Episcopal Organization Pushes To Change The National Anthem

I used to be a member of an Episcopal parish where the rector had removed the American flag from the building and never was heard a discouraging word. After the war in Vietnam, most young priests (many of whom avoided the draft) came out of seminary harboring anti-American attitudes and were decidedly unpatriotic. These people are now a good part of the ruling class in the Episcopal organization (TEO), and guess what? They are going after the National anthem next,

(ENS) At its most recent meeting in June (2021 ed.), The Episcopal Church Executive Council passed a resolution supporting a bill introduced earlier this year by U.S. Rep. James Clyburn that would make “Lift Every Voice and Sing” the official national hymn.

“I see this resolution, and this attempt in Congress, as a way to accept – on the part of this whole country – an offering of an important poem and song to all the American people, just like Black Episcopalians offered this song to The Episcopal Church,” said Byron Rushing, the vice president of the House of Deputies who sponsored the Executive Council resolution, at the meeting. Though the resolution passed, it prompted some debate about whether it was appropriate for a secular nation to have a national hymn – especially in light of the church’s efforts to counter rising Christian nationalism.

"Rising Christian nationalism"?  Who are they kidding? Themselves I think. 

A few weeks ago I got this invitation from the official lobbying arm of TEO to an, 

Upcoming Event: Lift Every Voice and Sing: A New National Hymn

Fri, Sep 17 at 3:29 PM
Lift Every Voice and Sing: A New National Hymn
September 30, 11:30am – 12:30pm EDT

The Office of Government Relations and the Office of Black Ministries invite you to join us for a live virtual event to celebrate the history and legacy of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and urge the passage of H.R. 301 to make this uplifting, unifying anthem our new national hymn. Over the course of the hour, you’ll hear from faith and government leaders including:

Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
Congressman James E. Clyburn
Rev. Canon C.K. Robertson
Byron Rushing, Vice President, House of Deputies

And more!

The event will also feature a musical performance of the Lift Every Voice and Sing. Stay tuned for more! 

Remember that in 1982, TEO added this Hymn to its Hymnal (#599), and here are the lyrics, some of which doom its chances as a national anthem with some of our fanatical "separation of church and state" crowd unless the last verse is deleted (like they do to our current national anthem).

Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun

Let us march on till victory is won

Stony the road we trod

Bitter the chastening rod

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died

Yet with a steady beat

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered

Out from the gloomy past

Till now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast

God of our weary years

God of our silent tears

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way

Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light

Keep us forever in the path, we pray

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee

Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee

Shadowed beneath Thy hand

May we forever stand

True to our God

True to our native land

Our native land

Presiding Bishop Curry probably fails to hear in the second verse the cries of those babies slaughtered by abortions over the past four decades since the hymn was put in the Episcopal hymnal.

"Felt in the days when hope unborn had died..." 

"We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered..." 

I do think the melody for #599 is easier to sing, but that is not enough justification to take away from our collective memories,

Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave,

O'er the land of the free,

And the home of the brave? 

 That part always gives me goose bumps when we sing it.

I guess as we creep into a future in which have given up our freedom, and we have lost our courage, Francis Scott Key will have a new answer to his question, and that will be the time for a new national anthem because his version will be too painful to sing.