Listen carefully, can you hear their voices? “Leaving behind the weight of tyranny and the chains that bound our worship, we crossed the vast and perilous ocean with Scripture as our compass and covenant in our hearts.

In this untamed wilderness, we believed God was planting a nation—one shaped by His Word, sustained by His providence, and destined for a purpose far greater than ourselves.”

GOD | COUNTRY | CONSTITUTION

There was a time in America when the words God, Country, and Constitution formed the unshakable backbone of our national vocabulary. They were spoken with reverence, taught to our children, and woven into the very fabric of public life. But today, it’s as if all three have been surgically removed from our national speech—quietly extracted from classrooms, courtrooms, media, and even everyday conversation. What once defined us is now dismissed, and the pillars that held this nation upright have been pushed to the margins.

When a nation loses its grip on God, Country, and Constitution, the cost is far deeper than political tension or cultural disagreement—it is the slow unraveling of the very fabric that once held the people together.

Without God, moral clarity fades, and truth becomes negotiable. Without a shared love of country, unity dissolves into competing tribes and identities. Without the Constitution, the guardrails that protect freedom weaken, leaving citizens vulnerable to the whims of power. The result is confusion, division, and a nation adrift—no longer anchored, no longer cohesive, and no longer certain of who it is or what it stands for.

SORRY GRANDPAS’

To my father, and to his fathers before him—stretching all the way back to Jeffery Phinney who crossed the ocean on the Mayflower—I offer my sincere apology. I acknowledge the burdens you carried, the sacrifices you made, and the silent battles you fought so that future generations could stand on firmer ground. If in any way I have misunderstood your struggles, taken your legacy lightly, or failed to honor the cost of your courage, if I could, I would ask for your forgiveness. Your endurance, faith, and resilience built the foundation I now stand upon, and I carry your name with renewed humility and gratitude.

The Pilgrims and Puritans did not leave Europe merely in search of land or economic opportunity—they left because their souls were suffocating under systems that sought to control their worship and silence their devotion to the Living God.

In England and across Europe, the pressure to conform to state‑regulated religion grew unbearable. These believers longed for a place where Scripture, not kings, governed the conscience. Their departure was not an act of rebellion but an act of obedience. They saw themselves as a people called out, much like Abraham leaving Ur or Israel stepping into the unknown at God’s command. Their journey across the Atlantic was fueled by a profound conviction that God Himself was leading them into a new chapter of His redemptive story.

This sense of divine calling shaped everything they did. They believed they were entering into a covenant with God—not only as individuals but as a community bound together by shared faith and purpose.

When they spoke of America, they described it as a “wilderness promised land,” a place where God would plant a nation rooted in His Word and free from the corruption of Old World powers. The untamed forests, harsh winters, and unknown dangers were not obstacles but confirmations that they were walking a path only Providence could sustain. In their minds, this new land was not simply a geographic destination; it was a spiritual assignment. They came believing that God was writing a story through them, one that would stretch far beyond their generation and shape the destiny of a nation yet unborn.

The Bible was the Foundation of Their Life

For America’s earliest settlers, the Bible was not merely a religious text—it was the blueprint for daily life, shaping family structure, education, and community order. Scripture guided how parents raised their children, how schools taught reading, and how communities resolved disputes. The Geneva Bible, with its study notes and emphasis on personal responsibility before God, became the settlers’ most trusted companion, influencing their understanding of liberty, governance, and covenant. Sermons were the heartbeat of public life, serving as both spiritual nourishment and civic instruction. In a world without mass media, the pulpit was the nation’s classroom, shaping the moral imagination of a people determined to build a society rooted in God’s Word. However, today, that is all gone, a note for America’s history books.

Covenant Theology Built Its National Identity

The settlers understood their new society through the lens of covenant theology, believing that just as Israel entered into a covenant with God at Sinai, they too were forming a sacred agreement with the Almighty. The Mayflower Compact stands as a clear covenantal document—an intentional commitment to form a “civil body politic” under God’s authority. This covenantal mindset shaped their laws, their expectations of one another, and their understanding of national identity. They believed a nation was accountable to God for its conduct, its justice, and its moral character. In their minds, America was not simply a political experiment but a people bound together in sacred responsibility before the Creator.

They Understood the Power of Repentance

The early years in the New World were marked by hardship—famine, disease, bitter winters, and internal conflict. Instead of blaming circumstances, the settlers often turned inward in spiritual self‑examination, asking whether they had drifted from God’s commands. Public days of fasting and prayer became common, moments when entire communities humbled themselves before God and sought His mercy. They believed deeply that obedience brought blessing and disobedience invited hardship, a worldview shaped by the covenant patterns of Scripture. These repentance movements forged a spiritual resilience that helped them endure trials and remain anchored in their divine purpose.

They Understood the Need for Legacy

The biblical worldview of America’s early settlers left a profound imprint on the nation’s culture, shaping its understanding of liberty, justice, education, and moral responsibility. Their belief in covenant, personal virtue, and accountability before God influenced everything from the founding documents to the rhythms of community life. This worldview still matters today because it offers a framework for human dignity, ordered freedom, and national purpose—principles that remain essential for a society seeking stability and moral clarity. The legacy they left is not merely historical; it is a spiritual inheritance calling future generations to remember the foundations upon which the nation was built.

Am I dreaming?

As I composed this essay, I found myself struck by the unsettling realization that I was describing a nation markedly different from the one we inhabit today. The America of the Pilgrims, Puritans, and Founders—shaped by covenantal thinking, moral resolve, and a shared reverence for divine authority—felt almost foreign when set beside the fragmented culture of our present age. The values that once defined our national identity now seem distant, as though they belong to another people in another time. In writing about early America, I was not merely recounting history; I was encountering a vision of a nation whose spiritual coherence and moral purpose stand in stark contrast to the disordered landscape we now host. This dissonance underscores both the magnitude of our drift and the urgency of remembering the foundations upon which this country was built.

TO DIE FOR

As a grandchild of several Mayflower passengers and a direct descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, I will remain faithful to the sacrifice and sacred commitment they carried—to establish a nation that honors God above all.

Their courage, their covenant, and their willingness to risk everything for a future they would never see compels me to stand firm in my own generation. I will guard the legacy they entrusted to us, and I will defend this God‑honoring nation with the same resolve they demonstrated, even to the point of giving my life if required.

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