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JUNE 2026 MILLS’ MUSINGS — FLAG BIRTHDAY
I’ve been a fan of Flag Day for quite a while, although probably not for any reason you’d expect.
Flag Day, in case you haven’t thought about if for a while, is June 14. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The flag was quickly designed and produced. It took a bit longer for Flag Day to become a holiday.
That process began with Bernard J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin schoolteacher. In 1885, he encouraged his students to celebrate June 14 as “Flag Birthday.” He then wrote an article for a Chicago newspaper in which he urged all Americans to set aside this date to celebrate the flag. Three years later, William T. Kerr joined Cigrand’s cause and founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as the official date for Flag Day. Finally, in 1949, almost 200 years after the flag was authorized, the U.S. Congress officially established the date as National Flag Day, although it never has made Flag Day an official federal holiday.
So, what’s the big deal about picking a day to celebrate the flag? Well, my personal appreciation has more to do with family than with country. June 14 is Marge’s birthday (a day she shares with a current U.S. president). So when I see U.S. flags flying in more places than I do most other days, I’m reminded that I’ve once again forgotten about her birthday. Conveniently, the flags also remind me that exactly two weeks later, I will have forgotten our anniversary. (I told you probably wouldn’t expect the reason I appreciate the holiday!)
But, truth be told, there are other, more widely shared reasons for my appreciation. Among these, the most important is that our nation’s flag isn’t just a piece of colored cloth. It’s also a sign or a symbol. A sign, says Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) “can be said to be anything … by means of which some other thing is known.” Much more recently, Paul Tillich (1886-1965) wrote, “symbols participate in the reality which they represent.”
Although widely separated by time and theological perspective, both Aquinas and Tillich recognize that a sign points beyond itself; that a symbol is more than just a tangible object. In that sense, seeing a flag on a building or a battlefield can be compared to seeing a cross atop a church. The flag brings to mind ideals and events that characterize our country. The cross reminds us of God’s eternal plan for our redemption.
This summer, as we approach the 250th birthday of our nation, it may be time for our country’s flag to be shown more respect than it’s received in recent decades. Honoring the flag doesn’t mean America is perfect any more than seeing a cross on the steeple of a church means that all the church’s members are perfect. Like the cross, the flag reminds us who we are, how we got here, and what we’re striving to become.
I think that’s worth a day of celebration.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, May 31, 2026
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
HELPING HANDS OFFERING – NEXT SUNDAY, MAY 31
Each 5th Sunday, any undesignated offerings placed in the collection plates go to Helping Hands, a ministry of churches in the Madison Heights-Elon area of Amherst County to help residents in need. It is administered through Madison Heights Baptist Church.
MISSION FOCUS FOR MAY: DAYSTAR JUNIOR SCHOOL
Our mission focus for the month of May is Daystar Junior School in Uganda. Opened in 2015, this school is for children ages 3 to 15 years and is located in the slum areas of Kirombe Uganda, East Africa. Donations from Northminster have helped to expand their kitchen, purchase uniforms for the students, wood for new desks, and build a 3-floor classroom building.
We are currently raising donations to help Daystar purchase more land for approximately $160,000 USD. An anonymous donor has offered to match all donations made to Northminster through July 4th. Our goal is to raise $80,000. You may make a donation to this special ministry by specifying Daystar on your check memo line.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, May 24, 2026
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
HELPING HANDS OFFERING – NEXT SUNDAY, MAY 31
Each 5th Sunday, any undesignated offerings placed in the collection plates go to Helping Hands, a ministry of churches in the Madison Heights-Elon area of Amherst County to help residents in need. It is administered through Madison Heights Baptist Church.
MISSION FOCUS FOR MAY: DAYSTAR JUNIOR SCHOOL
Our mission focus for the month of May is Daystar Junior School in Uganda. Opened in 2015, this school is for children ages 3 to 15 years and is located in the slum areas of Kirombe Uganda, East Africa. Donations from Northminster have helped to expand their kitchen, purchase uniforms for the students, wood for new desks, and build a 3-floor classroom building.
We are currently raising donations to help Daystar purchase more land for approximately $160,000 USD. An anonymous donor has offered to match all donations made to Northminster through July 4th. Our goal is to raise $80,000. You may make a donation to this special ministry by specifying Daystar on your check memo line.
Read more...
News & Announcements for Sunday, May 17, 2026
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
DOWNLOAD THE CHURCH CENTER APP
Search for “Church Center” in your favorite app store on your phone to download our app! In the app are the church calendar, small group and volunteer opportunities, the online church directory, and more.
MISSION FOCUS FOR MAY: DAYSTAR JUNIOR SCHOOL
Our mission focus for the month of May is Daystar Junior School in Uganda. Opened in 2015, this school is for children ages 3 to 15 years and is located in the slum areas of Kirombe Uganda, East Africa. Donations from Northminster have helped to expand their kitchen, purchase uniforms for the students, wood for new desks, and build a 3-floor classroom building.
We are currently raising donations to help Daystar purchase more land for approximately $160,000 USD. An anonymous donor has offered to match all donations made to Northminster through July 4th. Our goal is to raise $80,000. You may make a donation to this special ministry by specifying Daystar on your check memo line. Learn more by clicking here.
Read more...
News & Announcements for Sunday, May 10, 2026
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – TUESDAY, MAY 12, 3:30PM
Women’s Bible Study will be meeting on Tuesday, May 12 from 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. We are using the book, “Sermon on the Mount” by Jan Wilkin. Homework for Week 6 is, Secret Righteousness, pages 96 – 113. Grab your book, your Bible and a snack that you can share with the group and come on over for an amazing Bible study. Come, even if you don’t get your homework completed. As always, bring a friend. Any questions, talk to Karey or Sharon.
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, MAY 14, 10:00 AM
The Northminster Book Club will meet on Thursday, April 16 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. We will be discussing two books this month. Very few people had finished this month’s book, which was The Shell Seekers, so we will discuss that book first and then discuss our newest book, Theo of Golden. As always, if you don’t get a chance to read the book, come anyway. Feel free to bring a friend and a snack to share with the group!!
MISSION FOCUS FOR MAY: DAYSTAR JUNIOR SCHOOL
Our mission focus for the month of May is Daystar Junior School in Uganda. Opened in 2015, this school is for children ages 3 to 15 years and is located in the slum areas of Kirombe Uganda, East Africa. Donations from Northminster have helped to purchase uniforms for the students, wood for new desks, and build a 3-floor classroom building. You may make a donation to this special ministry by specifying Daystar on your check memo line.
Read more...
