Announcements
SYMPATHY: to the family and friends of Lynette Brewer who passed away on Wednesday, July 3. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Fletchers Funeral Home in Westminster, with the service beginning at 1:00 p.m.
CONGRATULATIONS: to Jack Wright on the birth of his grandson, Theodore Matthew Wright, on Tuesday, July 2, weighing 8lbs, 8oz and 20 inches long. The proud parents are Ben & Hannah Wright.
VBS HELP NEEDED: We still need volunteers for Registration and Classroom Assistants. If you are able to help in one of these areas, please sign up at the Welcome Desk.
SOUL-WINNER'S CLUB TRAINING - The next 12-week session for Summer/Fall will begin on Wednesday, August 14, downstairs in the Music Room at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to learn how to win souls to the Lord and teach others to do the same, sign up today online through the Church website or at the Welcome Desk.
From My Heart
When the Continental Congress first met on September 7, 1774, there was much debate over how to open the first Congress. This debate was held on September 6th, when several of our Founding Fathers huddled together to discuss how to open the first official day of their proceedings. The question was asked, “Do we open with prayer?” That had been a longstanding tradition, but some thought it might be offensive because there were delegates from the various states who were not “Christians” and those who did not believe in prayer as a practice.
Samuel Adams, a member of a Congregational Church from Massachusetts, stood up and persuaded them to open their session with prayer. His distant cousin, John Adams, tells what happened; “Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said that he was no bigot, and could hear a prayer from any gentleman of piety and virtue, who at the same time was a friend of his country.” Having heard good things about an Anglican, a minister named Rev. Jacob Duché, Adams recommended that Duché lead the opening prayer. It was readily agreed upon by everyone and the meeting was dismissed.
The next morning, September 7, 1774, Rev. Jacob Duché led the whole group of delegates representing the States in prayer. Almost everyone present agreed it was an amazing and powerful service. It boggles the mind when you realize who was there that glorious morning. George Washington was there - our nation’s first President. The man who boldly said, “Give me liberty, or give me death,” Patrick Henry was present at this service. John Jay, John Adams, James Madison, and many other great minds and brave leaders of the new nation were also present.
It was a very moving opening session and set a precedent that is still done today; however, the parameters for the prayers being offered today are so restrictive, that it does not resemble that first prayer offered by Rev. Duché. Rev. Duché stood and began by reading Psalm 35. The words of this Psalm speak of David and the unjust persecution he endured and his plea to the Lord asking for divine vindication. Verse 1 says, “Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.” The words of this Psalm felt very appropriate since British troops were gathering around Boston at that moment.
The reading of the Psalm was followed by an extemporaneous prayer that filled the bosom of every man present. John Adams was so moved by the prayer he wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, and said he had never heard a better prayer, nor ever felt such a moving of God’s Spirit upon a room of people.
Since that day, to the present, for the last 250 years, Congress has been opening its sessions in prayer, though as the years have passed, not as it was on this first day! We certainly need to pray for our nation, asking God’s blessings upon us as a people as well as upon our nation.
Pastor Norris