O beautiful for spacious skies,
Your wondrous creation, O Lord, is truly awesome—a taste of heaven on earth!
For amber waves of grain,
In Your beauty and in our bounty, Lord, help us respond to areas struggling with drought…
For purple mountain majesties
Help us, Lord, to take care of our skies and the air we breathe…
Above the fruited plain!
In our surplus, Lord, help us respond to malnutrition and anyone in need of a healthy meal.
America! America!
Thank You, God, for the blessing of the freedom upon which our country was established!
God shed his grace on thee
Help us to be vessels of your grace, O Lord
And crown thy good with brotherhood
Guide us to understand each other as brothers and sisters…
From sea to shining sea!
...across this great country and throughout the world.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Fill us with Your Spirit and the courage to tread unfamiliar ground…
Whose stern impassioned stress
…no matter how far it takes us out of our comfort zones…
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
…especially in the name of liberty and justice…
Across the wilderness!
…and especially in places devoid of freedom and human rights.
America! America!
Again, Lord, thank You for the ideals that gave rise to our nation!
God mend thine every flaw,
Forgive us when we fall short of those ideals…
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
…and help us to focus again when we fall short of Your glory—
Thy liberty in law!
–to live according to the love we can only fully know through You!
O beautiful for heroes proved
Thank You, God, for those who step up and respond to Your call…
In liberating strife.
…in Your Spirit of love and liberty, even in the face of hatred and oppression—
Who more than self their country loved
–people who know these ideals to be greater than themselves…
And mercy more than life!
…and who value Your love and grace above life itself!
America! America!
Grant us this focus on the pillars of our country, Lord,…
May God thy gold refine
…both the people and their driving passion, the treasures defining a nation…
Till all success be nobleness
…that we would value these above gold, above monetary gain…
And every gain divine!
…that we may grow closer to You and more intimately aware of Your purpose for us!
O beautiful for patriot dream
Thank You, God, for the gift of a unifying vision…
That sees beyond the years
…that looks ahead—for ourselves, for each other,…for future generations.
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Fill us with patriotism toward Your divinity, Your creation, Your kingdom,…
Undimmed by human tears!
…where there is no oppression, no pain, no suffering—where there is no cause for sorrow…
America! America!
Fill us with Your Spirit to take this unifying vision throughout our land and beyond…
God shed his grace on thee
…that all nations will know Your love, Your mercy…
And crown thy good with brotherhood
…that we may all see one another as brothers and sisters,…Your children…
From sea to shining sea!
… not only in this land You have blessed us with, but all over the world!
Amen, Lord,… LET’S MAKE THIS SO!!!
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