I suppose it says something about my age when I share that I clearly remember the celebration our nation held for our Bicentennial in 1976. Growing up near Kearney, Missouri, I recall fondly all the men growing beards that year and the popularity of anything and everything “red, white, and blue.” 

Beards for men appear to be the current rage, and “red, white, and blue” never grows old, but it seems we have a different spirit about us as we celebrate the 250th birthday of America. Polemical debate on topics such as immigration, borders, moral standards, and the role of government, coupled with progressive theology, Marxism, and social justice, contributes to this spirit. We have heard the appeal of “Make America Great Again” and that aspiration is well and good. Yet, this week I plan to take a different vantage point, that of looking back as we seek to move ahead. To that end, we will begin with the text of Proverbs 14:34 and answer a two-fold question: What made America great, and what must be done to keep America great?