Good morning and a blessed 4th of July! On September 7, 1774, at 9 AM, Reverend Jacob Duche, Rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delivered the first prayer to open the First Continental Congress.
O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!
Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen.
As history shows, tensions had been mounting between the British authorities and colonists for some time. A group of colonial delegates, including George Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and John Jay, gathered to discuss and voice their grievances against the British crown. The Continental Congress also issued a Declaration of Rights for every citizen, including the rights to life, liberty, property, the right to assemble, and trial by jury. They voted to meet again in May 1775, establishing a Continental Army with George Washington serving as its first commander-in-chief. On July 29, 1775, the First Continental Congress also formalized the role of chaplains, making chaplaincy "...the second oldest branch of the Army behind the infantry.” With the Revolutionary War in full swing, the colonists declared their independence on July 4, 1776, just over a year later.
Freedom is a gift, one that humanity doesn't always use wisely (See Genesis through Revelation). Having said that, we are truly blessed that our nation recognized this God-given right early in our history. As Reverend Duche wisely reminded our leaders back then, independence from Britain was to be gained so the colonists could be dependent on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; only He is the giver of all that is good.
On this 249th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, let us be mindful and grateful for the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us. We thank Him for our freedom. We thank Him for our nation. We thank Him for the men and women of our Armed Forces (including the Chaplain Corps in all branches). We thank Him for His Son and our Savior. We thank Him for our Church. And, we thank Him for the opportunity to share His love, His Grace, and His mercy within our region.
A blessed Fourth of July.
