Brookfield Congregational Church

Brookfield Massachusetts, 01506-0457

The Pastor's Page
June, 2023

Dear Church Family:

TWO EVENTS occur this time of year call for attention to our community life: Memorial Day, May 29th and Fourth of July, Independence Day, well July 4th! We also shall observe a Brookfield- honoring Community Day in September 350th Anniversary. In preparation for all three these words of our community life: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands; one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Good words, strong words, important, I have been saying those words recently to remember then when the public occasion comes, so, been repeating them s l o w l y. They deserve that.

“I pledge ALLEGIANCE”—Perfectly fine for a Christian to do. “Under GOD” – since the pledge enters my domain, important for me to speak of. “Liberty, Justice”, both Biblically central and solid, page after page. Christ Jesus truly has set us free, from all manner of tyranny, free from fear, oppression, hate, prejudice, all those things in the public sphere we call sin, violations against God, Set FREE. And setting ourselves to the tasks of justice, fairness for, attention to the weakest, neediest, left out, forgotten. On every page of 2/3 of the Bible, and the lord Jesus first sermon at his hometown church-check St. Luke, chapter 4.

Better still check our thinking and speaking about who we are as a country, what we are as citizens. Soon, we will remember and honor those for whom the words of the Pledge of Allegiance called forth their service and for many, their sacrifice, their lives. Our honoring calls from us, words too, and much more to truly honor. The two other occasions, July 4th and September 20th give us our assignment—justice, fairness “for all”. Exactly the one requirement God has for every human person—see Micah 6:8, it is the one for American citizenship too. We will and honor those who did so in the past; we now “pledge” ourselves for the future.

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