardly remembers anything to talk about these days.

Skyline is "The Official Chili of the Cincinnati Reds." Another point of memory and contact--the Reds. My earliest memories include listening to Reds' games on radio as the family drove in the car. Wearing a Reds' uniform, made for me by my grandmother. Leafing through a scrapbook my dad put together of the 1939 and 1940 pennant-winning Reds' teams when he was a boy. Going with my dad to Crosley Field to see the Reds play. Trying to pronounce the surname of the great Ted Klusewski, # 18, my first favorite player for the home-town team.

My dad is not big on emotions; not big on communicating feelings; not big on 'sharing' his inner thoughts. He grew up in a time when people didn't have "inner thoughts." So the Reds have been the main connect point with my dad for over fifty years. The Reds are my main connect point to so many things related to home; family; growing up. My oldest son was born just outside Cincinnati on October 16, 1976. Later that day the Reds shut out the hated New York Yankees in the first game of the World Series. Today that son, and his younger brother and my grandson all bleed Cincinnati Red, though they live hundreds of miles away from my hometown along the Ohio River.

Its crazy--I know.

So today we are sitting in Skyline and the waitress comes to take our order and she teases my dad, "Looks like Trouble's here!" It was just like he has teased her countless times over recent years. But he doesn't recognize her; it even took him a while to recognize Debbie, my wife of 38 years, when we arrived here a couple days ago. But he did recognize the "3-Way" when it was set before him. Some things are etched indelibly on one's senses.

On the television screens in the chili parlor they were playing a replay of last night's Reds game. The Reds won--that always brightens the mood of the local populace. I had been at the game last night, seated nine rows behind the Reds' dugout. Had been there for two dramatic late inning home runs to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Like thousands of other fans I stood during the last batter for the opposition and cheered the final out, celebrating along with the fireworks that mark every home win.

But today at Skyline I was not celebrating. Trouble is indeed here for my dad; his mind is just not working. And I found out today what "3-Way" tastes like when washed down with tears.