The
Church's national observance of Independence Day was 1st
proposed for our Book of Common Prayer what year? 1928? 1778? 1786?
When did it make it into the BCP? 1786? 1928? 1979?
(See Lesser
Feasts & Fasts 2003.
P. 290.) Here
are some of the facts: Proposed for Prayer Book 1786.
Deleted by Gen. Convention 1789.
Made it into 1928
BCP
revision!
American
Revolution supporter Bishop William White worked to remove it from
proposed 1786
book because its observance was required
& most of our clergy had remained loyal to the British crown.
Reading
White's stance reminds me of the
grace St. Paul expresses in 1 Cor.
8:1-13,
when he says to refrain from doing what
would be a
stumbling block for fellow
Believers for whom Jesus died.
On
July 4th
we can celebrate our freedom to worship God in this country & its
many other freedoms, gifts & opportunities, because of God's love
expressed through the courage, strength, dedication, & sacrifice
of many.
Our
Episcopal Church colors of red, white & blue can remind us of the
human blood Jesus sacrifices for us, dying on the cross to save us.
Red
is like the fiery tongues on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes to
the Church in a new way.
White can remind us of God's holiness, the Holy
Trinity, in whose image we are made, & our celebrating our new
relationship with God that Jesus' sacrifice makes possible.
Blue
is the color of the heavens that surround this blue
earth, our island home, set in motion by God's love that fills God's
Creation, of which we are a part & for which we are entrusted
with special work of stewardship.
I
pray that our love may overflow more & more with knowledge &
full insight to help us determine what is best.
Philippians
1:9 (paraphrase)
Bibliography
Lesser
Feasts and Fasts 2003.
New York: Church Publishing. 2003.
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