Whenever I think about the 4th of July, I get a very specific movie scene stuck in my head: The night game scene from the 1993 classic, The Sandlot. Something about the families out in the street sharing a big cookout, the flash and crackle of sparklers, the game of …

Gracious and loving God, let your Spirit be with us today. Hear our prayers, and increase in us the will to follow your Son Jesus. Help us to draw on the resources of our faith as we use the opportunities of our democracy to shape a society more respectful of …