Thought for Today
Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.'"
Psalm 145:7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Luke 15:23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.
1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
“It is the policy of the United States, and a purpose of this order, to provide a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4, 2026. It is also the purpose of this order to take other actions to honor the history of our great Nation.” (Presidential Executive Order, signed January 29, 2025)
As a part of America’s 250th birthday party, many churches in Newbury and the surrounding towns will ring their bells today at noon in commemoration of: “Leslie's Retreat, February 26, 1775. On February 26, 1775, British Lt. Colonel Alexander Leslie and 300 soldiers set sail from Boston Harbor to seize colonial weapons in Salem. The colonists were aware of the British forces and raised the drawbridge across the North River. Colonel Pickering and Colonel Leslie negotiated a compromise, avoiding bloodshed. The confrontation was a significant event leading up to the start of the American Revolutionary War.” (personal email from the organizer of the event)
Are nations defined by what they choose to celebrate? Are individuals? Are religions and ethnicities? Some celebrations have become so ubiquitous they have lost their original meaning and have become mere occasions for a day off from work and/or the exchange of presents. To some degree, Christmas for many is such a celebratory day. Christians remember why we celebrate. I wonder how many others celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, a materially oriented holiday instead of a spiritual celebration.
I love holidays and celebrations. I strongly support any reason for giving folks presents, for parades and for celebrations. Birthdays, anniversaries and almost any other rationale for sharing happiness and joy.
However, there is a difference between the various reasons we celebrate and commemorate. Regrettably, with some of our holidays, the secular has intruded on the holy. Also regrettably, some of our holy days have faded into the collective dim memory. This next Sunday is an example. How many know that it will be Transformation Sunday? How many will remember or take note of the event recorded in Luke 9:28-36, our liturgical New Testament scripture?
I am a Reformed Protestant. The Protestant movement began on October 31,1517, when Martin Luther nailed his Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther, Calvin and other Reformation leaders are not often mentioned today. Few churches celebrate Reformation Sunday.
Thankfully, most Christians still are aware of the significance of Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Although, in the secular world, mention of the true reason for Mardi Gras is rare. Most mention is of the parade in New Orleans, La.
Even though most of the earliest settlers in our nation were Christian and many came to this country for the freedom to worship as they understood the faith required them to do, much of that faith history will be lost in the ‘noise’ of our celebrations during the coming months. Thankfully, one of the first celebratory acts in our area will be the ringing of those church bells in the Newbury area. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Preamble to the Declaration of Independence” (www.archives.gov)
Stay safe, remember the reason for the celebrations, trust God,
Pastor Ray