"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves,
and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin and heal their land."
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
From dusk till dawn the livelong night
She kept the tallow dips alight,
And fast her nimble fingers flew
To sew the stars upon the blue.
With weary eyes and aching head,
She stitched the stripes of white and red,
And when the day came upon the stair
Complete across a carven chair
Hung Betsy's battle flag.
Courtesy U.S. Navel Academy Museum/
Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art
Like shadows in the evening gray
The Continentals filed away,
With broken boots and ragged coats,
But hoarse defiance in their throats,
They bore the marks of want and cold,
And some were lame and some were old,
And some with wounds untended bled,
But floating bravely overhead
Was Betsy's battle flag.
When fell the battle's leaden rain,
The soldier hushed his moans of pain,
And raised his dying head to see,
King George's troopers turn and flee.
Their charges column reeled and broke,
And vanished in the rolling smoke,
Before the glory of the stars,
The snowy stripes, and scarlet bars
Of Betsy's battle flag.
The simple stone of Betsy Ross
Is covered now with mold and moss
But still her deathless banner flies,
And keeps the color of the skies.
A nation thrills, a nation bleeds,
A nation follows where it leads,
And every man is proud to yield
His life upon a crimson field
For Betsy's battle flag.
"America Confess"
Our Father, bring to the remembrance of Thy people
Thine ancient time-honored promise: "If My people,
which are called by My name, shall humble themselves,
and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked
ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive
their sin and heal their land."
We-the company of Thy people assembled-would begin now
to meet the conditions that will enable Thee to fulfill Thy promise.
May all of America come to understand that right-living alone
exalteth a nation, that only in Thy will can peace and joy be found.
But, Lord, this land cannot be righteous unless her people are
righteous, and we, here gathered, are part of America. We
know that the world cannot be changed until the hearts of
man are changed. Our hearts need to be changed.
We therefore confess to Thee that:
Wrong ideals and sinful living have cut us off from Thee.
We have been greedy.
We have sought to hide behind barricades of selfishness;
shackles have imprisoned the great heart of America.
We have tried to isolate ourselves from the bleeding wounds
of a blundering world.
In our self-sufficiency we have sought not Thy help.
We have held conferences and ignored Thee completely.
We have disguised selfishness as patriotism;
our arrogance has masqueraded as pride.
We have fritted away time and opportunities
while the world bled.
Our ambitions have blinded us to opportunities.
We have bickered in factory and business, and
sought to solve our differences only through self-interest.
Lord God of Hosts, forgive us!
O God, by Thy guidance and Thy power may our beloved land
once again become God's own country, a nation contrite in heart,
confessing her sins; a nation keenly sensitive to all the
unresolved injustice and wrong still in our midst.
Hear this prayer and grant that we may confidently
expect to see it answered in our time,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
"America Confess"
Reverend Peter Marshall Sr.
(1902-1949)
Scottish-America preacher
Twice-appointed Chaplain of the United States Senate
"Betsy's Battle Flag"
Minna Irving
(1865-1940)
American author and poetess
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