hearts loves remain...

Ralph Waldo Emerson on:

IMMORTALITY

Wilt thou not ope thy heart to know
What rainbows teach, and sunsets show ?
Verdict which accumulates
From lengthening scroll of human fates,
Voice of earth to earth returned,
Prayers of saints that inly burned, —
Saying, What is excellent,
As God lives, is permanent;
Hearts are dust, hearts' loves remain;
Heart's love will meet thee again.

(Rest in blessed Peace Judy)

He sees what children dwell in love...

Today marks the birthday of Isaac Watts, the "Father of English Hymnody"and poet with decidedly Unitarian leanings. To mark the occasion (and because I have three children all on summer vacation) here is his:

"Against Quarreling and Fighting"

from Divine Songs for Children

LET dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For 'tis their nature too.
But, children, you should never let
Such angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes.
Let love thro all your actions run,
And all your words be mild;
Live like the blessed Virgin's son,
That sweet and lovely child.
His soul was gentle as a lamb;
And as his stature grew,
He grew in favour both with man,
And God his father too.
Now, Lord of all, he reigns above,
And from his heav'nly throne
He sees what children dwell in love,
And marks them for his own.

Blessings

Happy Birthday HDT

Happy Birthday Henry David Thoreau.

Caroline Healey Dall

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Caroline Dall (see full biography at the Dictionary of Unitarian Universalist Biography here) An advocate for women's rights, writer, Sunday School Superintendent for James Freeman Clark's Church of the Disciples, Dall was a fascinating figure among the Boston Unitarians. Here is an advertisment with contemporary reviews of her, "Women's Right to Work." (Click here to see full size and readable)

Happy Birthday and Blessings

Jeremy Belknap

Jeremy Belknap was born on this day in 1744. Born in Boston and graduated from Harvard, Belknap began his ministerial career in New Hampshire. He was a supporter of the Patriot cause and preached popular pro-revolutionary sermons. He later became William Ellery Channing's predecessor at what became the Federal Street Church.

Belknap was an antiquarian and one of America's first historians. He was a compiler of documents and and assiduous researcher. Finally, he was a founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

And if all that wasn't enough, he compiled a hymn-book that was much used in New England.

Joseph Stevens Buckminster

Joseph Stevens Buckminster (1784-1812),the young, magnetic, epileptic minister of the Brattle Street Church in Boston and co founder of Boston Athenaeum, was born on this day in 1784. Buckminster was held in awe by many of the founding generation of American Unitarianism, and he became the very model of the literary minister. Buckminster helped introduce German Biblical Criticism to America, thereby influencing the entire direction of the movement. His death following a seizure was devastating to the Boston Unitarians. The historian Daniel Walker Howe reports that "Forty years after Buckminster's death,...'there were Boston Merchants who could not speak of him without tears.'

Blessings

a master of living well...

Today is the birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of Emerson in my life. Beginning at the age of 18 in an American Literature class at Northern State College in Aberdeen South Dakota, my engagement with Emerson has, for better or worse, shaped my spiritual life for much of my adult life. We still wrestle regularly...

This from "Domestic Life:"

"I honor whose ambition it is, not to win laurels in the state or army, not to be a jurist or a naturalist, not to be a poet or a commander, but to be a master of living well, and to administer the offices of master or servant, of husband, father and friend."

Happy Birthday and Blessings

I accept the universe!

Yesterday marked the birthday of Margaret Fuller. The life and thought of this extraordinary soul will be celebrated at next year's General Assembly (I am on the committee helping to plan events-if anyone has ideas for what we could do that would be truly valuable please write and let me know)

Happy birthday and blessings

hold fast that which is good...

Tomorrow (May the 5th) marks the anniversary of William Ellery Channing's "Unitarian Christianity" sermon in Baltimore (given in 1819.) One of the most influential of American Sermons, it is nearly universally accepted as the point of reference for the beginning of "formal" Unitarianism in this country. I encourage all Unitarians to give it a read tomorrow (or today if you are reading this on the 5th.) It can be found online at: http://www.transcendentalists.com/unitarian_christianity.htm Blessings

Horace Mann

Today is the Birthday of Horace Mann. Often called the Father of the Common, Normal, or Public School, Mann, a Massachusetts lawyer and politician became the first Secretary of the Mass. State Board of Education. In this position he became a reformer and national spokesman for free common education, teacher training and much else. Later, he became President of Antioch College. Though raised a Calvinist, Mann later became a Unitarian.
As the son of parents who met while teaching in public schools and who both served the noble cause of public education for many years, I believe I owe Mann an extra bit of gratitude...
A brief excerpt from The Common School Journal:

"No joys thrill the soul so deeply, or so long, as those which flow from generous self-sacrifice. If any man aspires, not merely to the highest post of honor, but to the highest rewards of bliss, let him enlist as one of the life-guards of Truth, when she is menaced by danger. In vain do they talk of happiness who never subdued an impulse in obedience to a principle. He who never sacrificed a present to a future good, or a personal to a general one, can speak of happiness only as the blind do of colors. These principles, — few, though of mighty import, — must be kept in view by all who would act as guides and counsellors for any portion of their fellow-beings; — whether the mother in her nursery, the teacher in his school, or the philosopher, promulgating truths to regulate the vast concerns of mankind. The highest service we can perform for others, is to help them to help themselves."

Blessings

Our Eversasting Portion

Today is the anniversary of the death of William Henry Furness (1802-1896) Jesus scholar, abolitionist, FOE (Friend of Emerson) and pastor. His book of prayers, Domestic Worship, has long been a favorite of mine. A representative Morning Prayer:

"God of our lives! Maker of heaven and of earth, who dost every morning command the light to shine out of darkness, shine into our hearts now, and give us the light of the knowledge of thy glory. Let an everlasting day dawn within us. As we have risen refreshed by repose, we would go forth this morning with heart and hand ready for every good work. We would return to the active duties of life with a fresh sense of the great value of life, and more deeply impressed than ever by the thought of the momentous consequences involved in all that we do. But without Thee all our strength is naught, and we labour in vain. Grant us thy blessing. God be with us this day to guard and guide!
Feeble are we, O our Father, and life is a scene of constant danger. The foes of our inward peace assail us in the most deceitful forms, and our own hearts are treacherous. Without unsleeping vigilance and earnest prayer, we may go far astray from the path of life, and miss the only true fountains of life, and find all our labour vanity, vexation and anguish of spirit. We would flee to the shadow of thine all protecting wings. Thou art our refuge, and what are we without thine ever present care!
How deep and hearty should be our gratitude ! How should we call upon our souls and all that is within us to rejoice in Thee, almighty to protect and to save, the God of our salvation, whose bounty the multitude of our wants cannot weary, whose mercy all our sins, though they are many and great, cannot exhaust! Be thou ever present, in thy pure glory, to our hearts. Having Thee ever before our eyes, how shall we bear ever again to yield to evil solicitations or do any thing offensive in thy sight! How can we ever disregard thy will so clearly expressed or violate thy perfect law written on our hearts, announced by all thy works, vindicated by the whole course of thy providence, and revealed in a living form in the person of thy Son, our Saviour! Be Thou thus within us a preserving presence. Give us the most exalted conceptions of thy being, a practical conviction of thy nearness. At home and abroad, in our public walks, in our deepest retirement, let the fear of God restrain and the love of God animate us.
Father in heaven, may no corrupting inclinations be fostered in our bosoms this day. May we be pure hearted and single minded, and possess a perfect command over our passions, lest they alienate us from thee and put us at enmity with thy perfect purity, and cut us off from the light and blessedness of thy presence. Let not our imaginations give a false value to the fleeting gratifications of time and sense. Let us not look too fondly at the things which are seen and temporal, and mistake the shadow for the reality, the glare of the world for the eternal light of truth. May our hearts be set upon the attainment of inward, thorough, personal holiness. And until this be secured, may we feel that we have done nothing and gained nothing, however otherwise the labour of our hands may, in thy providence, be prospered. Save us from the tyranny of ungoverned passions, from those evil practices and habits which despoil the soul of all power and peace and cast it into outer darkness!
We sustain numerous and interesting relations to one another and to the world. Help us this day faithfully to discharge every social duty. May we be governed in all the transactions of this day by the strictest principles of honourable dealing. Let no pride or vanity blind us to the sacred rights of others and induce us to take unfair advantage of their ignorance, or to exult in their infirmities. Be that divine charity our governing principle, that charity which is the bond of Christian perfection, the brightest ornament of the Christian life, that charity which hopeth all things and endureth all things, rejoicing not in iniquity but in the truth. In this spirit may we never deny the claim which all men of every name and denomination have upon our sympathy and respect. May we forgive the injurious as we hope to be forgiven of God, and do unto others as we would they should do unto us.
Make this day, Almighty God, a day of steady improvement. Sanctify all its enjoyments. Disarm all its temptations. May every hour be spent in thy service. Should any calamity befall us, should sickness and death enter this dwelling, may we receive them as sent from God upon an errand of mercy. Whatever may be the course of thy providence, let our souls rejoice in thy goodness, and then we shall not fear though the earth be removed out of its place and the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea. Give us this trust in life and in death, and be Thou, O God, our everlasting portion; and unto thee will we ascribe the glory and the praise for ever. Amen."

RIP

Hub Tones

I am listening tonight to Freddie Hubbard, one of my favorites, who died today at age 70. RIP

Drainage, drunkenness, and divorce

Francis Greenwood Peabody (1847-1936) was born on this day to Mary Jane and Rev. Ephraim Peabody (see several recent posts) Peabody served as Minister at First Parish in Cambridge before entering on what would become a wide-ranging career at Harvard, eventually becoming the Dean of the Divinity School.
Peabody would become best know for his work in Social Ethics and would be instrumental in introducing this discipline at Harvard Divinity School. His Social Ethics course would famously be called, by his students, “Peabody’s drainage, drunkenness, and divorce” class.
Among his numerous writings was the influential "Jesus Christ and the Social Question" Some brief excerpts:

"WHEN one turns from the problem of the existence of the rich to the problem of the care of the poor, he enters a region of thought and duty much more familiar to the follower of Jesus Christ. From the first days of Christian history until now the duties of compassion for the unfortunate and of help for the helpless have been among the elementary virtues of the Christian life. The transition made by the ministry of Jesus in the history of philanthropy is hardly less remarkable than the transition made in the history of theology. With the new thought of God came a new love for man... No body of Christians, however humble, can maintain its self-respect without an elaborate organization of compassion and relief. The Church welcomes for itself not only the test of truth, but the test of public utility. " I by my works will shew thee," it says, "my faith."

(For the full text of "Jesus and the Social Question" see http://books.google.com/books?id=wEAWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=francis+greenwood+peabody+jesus+and+the+social+question&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html.)

Blessings

Save us from a thankless heart. (Ephraim Peabody, RIP)

Ephraim Peabody (see posts Nov. 16th, 17th and 19th) has been my devotional companion for the past couple of weeks or so and this morning I note that it was on this day in 1856 that he passed. Samuel Eliot said of Peabody:

"His life was his best preaching. His sermons were but the explanation and enforcing to others of the rules exemplified in his daily intercourse with those around him. It was plain he thought that a sermon should not be merely a dissertation to instruct, nor an oration to surprise and excite, but an earnest, thoughtful, and moving exhortation, addressed to those who, by self-examination, as well as by observation of others, were capable of being stimulated to improvement."

So has he been such a stimulation for me and I am grateful. An excerpt from Peabody's sermon "Confidence in God"

"When I look back over the past, I am compelled to acknowledge, however little I may feel it, that my life has been loaded with undeserved blessings. From the time that the child is laid in the cradle, till the aged man is borne on the bier to his grave, the sunshine and the air are not more constant than those blessings which come, not through casual, but fixed arrangements of Providence,...A mercy most patient and most pitiful, which would reclaim all who go astray, which blesses man on the earth almost in spite of himself, and reveals a higher and holier world, which, little as the best may deserve to enter it, is promised to the weakest and the humblest who strive in their place to walk in the paths of duty...for this, what shall we render unto God? We can render nothing; and all that he asks is, that we shall not be insensible to it. Let our morning and our nightly prayer then be. 'Save us, O God, from the sin of the thankless heart; save us from the guilt of remembering everything else and forgetting thee.' We can return nothing to Him who giveth all. May we at last, when life draws to a close, be able to feel that in the midst of our blessings we were mindful of their magnitude and of their source; and may we be able also to remember that these blessings were not all used for selfish ends, but were the source of happiness and of good to those who knew more of the deprivations and less of the enjoyments of life that we."

A fitting benediction for Rev. Peabody and a timely reminder this "Black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving, to maintain a thankful heart each and all of our days. Blessings

Tender father and best friend

On this day in 1835, James Freeman (1759- 1835) Minister at King's Chapel in Boston for over 40 years, died.

Freeman, a Socinian Unitarian, differed from most of the "Boston Unitarians" who tended to Arianism. They shared, however, a deep piety which is much on display in this sermon exerpt:

"A Summary of several important duties"
The fear of the Lord, says the wise man, is the beginning of wisdom. I exhort you therefore, my brethren, in the first place, to build the whole of your duty on the foundation of piety. Love God above every other object; and dread the violation of his commands as the worst of evils. Elevate your minds with contemplation of his attributes. Let his power and wisdom excite your admiration; let his justice inspire you with fear; let his goodness fill your hearts with joy. Contemplate him, not only as your creator and judge, but as your tender father and best friend.
For an excellent brief biography of Freeman, go to the Dictionary of Unitarian Universalist Biography at: http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/jamesfreeman.html

Francis Parkman (Senior) RIP

On this day in 1852, the Rev. Dr. Francis Parkman Sr. died at the age of 64 (for Francis Parkman jr., see post on Nov. 8th.) This description of Parkman from O.B. Frothingham:

Rev. Dr. Parkman, was, in his way, a remarkable man, — not a great man, not a distinguished man, not a powerful or impressive man, but a cultivated and attractive one. He was graduated at Harvard College, studied theology under the Rev. William E. Channing, contributed a series of papers on moral and religious subjects to one of the Boston journals... heard medical lectures in Edinburgh, attended theological lectures given by Dr. Ritchie, then Professor of Theology there, read a discourse which received the approbation of the professor, preached in London, was invited to become the associate minister with Mr. Lewin in Liverpool, preached in the First Church, Boston, and in 1813 was ordained pastor of the " New North " Church (pictured). In 1829, he founded the Professorship of Pulpit Eloquence and the Pastoral Care in the Theological Department of Harvard College, and took an active part in the concerns of the Society for the Relief of Aged and Indigent Clergymen, which was fbrmed in 1849. He was a man of various information, kindly spirit, simple and yet polished manners..." one who loved his calling and discharged all its duties with untiring devotedness. As a preacher he was practical and evangelical ; as a pastor tender and affectionate. He was a man of active and useful charities, a friend to learning, a punctual member or an energetic officer of many literary, philanthropic, and religious associations, as well as a true friend of the worthy poor...

The very model of the Boston Unitarian and an exemplar of why I admire them. Rest in peace.

A lover of peace

On this Veteran's Day, the Boston Unitarian remembers and thanks all who have served (are are presently serving) and sacrificed so much, including the 19th Century Unitarian soldiers and chaplains who served in the Civil War.
Many could be named including Thomas Wentworth Higginson who was a Unitarian minister and the Colonel of the first African American Regiment in the Civil War. Higginson went on to a varied and fascinating career in literature and reform. He is often remembered (and not very fondly) for his relationship with Emily Dickinson (see the fascinating new book White Heat for a more judicious view of Higginson.)
Pictured above is Arthur Buckminster Fuller, brother of Margaret Fuller, passionate Unitarian Minister and Civil War Chaplain who gave his life for the cause. James Freeman Clarke (who has been mentioned in these pages before) said of him, "Arthur Fuller was, like most of us, a lover of peace, but he saw, as we have had to see, that sometimes true peace can only come through war. So he went, with a courage and devotion which all must admire, and fell, adding his blood also to all the precious blood which has been shed as an atonement for the sins of the nation. May that blood not be shed in vain." For a fine brief biography of Fuller (including this quote) see the Dictionary of Unitarian Universalist Biography at: http://www25-temp.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/arthurbuckminsterfuller.html

No matter your view of war as atonement or necessity, Fuller, Higginson, and so many before and since have seen their duty and done it selflessly. Again, thank you Veterans, and may your service and sacrifice point to a world in which such sacrifice is no longer required. Blessings

Francis Parkman (RIP)

On this day in 1893, the great Historian Francis Parkman died at the age of 70. I think that one of the reasons that I am drawn to the Boston Unitarians is that they had a great love and respect for the value and and the art of history and historical writing. Parkman was the son of the Unitarian Minister Francis Parkman, a "model" of Boston Unitarianism. Of frail health as a boy, Parkman the son was sent to Medford to live with his maternal grandparents. Here, Parkman fell in love with forest land and this, along with his reading of Cooper and the Waverly Novels of Sir Walter Scott, and the influence of the Harvard Historian and Unitarian Jared Sparks, let him to conceive of his great masterwork, a history of the French and English struggle over the North American frontier.
Though plagued by headaches and poor health, Parkman would travel much and his work would reflect his knowledge and love of the land he chronicled.

Many of his historical judgements have stood well the tests of time though his reputation has suffered the ineveitable vicissitudes (especially around his treatment of Native Americans). The literary quality of his work, however, is unassailable. An exerpt (taken at random) from "Montcalm and Wolf," perhaps the greatest of his works, shows his love of the landscape, his romantic literary style, and the benefits that his travels had on his writing. He describes Louisbourg (Nova Scotia) shortly after vistiting the sight himself:

Stand on the mounds that were once the King's Bastion. The glistening sea spreads eastward three thousand miles, and its waves meet their first rebuff against this iron coast. Lighthouse Point is white with foam; jets of spray spout from the rocks of Goat Island ; mist curls in clouds from the seething surf that lashes the crags of Black Point, and the sea boils like a caldron among the reefs by the harbor's mouth; but on the calm water within, the small fishing vessels rest tranquil at their moorings. Beyond lies a hamlet of fishermen by the edge of the water, and a few scattered dwellings dot the rough hills, bristled with stunted firs, that gird the quiet basin; while close at hand, within the precinct of the vanished fortress, stand two small farmhouses. All else is a solitude of ocean, rock, marsh, and forest.

RIP

Noah Worcester

Noah Worcester (1758- 1837), died on this day in 1837. He was a Unitarian minded minister, writer, editor and passionate peace advocate. His Bible News is one of the Boston Unitarian's favorite books. Worcester had a large influence on the development of Unitarianism in America.

For more, find his biography at http://www25-temp.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/noahworcester.html

Blessings