Deuteronomy 1:9-17, I Peter 2:9-10 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8b The biblical notion of “we the people” began as Israel was journeying through the wilderness, making their way to the Promised Land. Moses was wary of bearing the burden of the people all by himself, so through God’s command and Moses’ instruction each tribe selected leaders from amongst them. This was on the governance side. In the sacred sphere, the temple was ruled by the priestly class, and they reserved sole authority for the remission of sins through ritual sacrifices. It is through this that change began. When Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross, this was understood to be the  one sufficient sacrifice for all time . The priests were no longer needed to mediate between God and people. The change was so profound that 1 Peter 2:9 refers to the people as “ a royal priesthood .” Each person now was viewed as a priest and a king! This is how it was in the church for the first few hundred years. But  over time  and especially upon the establishment of Christianity under Emperor Constantine in  325 A.D. , a priestly class emerged again. For the next  hundreds  of years, the Western church came to understand itself as the sole dispenser of God’s divine grace through the sacraments. To manage control, the church codified the process of becoming a priest, banned certain classes from serving in the priesthood—such as women—and eventually formed boards of  the  Inquisition to root out heresy. The Reformation was largely a rebellion against the entrenched authority in the Church. Through certain readings of scripture, authority of the king and the priest was thought to be ordained by God and therefore could not be contested by the people. It was the power of Scotsmen like Presbyterian minister John Witherspoon that helped empower the colonists to rebel. We spoke about him a few weeks ago. He was a professor of James Madison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the Second Continental Congress, and eventually served on over one hundred congressional committees. He was born in Scotland and, when he came to America, brought with him Scottish Common Sense philosophy. Its ideals are founded upon natural law and natural rights, and therefore the people have the right to rise up against their oppressors. We can easily see these Scottish notions woven into the fabric of our country through Witherspoon’s influence on James Madison, his pupil and architect of the Constitution. But Scottish Common Sense philosophy also had common sense. It did not have a utopian notion that if suddenly the people had the opportunity to do everything, the world would fix itself. No—part of Witherspoon’s Calvinism included a strong doctrine of the sinfulness of humanity and our ability to rationalize and abuse power. Thus, the people governed, but they did so with an eye toward minimizing the power of any one individual, so as to preserve the power of the people. This was over and against the Anglican Church and what it was advocating. Unsurprisingly, being the Church of England, some of them advocated for Christianity to be the official religion, for the people to be taxed in order to finance the church, and they emphasized an episcopal form of church government, which appoints bishops with explicit sacerdotal and governance rights that the people do not have. On the other hand, embedded in our historic church principles—written in part by Brick Church’s founding pastor, John Rogers—not only does it tell us that God alone is Lord of the conscience, which I have told you many times, but it goes on to say: Therefore, we consider the rights of private judgment in all matters that respect religion as universal and unalienable. We do not even wish to see any religious constitution aided by the civil power further than may be necessary for protection and security, and at the same time equal and common to all others. As a result of John Witherspoon’s and other Presbyterians’ influence, there was a sentiment back in the motherland that the Presbyterians were to blame. In fact, Joseph Galloway, a former colonial leader, said, “ the rebellion is a Presbyterian war .” Prime Minister Horace Walpole, in 1774, famously remarked, “ Cousin America has run off with a Presbyterian parson .” Finally, it is thought that King George III called it “ that Presbyterian rebellion .” As we have come to understand our history, we can now assess the power of the notion “We the people,” through a Christian lens, and its repercussions for our faith today. It begins most powerfully with your divine right to speak directly to God. We need no mediator other than Christ our Lord. This means that no other person has the ability todictate or control your eternal fate. That is between you and God. Next, we see how “we the people” practically manifests in our congregation. You,the people, elect the leaders over you, namely the elders. This is drawn from the tradition that Moses began in our Deuteronomy passage! There is a foundational belief that the community, discerning together under the Spirit, is wiser than any one individual. There is a compelling example pointed out in the book  The Wisdom of Crowds  by James Surowiecki. He tells the true story of a county fair contest in which the people are invited to guess the weight of a large steer. All types of people participated—from little children walking by, to veterinarians who worked with these animals daily, to farmers who lived alongside them, to average fairgoers like you or me. When all the guesses were averaged together, the crowd as a whole was closer to the real answer than any one individual—better than the veterinarian, better than the farmer. But this approach is not mere practicality. It is something that we Presbyterians believe God folded into the fabric of creation. Since we are all bearers of God’s image,we are all owed the dignity of a voice, and we all owe others a listening ear. And we believe this because this is what scripture tells us. And the fight for the power of the people to be able to read the Bible and have accurate translations was so critically important that people risked everything; people like William Tyndale. A fifteenth-century unknown priest and scholar, William Tyndale, was educated at Oxford and Cambridge; he was influenced by the Renaissance and wanted to translate the Bible into English. He was denied this right by the church and so decided to flee from England to Europe. His translation was smuggled back into England through Germany in bales of cloth and goods. Eventually, he was deemed a heretic. It was not simply the act of translating the Bible into English that got him into the deepest trouble, though it was banned. It was certain choices of translation that are particularly germane to our topic of “We the People.” The Greek word  presbuteros  was traditionally translated as priest, but Tyndale chose elder. The Greek word  ecclesia  was traditionally translated as church, but he chose congregation. The Greek word  metanoia  was translated as do penance, whereas he chose repentance. Let’s take these one at a time. Perhaps that word  presbuteros  sounds somewhat familiar to you, since we are in the Brick Presbyterian Church. Our church—Presbyterian—is named after the fundamental understanding that the elders, that is, the people, have authority. The church at the time was threatened because translating  presbuteros  as elder rather than priest meant the New Testament was not talking about priests—that is, a specific class of people who had sole rights for remitting sins. An elder has no sacerdotal authority, no high priestly calling that only he or she can fulfill. Next, this was compounded by translating  ekklesia  as “congregation” rather than “church.” “Church” referred to the institution, giving the church institution the power rather than the congregation—that is, the people. Finally, Tyndale translated  metanoia  as “repent” rather than “do penance.” Penance was a specific process codified by the Church and validated through priestly instruction. You would go to the priest, confess your sins, and they would give you the pathway of penance to have those sins remitted. Repentance, on the other hand, is something individuals do. Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English codified the power of “we the people” into Scripture, using proper and accurate translations—rather than the power of the priest and the institutional church. Tyndale is owed our deepest thanks. He lived as a fugitive for years in Antwerp, continuing his translation of the Hebrew Scriptures until, in 1535, he was betrayed by an agent, Henry Phillips. Phillips had found himself in Europe after having absconded with his family’s money. He was paid a hefty sum to pose as a Lutheran sympathizer and ingratiated himself with locals and eventually betrayed Tyndale. He was arrested near Brussels, imprisoned for over a year, and in 1536 William Tyndale was tried for heresy, defrocked, strangled, and burned at the stake. His last words were, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.” The power of prayer cannot be overestimated. A few years after Tyndale’s murder, Henry VIII authorized a translation into English, known today as the “Matthew Bible.” It is clear this translation heavily relied on Tyndale’s work. Tyndale gave everything so that today you and I can read a Bible that discloses God’s true intentions. Each one of you, all of us, are a “ royal priesthood ,” given the power of priests and kings, with the profound privilege to go directly to God and given the profound responsibility to lift up our voice. Amen.

Shared during Sunday Worship on March 8, 2026. God of all creation, your word declares how good and pleasant it is when kindred dwell together in unity. We feel the power of this truth every Sunday morning when we gather to sing hymns of praise, to bow our heads as one in prayer to you.  May you give us keen eyes to see the holy in others and offer a word of thanksgiving to bridge  the gap of separation.  We now give thanks for the unity we know with one another.   Though we are called to unity the world is fractured and so we pray that you will intercede and bring peace to—Sudan, Venezuela, Iran, Afghanistan, and so many more. We especially ask that you protect the civilians in all of these conflicts and help those who lead to do so with wise and clear hearts.   Two hundred and fifty years ago, our country aspired to create something new in the history of the world: a land founded upon the equality of all people and the hope of creating a more perfect union.    Be with our elected leaders—the mayor, the governor, and the President of the United States. Be with those who enforce the laws, that they may do so with justice tempered with compassion. Be with all the judges whose unenviable task makes the difference between a land that is unjust and a land that has lost its way. May they feel our prayers. May they seek only the truth and not be swayed by self-interest or by the powers that seek to tip the scales. We pray for peace and justice in the world.   Where you would have us listen, may our hearts be open. Where you would have us speak, may we only speak the truth and do so in love. And where you would have us sacrifice, may we be willing to do so after the manner of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; whose act of love recreated one humanity by your grace and your love. Amen.

The kind of unity that Scripture has just described to us is not an anything-goes, throw-up-your hands sort of tolerance. It’s not the sort of equivocation that pretends evil doesn’t exist – Paul is very clear on this – nor is it the sort of nihilism that claims truth can’t be known and personal opinion is all that matters. As our readings today tell us, unity requires justice, and it requires us  not  to match evil with evil.     In a moment, the choir will sing  Chichester Psalms  by Leonard Bernstein. Written in 1965, it has three movements, each of which includes text from two different psalms, all of them sung in Hebrew. The first movement, centered around Psalm 100, “O be joyful in the Lord,” is indeed full of boisterous rejoicing. Its exuberance is actually a bit over-the-top, a bit manic, just a bit  much . It conveys joy, all right, but a kind of oblivious joy, a joy that doesn’t acknowledge the presence of sorrow, a joy that borders perhaps on overconfidence. With the second movement we get a cinematic cut to a different world: a soprano solo accompanied by harp. This combination of instruments and voice suggests a young King David singing and playing – perhaps suggesting the very moment where he sat down and composed the Twenty-Third Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The music swells as the sopranos and altos join in, repeating the last line as a kind of refrain. But Into this peaceful, naïve word comes a violent shout from the tenors and basses, followed by ominous muttering. These are the words of Psalm 2, “Why do the nations so furiously rage together? … The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed.” The Lord’s anointed, of course, is David himself, and Bernstein suggest that there may be something autobiographical about these words. Then something extraordinary happens. While the tenors and basses continue furiously raging, the sopranos enter again with their opening melody. Bernstein writes in the scorethe heartbreaking phrase, “blissfully unaware of threat.” The competing visions of peace and violence don’t interact with each other; instead, they’re heard in parallel, superimposed one on the other. It seems like the Twenty-Third Psalm will win out, until at the very end we hear a chilling, ghostly death-rattle – the raging of the nationsreturning again in the organ and percussion, in the distance, without words, ending with a massive strike on the bass drum like a burst of gunfire. The second movement offers no resolution to this conflict, no answers given, but now we are very much aware of the presence and the power of evil in the world. The third movement begins with an extended prelude for solo organ in C minor – thesame key that Beethoven famously used for his most serious music, including his Fifth Symphony. This passage represents an idea that Bernstein returned to over and over again– the failure of high art to solve the world’s problems.  There is a famous quotation from Bernstein that gets posted online every so often: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” It comes from an address Bernstein made at Madison Square Garden immediately after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, at a time when the nation was reeling. And Bernstein did indeed do his best to make music more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before, but he knew very well that those words were somewhat hollow. Bernstein dramatizes how pouring more intensity, more complexity, more intellectualism, more emotional grief, into art  fails  to break through. We try to emulate what we think of as the great figures of the past – Bernstein tries to measure up to Beethoven, and our present selves try to measure up to Bernstein – but we find we can’t. Bernstein’s anguished C minor music keeps losing energy, changing tempo, stalling out on painfully dissonant intervals in the organ. The breakthrough instead comes with a radical reframing, a change of key, and the words of Psalm 131, “Lord, Lord, I am not high minded; I have no proud looks.” At this point the tenors and basses sing a beautiful melody in G major that is then taken up by everyone. But it’s not really developed, in the sense that it doesn’t go anywhere. It’s not changed; it simply repeats, and as it is repeated, we live in this world of inner stillness and beauty, until the text runs out and the whole choir continues singing this melody together on a wordless “Ah” – the song of the heart. At the very end come the words of Psalm 133, “Oh how good and pleasant it is for kindred to dwell together in unity.” Bernstein’s music tells us that to live in a more perfect union requires neither empty toleration, nor partisan strife, but a faithful, active process of opposing hate with love, arrogance with humility, power with gentleness. This is the counterintuitive method that Paul instructs us. In Jewish worship, the text of Psalm 133 is used at the beginning of services, but Bernstein puts it at the end. Perhaps Bernstein is telling us that when we reach the end of this emotional journey in  Chichester Psalms , when we arrive at the final measures of music, it is just then, in stillness and peace, that our worship is able properly to begin.

The Brick Church Women’s Association funds a scholarship program to assist Church members and Church staff, with financial help for an accredited degree granting program. The grants are “quality of life” scholarships, given to help with the cost of items such as books, fees and transportation. All applications will be considered, and information is confidential. Grants are not automatically renewed. If you have received a scholarship in the past, you must reapply by the deadline to be considered for the upcoming year. The deadline for completed applications is May 4th.  Please complete the confidential form here . With your application, a general financial disclosure will be requested. Artwork by Joni McKown Art.

Registration is now open for Spring Musical Theater classes! Featuring artists from Brick Church Community Theater, these performing arts classes will help students increase their confidence, build self-esteem, and explore self-expression in a supportive environment.

Submit by Tuesday, March 31 The Women's Association is collecting donations ($30 suggested), to purchase Easter Lilies for the Sanctuary. Make your donation to be included in the Order of Worship on Easter Sunday.

This past fall, the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee undertook a mission review to help guide a search for two new full-time Associate Pastors.  It sought in particular to assess the congregation’s current identity, needs, and direction since the last mission review, done in 2018-19, and who God is calling us to be now.  The Committee’s process included administering a 98-question survey to the congregation administered by Holy Cow! Consulting which resulted in completed surveys from 240 separate congregation members (representing 100% of Brick’s most recent average Sunday attendance); convening three open forums; conducting a focused youth survey; reviewing mission and vision statements adopted by Session; examining the Church’s 2024 Annual Report and audited financial statements; doing demographic and community research;, consultation with the Senior Pastor, leadership in the Presbytery of New York City, and past pastoral search committee leaders; and prayerful consideration of what we learned. The new mission review confirmed that the Church’s identity is rooted in a long history of worship, education, service, and music, and continues to be expressed through multiple sustained ministries and significant outreach efforts.  The Day School remains a major part of the congregation’s educational commitment and is now fully integrated into the Church’s governance and operations. Other highlights include active Sunday School, confirmation, and adult education programs, a distinctive seminarian training process, many fellowship activities, and participation in a large number of internal and external groups and organizations.  These strengths are supported by well-maintained physical assets and an endowment exceeding $60 million (although much of its use is restricted to particular programs).  Declining stewardship participation patterns have presented some challenges, but other income sources have maintained operations well.  The Session and Trustees believe the Church can and should strengthen stewardship—and so far the 2025 stewardship campaign reflects this effort. This information and congregational growth strongly support the need for the current searches.  The Church currently has one full-time Senior Pastor with just under 50 full time equivalent support personnel (including the Day School leadership and staff), plus limited temporary pastoral assistance.  While the Church has engaged an Interim Associate Pastor with a strong background in youth ministry, she is currently not a permanent hire.  In the meantime, membership has notably increased since 2022, with particularly strong representation of young families, and Sunday School enrollment is robust.  The breadth of the Church’s ministry programs and leadership expectations, and the congregation’s growth trajectory, make hiring two full-time Associate Pastors essential. The Holy Cow! survey we administered (benchmarked by Holy Cow! against the most recent 2,800 congregations across the United States which had completed an equivalent survey)indicates that Brick Church has a “Transitional/Transformational” climate. This means that there is high satisfaction (although only average energy) in the congregation, with some anxiety about the future.  It reflects an authority-centric pattern in which leadership performance significantly shapes congregational experience.  The congregation also has what Holy Cow! describes as a “Paraclete” profile.  This is an intellectually open and reflective culture that values structure and ritual and often expresses mission through ministries that bring healing to people’s lives. The survey also revealed some uncertainty about the congregation’s expectations, however.  In some ways it indicated a desire for growth and change that may outpace the level of comfort members actually have for what the congregation might be required to do to reach its goals. But key priorities are clear. They include developing a comprehensive strategy to reach new people, strengthening ministries for healing and pastoral response in times of need, creating more opportunities for meaningful relationships, and fostering spiritual generosity for stewardship. The congregational forums, while not large by attendance, provided useful additional perspective. Participants emphasized strengthening stewardship engagement, expanding pastoral care outreach, engaging younger adults both with and without children, and leveraging the Day School’s success in growing church membership. They urged a broad search focused on the best candidates with clear communication skills, a compelling pastoral presence, deep scriptural grounding, administrative ability, and a joyful, empathetic approach to ministry.  They also highlighted the importance of having at least one associate pastor with deep experience in early childhood and youth ministries, and another with strong pastoral care skills for older members and congregational care initiatives. The youth survey reinforced expectations that pastors should help youth feel that they belong, grow spiritually, connect faith to everyday life, and build strong peer relationships. The youth who responded put a premium on caring, devout, and engaging leadership. Based on the full mission review, the Committee believes that Brick Church is seeking new pastors who are enthusiastic and joyful in sharing God’s love.  The congregation appears open to candidates beyond ministers currently serving in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), provided that they meet the requirements for service as Ministers of Word and Sacrament in our denomination. But whatever their current roles, the ideal candidates will need to be able to navigate theological diversity and New York City culture.  They must be comfortable honoring tradition while pursuing change within it.  They should have the skills to build community, equip lay leaders, and strengthen stewardship participation and spiritual vitality. Collectively across both positions (not necessarily all in each candidate), the congregation wants strong capabilities in children, youth, and family ministry; in pastoral care; and in communications.  Ideally, our candidates will have other complementary strengths, such as preaching skills, to allow for additional flexibility in the Church’s work year-over-year. In the broadest sense, we will therefore be seeking two new Associate Pastors blessed with gifts of listening, leadership, and joyfulness that can fit both the congregation’s traditions and its aspirations.  We look forward to your help in achieving this goal.   We invite you to review the full  2025 Mission Review Report and Survey Findings  below to better understand the themes, priorities, and hopes expressed by our church community. If you would like assistance in interpreting the survey findings or have questions about how they are informing the search process, please feel free to reach out to any member of the APNC or to Rev. Evans.

The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC) has worked prayerfully and thoughtfully to define two roles that reflect both the strengths of our church and the opportunities for where God is calling Brick to grow next.   Children’s, youth, and family ministries stand as some of Brick’s strongest assets and most vital growth opportunities, and the  Associate Pastor for Children and Youth  will hold primary responsibility for building upon these programs to shape a vibrant, spiritually rich experience for our community. This pastor will oversee the Sunday Church School for approximately 250 children, coordinate with the children’s music ministry, and lead key annual events such as the Sacraments class, Third Grade Bible Ceremony, and Christmas Pageant. Beyond administrative planning, the role focuses on forging deep pastoral relationships with parents and non-member Day School families, while collaborating with staff and committees to create holistic programming for middle and high school youth that fosters faith exploration, leadership, and service. In addition to guiding youth through milestones like Confirmation and integrating them into congregational life, the Associate Pastor will partner with the Senior Pastor in strategic visioning and regularly participate in worship, including preaching and the administration of sacraments.     The Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care and Community Ministries  will provide a vital pastoral presence, offering compassionate one-on-one support and crisis care while spearheading churchwide initiatives for spiritual formation. This pastor will be responsible for developing a clear, trackable vision for pastoral care that meets the emotional and spiritual needs of members across all generations, while also guiding prayer ministries, Bible studies, and adult education. Beyond internal care, the Associate Pastor will equip Deacons and lay leaders, collaborate with the Mission Outreach and Grants committees to foster hands-on service opportunities with mission partners, and design strategies to attract and integrate new members and Day School families into the life of the church. This role also involves contributing to stewardship through the lens of spiritual engagement, partnering with the Senior Pastor on strategic visioning, and participating regularly in worship leadership and preaching.    If you know a pastor who you believe would be a strong fit for Brick Church and may be open to a new opportunity, we would be grateful for your recommendation. Please share their name, contact information, and any helpful context with the APNC at  apnc@brickchurch.org .

Join us in making a difference! As part of our Annual Day of Discipleship, we are hosting a toiletry drive for the New York Common Pantry. Help us meet the needs of our community by donating travel-size antiperspirant/deodorant, hair combs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and adult socks. Please note that if you prefer, you can also contribute non-perishable food items (no glass packaging, please). Donations can be dropped off at the church until the morning of the Day of Discipleship. Together, let's extend a helping hand to those in need!

Brick Church in the American Revolution: Kindred Minds Presbyterian worship in New York City began under the Dutch West India Company, which founded a trading post, New Amsterdam, in 1624. What mattered to the Dutch was trade, and New Amsterdam offered an ideal harbor for their worldwide mercantile empire. The North River, now the Hudson, led them to the riches of the interior. In contrast, Pilgrims from England had arrived in the New World in 1620, seeking religious freedom. Of course, England coveted the lands which the Netherlands had claimed as the settlement of New Amsterdam. Presbyterians migrated south from Puritan control of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, again in pursuit of religious freedom. In 1642 Francis Doughty and Elder Richard Smith established a meetinghouse in what is now Elmhurst, Queens, and in February of the following year they moved to New Amsterdam and were for four years known as “the church within the fort.” In the Dutch city of New Amsterdam, Presbyterians were relativity unrestricted. At the conclusion of the several Anglo-Dutch wars, New Amsterdam became New York. In the 1664 Articles of Capitulation, the Kingdom of England agreed to uphold freedom of conscience among other freedoms. However, in 1701 Edward Hyde, subsequently known as Lord Cornbury, became the governor of New York and New Jersey. In 1707 he ordered the prosecution of Reverend Francis Makemie, leader of the first Presbyterian Synod in America for preaching without a license. Makemie languished several months in jail before being acquitted. Presbyterians in New York City first gathered for worship in 1706 in private homes until they built the Presbyterian Church, the Wall Street Church, on the north side of Wall Street, in 1719. In 1738 a movement now known as the First Great Awakening began, spearheaded by the “grand itinerant” preacher George Whitefield. The movement encouraged introspection and a commitment to a new standard of morality. It was ideal fodder for a Presbyterian, and it also incited division and rancor in the church between traditionalists and new revivalists. There was political unrest around the city as well. The conclusion of the Seven Years War, aka the French and Indian War in 1763, left the British short of cash. The Sugar Act of 1764, Stamp Act of 1765, and the Townshend Acts of 1767, attempted to raise revenues, but these measures stepped on the toes of the American colonists and raised issues about “taxation without representation.” You know where that led. In the midst of all the turmoil that was going on, The Brick Presbyterian Church came into being as a place of worship, reflection and solace for the citizens of the City of New York.

Reading of Rev. John Rodger’s Sermon from December 11, 1783 (edited for length) A Sermon preached in New York, December 11, 1783 Appointed by Congress as a Day of Public Thanksgiving throughout the United States By John Rodgers, D.D. Founding Pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York New York: Printed by Samuel Loudon   “ The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. ” The subject of this divine poem, from which I have taken my text, not obscurely points us to the occasion on which it was penned. It was the return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. This is what is meant by “ the captivity of Zion ” in the first verse. It is generally supposed, and with great… You will readily perceive, my brethren, with what ease and propriety these words apply to the design and duties of this day. They contain the very language the God of providence has put into our mouths and teach us what notice we are to take of the dealings of his gracious hand toward us. If you will please to attend, I will: 1. Point you to some of the great things our God has done for us, and for which we have cause to be glad this day. 2. Show you how we ought to manifest this gladness.   Let us consider some of those great things our God has done for us, and which it becomes us to notice and acknowledge this day. These are different according to the different points of view in which we consider ourselves: either as creatures of his hand, as sinners under a dispensation of grace, or as members of society. But to enter into a particular consideration of each would be as vain as to attempt to count the stars in the firmament or number the sands on the seashore. You will expect, therefore, only a few of the numerous instances of the great things our God has done for us. “ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation .. ”   He has graciously and fully defeated the designs the court of Britain formed to deprive us of our liberties. They laid plans with such art as to deceive the nation into favorable sentiments of their measures and led them to aid in the accomplishment of their purposes. The redress of grievances was all we first sought. Oh, with what joy and gratitude would we have received it at their hands at any time before the summer of 1776. But this is not all heaven has done for us. God has broken our connection with that people long practiced in venality and grown old in corruption. He has delivered us from their unjust claims and future practices and given us a place among the kingdoms of the world. Under the auspices of his providence, we have risen into existence as a people and taken our station among the nations and empires of the earth—an event of such magnitude that it forms a new era in the history of mankind. We have nothing to do now but wisely improve this event, to render it a fruitful source of happiness to ourselves and millions yet unborn.   The early and just alarm our country took at the measures pursued by the British court strongly points to the watchful care of providence over us. The unanimity among the colonies in opposing these measures—among all ranks and degrees, with very few exceptions—is another remarkable display of divine kindness. It is true these were natural effects of unconcealed designs and manifest injustice, but the hand of heaven is clear: Britain acted in a manner so undisguised and impolitic as to alarm and unite us. They could have attempted their purposes with more ease, less expense, and greater certainty, had they concealed their designs. Instead, they enforced their claims by the terrors of the sword. Thus we were called to resistance and obliged to resistance by the principles of self-preservation. The appointment of proper men to meet in Congress, and the prudence and firmness of their measures, shows both the wisdom of that august body and the providence directing them. The military ardor that inspired all ranks across the continent—spreading like a flame from colony to colony—must be resolved into the hand of heaven. You will recall the resistance at Lexington, where the first American blood was shed, April 19, 1775; the well-fought battle of Bunker Hill on June 17 following; and the confining of the British army within Boston and its environs for nearly a year until they stole away with shame.   …Another great providence was the raising of a proper person to command our armies. Congress’s choice of the illustrious Washington was heaven-directed: the man raised up for the work of leading our armies and saving his country. His influence, the confidence he inspired, and the success that attended him demonstrate the goodness of God and his personal merit. God also provided officers of inferior rank and enabled an army to be gathered and commanded, despite our having neither arms, ammunition, nor skill at the outset. The contempt our enemies had for us led them into conduct ruinous to themselves and advantageous to us. …To this may be added the smallness of the army they at first sent out against us. They imagined that a few thousand men would accomplish their purpose. This misjudgment gave us leisure—after hostilities began—to prepare, in every necessary respect, to oppose and defeat them. They themselves, in this early period, contributed not a little to teach us the art of war. And after we had taught them to fear us, and they had augmented their numbers to more than sufficient to crush us, their pusillanimous caution became, in the hand of Providence, no small means of our salvation. Who that reflects upon the dark scenes through which we passed from this period until the glorious battle of Trenton on December 26th (and dark indeed they were), and who that considers the awful poise in which the fate of America then hung—destruction awaiting us on every side—while also considering the complicated difficulties and hazards that attended that well-timed enterprise, with its signal success and extensive consequences, can help exclaiming in the language of our text: “ The Lord has done great things for us whereof we are glad. ” …It also deserves notice that the means on which our enemies placed the highest dependence often had the directly opposite effect. This was remarkably true of their cruelties: burning towns, laying waste to settlements by savages, murdering citizens, destroying churches, and the like. They designed these terrors to break our spirits and force submission, but their effect was to rouse and animate the country into more determined opposition. Their treatment of us as slaves excited our indignation, contempt, and resentment. They taught us their incapacity to govern us in wisdom or virtue and confirmed the necessity of maintaining our independence or perishing in the struggle. It is much to be lamented that the troops of a nation once considered a bulwark of the Reformation should act as though waging war against the God Christians adore. In the course of this war, they utterly destroyed more than fifty places of public worship in these states—burning many, leveling others, and defacing still more by converting them into barracks, jails, hospitals, and riding schools. Boston, Newport, Philadelphia, and Charlestown all furnished melancholy instances. And in this city, of the nine places of worship fit for use before the war, there were but nine fit for use when the British troops left it, and many were left in ruinous condition. …Again, the formation and completion of that social compact among these states, commonly styled the Confederation, is another instance of the great things our God has done for us. This is what gives us national existence and character. Before it, we had no permanent union, nor were we regarded by other powers as a distinct people. By this event the thirteen United States, though differing in situation, customs, manners, and local interests, became one people. Their interests are united into one common interest, and they stand pledged to each other for the united defense of every state and the privileges of the whole. This teaches the sacred obligation each state and every individual is under to support and strengthen this federal bond. Under Providence, our all depends upon it. Once more, God’s raising us up such powerful friends among the nations—who have generously espoused our cause—is another instance of the great things he has done for us. We were unable in every respect to contend with the mighty nation that made war upon us, but Providence so ordered events that it was the interest of the great nation who first took us by the hand, and indeed of all maritime powers of Europe, to favor our cause. They acted by human policy, but God—whose kingdom rules over all—was accomplishing his own gracious purposes concerning these States. Another instance of divine goodness, which we may not pass unnoticed, is his providing in this State so good a Constitution for securing our rights and privileges. It has imperfections like all human institutions, but upon the whole it is equaled by few and surpassed by none in wisdom, justice, and sound policy. The rights of conscience—both in faith and worship—are secured to every denomination of Christians. No denomination can oppress another. All stand on the same common level in religious privileges. Nor is this confined to Christians: the Jews also have the liberty of worshiping God in the way they think most acceptable to him. No man is excluded from the rights of citizenship on account of his religious profession—nor ought he to be. What great things has the God of Providence done for our race! By the revolution we celebrate today, he has provided an asylum for the oppressed in all the nations of the earth, whatever the nature of the oppression. And he is thereby accomplishing great things that open the way for the more general spread of the gospel in purity and power, and in due time the universal establishment of Messiah’s… There is not, within my recollection, an instance in history of so great a revolution effected in so short a time and with so little loss of lives and property as that in which we rejoice. It has cost us blood and treasure; but considering the magnitude of the object, the unequal terms on which we began and pursued the contest, and its glorious issue now secured by treaty, the cost is less than we had a right to expect.   We ought to express our gladness of heart for all these great things our God has done for us in the following ways: God’s beneficence is designed to form us to a similar temper toward our fellow creatures. Even if many are unworthy, our own unworthiness has not barred the mercy of heaven. We must especially beware of resentment and revenge. True greatness rules the spirit. The religion of Jesus breathes benevolence and inspires it in all genuine believers. This benevolence should manifest especially amid religious distinctions. It is not to be expected that all will be united in opinion—but we may be united in affection. Where we cannot agree, let us agree to differ. Love is the peculiar mark of Christ’s religion: “ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. ” Nor must we forget the case of those deserving citizens who lost their all by this struggle—many while hazarding their lives in the field. Add to this the case of widows and orphans made by this contest. Their situation demands attention not as charity, but justice. Can no plans be formed for employing such members of the community—the best method of providing for them? Can luxury and dissipation spare nothing for those in need? The approaching winter enforces this duty with an urgency language cannot express. …God has put within our reach all the blessings of civil and religious liberty. Perhaps no nation has ever had so fair an opportunity to become the happiest people on earth. Yet misery as well as happiness lies before us, unless the present state of things is wisely improved. The eyes of heaven and earth are upon these States. The situation is solemn and dignified. The path is plain: we must cement and strengthen the federal union; support the honor of the Great Council of the nation; execute salutary measures with unanimity; establish the credit of this new empire upon strict justice; and keep faith sacred and inviolable. …Industry and frugality are of the highest moment. We must make the Constitution and laws the great rule of our civil conduct. The government to which obedience is urged is of our own framing—a government for which we fought and bled, and fought and bled with success. The magistrates who administer it are the men of our own choice. Therefore it is both duty and interest to strengthen the hands of government as the sure path to national happiness. The order and dignity with which the change of government was introduced on November 25th—the day the deliverance of these States was completed by the evacuation of this city—have attracted admiration and even the acknowledgments of enemies. This should encourage us to persevere in virtue, order, and reverence for lawful authority. …God calls us to testify joy and gratitude by lives devoted to his fear and service. This is the most acceptable manner of expressing thankfulness for any favor. One end of God’s goodness is to lead us to repentance. Every instance of beneficence is a cord of love thrown over the soul to draw us to himself. “ To offer praise to God ” and “ to order one’s conversation aright ” are treated as the same: “ Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God .” Virtue—political and moral—is essential to the preservation of our hard-earned privileges, especially in a democratic government. Prevailing vice will sap the foundations of liberty sooner or later. And the sons of profaneness cannot now sin at the cheap rate they once did. Guilt is greater in proportion to the great things God has done for us. Therefore, I beseech you by these mercies, in addition to all the grace of the gospel, that you break off your sins by repentance and study to walk before God as becomes those for whom he has done such great things. Which may God of his infinite mercy grant, for Jesus’ sake. Amen and Amen.

Shared during Sunday Worship on January 25, 2025. Gracious and loving God, we come before you, trusting you to open our hearts and prepare our lives to receive Christ anew.  Prepare us to recognize your presence among us. Teach us patience when waiting is difficult, courage when hope feels fragile, and faithfulness in all the ways you call us to serve. Help us set aside the distractions and fears that keep us from trusting your promises, and draw us deeper into your peace.   Where we are weary, grant us rest.  Where we are anxious, speak your calming word.  Where we are uncertain, lead us by your light.  Shape us into a people who welcome Christ not only with our words, but through lives marked by love, justice, compassion, and humility.   As we continue to pray for those on our Prayer Matters list, we lift up members and staff facing illness, injury, surgery, dementia, loneliness, chronic pain, and grief. Surround them with your healing presence, strengthen them in body and spirit, and remind them they are never alone.   We intercede for all whom Jesus came to serve: the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, and the oppressed. Use us as instruments of your mercy and justice.  We pray for the leaders of nations, that they may seek truth, pursue peace, and act for the common good.  Break down systems that harm and exclude others and use us as instruments of your justice and mercy.   We offer these prayers trusting in your unfailing love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.