“And for the support of this
declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we
mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
These words end the Declaration
of Independence. The men signing that document in 1776 were taking a giant risk
and a giant leap of faith. They believed whole-heartedly that God was calling
them into rebellion against England
and to form a new nation. They were united in that belief and together pledged
themselves to moving forward, knowing that it might claim their lives and their
fortunes.
With ‘a firm reliance on the
protection of the Divine Providence’ the founders of the United
States of America abandoned all that was
secure in their lives and stepped out. On this week when we celebrate the 236th
anniversary of that action, let us give thanks for the courage and vision of
these men.
Lord
God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to
serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for
justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance
with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
As we’ve seen over the past few
weeks, we Christians are called to abandon all our dreams to God and step out
in faith when God calls us to ministry and life. Christians are not solitary
workers though. Like the nation’s founders, we ‘mutually pledge’ to support one
another in the Baptismal Covenant when we assent to the question: “will you do
all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?” We also
agree together when we recite the creed: “We believe in God…”
If you don’t have a community
that you can have fellowship with, I suggest you seek out one. Find two or
three (or more) to gather with for study, worship, and fellowship because our
Lord promises “when 2 or 3 are gathered, I am in the midst of them.”
(We also offer prayers for all those affected by the tragic wildfires across the West and esp. for those who have lost their homes.)Next time we’ll start looking at the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29).
