The 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

the United States of America

is a very storied place

Christopher Columbus

may have sailed the ocean blue

in 1492

but he didn't tell the right people

right away

so Amerigo Vespucci got credit for

"discovering" it

by a mistaken German journalist

some years after

Britain had her eyes on the

New World and started selling

the idea of land ownership to

prospective settlers

early American literature

narrates the narrative

"unlimited potential and beauty"

that's Captain John Smith

" we're all gonna die-God help us!"

that's William Bradford

Puritans and Quakers filled old

ships to escape Anglican

persecution in Europe

colonies colonized

settlers settled

amid

suffering and prosperity

pioneers pining for peace

and a little piece of land

to call home

the Anglican and Congregationalist

churches set up shop

and the new Americans started

choosing to be secular instead

bring on the 1730s

evangelists became revivalists

free ranging on God's word only

from town to town

attracting thousands and

tens of thousands for one sermon

angering the local religious leaders

sound familiar?

the churches had embedded

themselves into colonial governing but

the sleeping were being awakened

to hope and a future in Jesus Christ

hearing that they were all created equal

in the eyes of God

by undaunted preachers

like Jonathan Edwards

George Whitefield

John Wesley

and many more brave

and anointed revivalists

the Holy Spirit moved

women without color preached fire

black pastors and ministers

ordained in the name of Jesus Christ

and the settlers

started challenging

the religious authority and its

enmeshed colonial authority

a sweeping revival

even in Europe

a mighty wind blowing across

the face of the earth

transforming

minds

wills

emotions

opening eyes

a unification

that would become

a mighty weapon

to secure freedom

let's talk about

Crispus Atticus

Frederick Douglass

and Phillis Wheatley, who by

only the grace of God

survived a 300-day voyage

from Africa as a little girl

worthless as a slave

priceless as a human being

and too many more to mention

who inspired

unity

courage

freedom

that would become the

United States of America.

In God we trust.

Amen.

250 years ago, Congress authorized the attachment of a chaplain to each Regiment of the Continental Army.

George Washington personally supported the involvement of chaplains in the Continental Army.

In a move that some considered controversial, Washington appointed a Universalist, John Murray, to be chaplain of the Rhode Island Regiments on September 17, 1775.