From Pastor Pat: Faith and loyalty
Issues of the day that the American colonists grappled with.
(Posted June 30, 2016)
This weekend we celebrate this country’s first stirrings as a nation. Now, for some, discussions of patriotism and how we came to be the country that we are may not be the stuff of sermons. But for me, a history buff at heart, some of the most fascinating things about the American Revolution have to do with the role of religion and belief in the founding of America.
This Sunday I will take us on a brief excursion to the era of 1774 through 1800 as the colonists grapple with oppression, with newfound ideas of the rights of humanity, and how those brave founders viewed their rights, their faith and their responsibility to the rest of the people living on the edge of wilderness. Most importantly, we will look at some of our cherished “myths” about what American life, both in church and at home, was like on the eve of the Revolution. As we will see, faith and loyalty were so complexly interwoven that it’s easier to pronounce “antidisestablishmentarianism” than it is to comprehend how one drove the other. (And we will discuss the meaning of that word, along with Deism and other phrases often mentioned but seldom discussed as far as what they mean.)
Why is it important? Because in this season of political controversy and debate, there are claims made about the religious founding of this nation that may not be exactly true. We also need to understand how our own Congregational faith was an outgrowth of the entire shift away from authority that dictated faith, to a personal relationship with God.
See you Sunday – Pastor Pat