About Montague Township, NJ & its Heritage: 7/1/11

112 years ago......

"The Reformed' church at Montague, N. J., which has recently been rebuilt, was dedicated to the worship of God on the 18th of July. Rev. J. L. Stillwell a former pastor, presided and delivered a brief address. Rev. T. H. MacKenzie preached an impressive sermon from I. Tim. iii. 15, after which the venerable S. W. Mills, D.D., led in the dedicatory prayer. The other ministers who took part in the exercises were Revs. Thomas Kichols, D.D., W. A Mackenzie, T. D. Harris and Charles H. Whittaker." - as reported on page 193 of the August 3rd, 1899 issue The Christian Work: illustrated family newspaper, Vol. 67.

The current building is the third structure for this congregation. The Minisink Dutch Reformed congregation dates to 1737.

Reflections on the significance of Independence Day...

{Shared with Permission}

We celebrate today our nation's birth. And, as with all birthdays, this day naturally leads us to recall our nation's beginnings.

We gratefully call to mind those courageous people who brought this nation into existence. We easily recall such names as George Washington, Commander of the armies of the colonies. We think back to Paul Revere, and the lanterns in the Old North Church tower; the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord; John Paul Jones, Admiral of the American Fleet; Patrick Henry, with his famous words in the Virginia Statehouse: "Give me liberty or give me death." Nathan Hale, who acted on these words with his own last pronouncement: "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country." Thomas Jefferson, who penned the words of the Declaration of Independence.

All of these individuals and events were inspired by the single dream, a single hope of freedom and liberty. What does 'liberty' mean anyway? What is meant by 'true freedom?'

Those forefathers in 1776 founded this nation as a bold experiment in opposition to what they had experienced up till then. They were tired of living under conditions where the whims and motives of a king would determine your future. They felt that conditions could be much better if everyone were treated equally, under laws which all agreed to follow. It would be written laws, first the Articles of Confederation, then the Constitution, under which disputes and conduct would be judged--not by a ruler who could be swayed by his own self-interest. George Washington, when he was inaugurated as the first President in 1789, expressly called for a simple ceremony, without the trappings of royalty, or any hints of a royal coronation. No, the first term of the first presidency would set a new course, where freedom and liberty would be guarded by laws.

So it is very important to stop and reflect upon .. what is freedom, what is liberty? Is it the right to do anything you want, how you want? ... I don't think that is what the founders had in mind. That instead is 'license,' and unfortunately we see all around us the effects of people who confuse 'liberty' with 'license.' From throwing your litter anywhere, to disturbing the peace with blasting music, to using public office to steal public funds, 'license' is really a disrespect for others. It is putting yourself and your interests first, with total disregard for the rights and sensitivities of others. I don't think that our fore-fathers fought, died, and risked everything so that we could race our cars down the highways.

True freedom respects others as equals, and asks the question: how can I pursue life, liberty and happiness, without disregarding the next person's right to do the same. True liberty means living as a social being, with responsibilities towards others and towards the country we inhabit. In fact there can be no true freedom, no true liberty .. without responsibility. And that may be where our society seems to be breaking down. All people want their freedoms, but too many, it seems, don't accept their responsibilities.

The Church makes a great contribution to our nation by its insistence that we are all responsible to the Lord, and to each other, For all the talk about separation of Church and State, the State would have fallen apart long ago, if the Churches hadn't stressed that ideal of moral responsibility, And to the degree that people heed this message, only to that degree can our nation flourish. Only to that degree will citizens look beyond their own immediate interests ... to the common good.

May we pray today that the Lord be allowed to play a greater role in our nation's life. As our fore-fathers called upon God to witness their actions 235 years ago, and called upon the Lord to guide the young nation's future, so must we. May we pray that our elected leaders may listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and to the voice of their conscience, in making the decisions which affect all of us. And may all citizens take seriously the need to be vigilant and to take initiative in ensuring that the freedoms we enjoy will be protected. May all citizens work towards the day where everyone is treated fairly and equally, where there is true 'liberty and justice for all.'

God Bless America!