When calculated by the Gregorian calendar, George Washington was born on February 22, 1731. A federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879, though at the time the holiday applied only to government offices in Washington. In 1885, the act expanded to include all federal offices. Finally, in 1971, the celebration of Washington’s birthday was shifted to the third Monday in February.
While serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, George Washington created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington’s image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in combat. As with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Washington’s birthday subsequently offers an additional opportunity to honor our country’s veterans.
Although Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, nearly half of the state governments have officially renamed their Washington’s Birthday observances as Presidents’ Day. However, the latter has never become the official national designation for the former in either government records or through Acts of Congress.
Within the country, some states recognize a variety of presidents on the holiday, but Washington’s Birthday (locally adopted as Presidents’ Day) was actually not intended as a day to honor the general office of the presidency – that idea arose from a newspaper article intended as a spoof during the Nixon era. Presidential records indicate that Nixon merely issued an Executive Order (11582) on 11 February 1971 defining the third Monday of February as a holiday. The announcement of that Executive Order identified the day as “Washington’s Birthday.”
Celebrated for his leadership in the founding of our nation, George Washington was the Electoral College’s unanimous choice to become the first President. He was seen as a unifying force for the new republic and set an example for future holders of the office.
Since 1862 there has been an oft-forgotten tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington’s Farewell Address should be read on his birthday. It is my hope that in our time, the leaders of our government – and all fellow citizens — might take time to review at least the following sampling of advice Washington proffered to his new nation, contained within his Farewell Address of 1796….
On his hopes for our national life –
[May heaven] continue to [give] you the choicest tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free Constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, in time, the happiness of the people of these States, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation which is yet a stranger to it.
On preserving our national unity –
While, then, every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in union…will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. In this sense it is that your union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty, and that the love of the one ought to endear to you the preservation of the other.
On the pitfalls of party politics —
…to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community… are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.
On preserving the separation of governing powers —
It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositaries, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern; some of them in our country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them.
On truth in education —
…Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.
On national debt –
As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible, avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it, avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertion in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.
On international relations –
The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.
On the undue influence of foreign powers –
Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government…. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests.
In light of George Washington’s hard-won national liberty and hard-won personal wisdom, it is my prayer that the district that is home to our nation’s capital will take heed of the far sighted advice of our chief founder, for whom it is named.
In Christ’s Peace – Amen.
by Christine Sine
Like many of us, Tom and I have had our eyes glued to the TV watching the Winter Olympics over the last few days. I have rarely been impacted so much by a sports event. Maybe it is because it began as the season of Lent was getting underway. Maybe it was just that I needed something to relax me in this challenging season. Whatever it is, I have been impressed.
The commitment of these athletes, their endurance and stamina which comes through discipline and perseverance is incredible. For love of the game they are willing to endure incredible pain and suffering. Some performed with broken bones and massive bruises. Others had just recovered from major injuries they chose to ignore because of their desire to reach their goal and walk away with a gold medal.
CREDIT: DAVID J. PHILLIP/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
They are also willing to fail. I was fascinated to learn that the judges gave higher marks in many events to those who tried the most difficult jumps and fell than they did to those who chose simpler jumps. To try for the best even if you don’t make it is very important.
As I watched them I wondered: If athletes are willing to endure so much in order to compete for a medal in the Olympics, why is it so hard for me to persevere with my spiritual disciplines? Why don’t we, as followers of Christ have the same level of commitment?
Not surprisingly the scripture that comes to mind is Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
What I am challenged with today is to prayerfully consider what disciplines I must persevere with during this season of Lent that will enable me to reach my goal of a deeper and more loving relationship to God and God’s world. What setbacks and pain am I willing to endure because of my commitment to this goal?
We are indeed surrounded by a cloud of 2,000 years of persevering witnesses who have run incredibly disciplined races. The results of their commitment still enriches our lives today.
Will you with me commit to a disciplined life this Lent? Will you take on spiritual practices that make it possible for you to go for the gold as all the Olympic athletes have done?
By Lilly Lewin
Sometimes we need a reminder that we are truly loved! Especially when the world around us seems so crazy and out of control. We need the reminder that God is in control and that God loves us. To go along with my desire to fall more in love with Jesus between now and Easter, I am praying with my coffee cup. This is a Lenten Prayer Practice that anyone can do. All you need is a CUP!
For the next 40 + days use a cup to remind you that you are greatly Loved by God! Just as you are! Right this Minute!
Choose a CUP with a heart, or “i love you,” or some other saying of deep affection on it. I got mine at Target a few years back & found some cute ones at Dollar Tree last week. It can be a coffee mug or a drinking glass. My friend Jennifer Ruggles got her kids plastic tumblers that they can use throughout the Lenten season to remind them that Jesus loves them.
Use this CUP for your morning coffee, tea, your toothbrush holder, or even for pencils/pens on your desk at work!
Each day hold your cup and Receive the Gift of Love.
Allow Jesus to fill you with his love & joy!
Pause and allow that to soak in.
Ask Jesus to help you receive that love all day.
Next, consider how you can pour out God’s Love to other people.
How can you share Love, Joy & Hope & Compassion with people you cross paths with daily? Consider tangible ways to show that Love and Compassion.
Remember that this is a Practice so it takes Practice!
Don’t beat yourself up if you forget or if it’s just too hard some days. Let the CUP remind you to receive love & grace! And let the Cup help you fall more in love with Jesus between now and Easter. I’d love to hear how this Practice goes for you!
and a belated Happy Valentine’s Day too!
#40DAYStowardLOVE
Find more Lenten Resources at freerangeworship.com
And you might like the great devotional that is the original Prayer book on praying with cups The Cup of our Life by Joyce Rupp
By Lynne Baab —
Perhaps you’ve met someone of Chinese descent or someone from China. If so, you’ll know that Chinese New Year is a really big cultural celebration, sort of like Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years rolled into one big, long holiday with lots of food and family time. The date changes each year based on the lunar calendar, and this year Chinese New Year is February 16.
A friend of mine who lived in China told me that the holiday lasts two weeks, with the first four to five days being an intense time of visiting with family and friends. Traditionally, the preparation for the holiday included cleaning the house and replacing the food for the kitchen gods at the family altar.
I learned about Chinese New Year in New Zealand – where I was migrant – from Malaysian students of Chinese descent – whose ancestors were migrants from China to Malaysia and who were themselves migrants from Malaysia to New Zealand.
Christian ministry in the 21st century has some new aspects, as a big rise in world-wide migration is changing the demographics of our communities and our congregations. In 2017, to love our neighbor must include paying attention to the culture of origin of the people we want to extend care to. When we make friends with people from China or of Chinese descent, that means learning about Chinese New Year and what it means to them.
I want to compare and contrast two ways of attempting to show love to people who come from different countries or ethnicities. One way is to work on being “color blind,” where we focus on what we have in common and do our best to ignore differences in skin color or other differences that come from our ethnic backgrounds.
Paula Harris, a speaker and writer, was raised as a missionary kid, and her parents encouraged her to be color blind, which she views as a loving approach. In Being White: Finding our Place in a Multiethnic World, she describes how she became aware of the significance of ethnicity and what it means to people who live as minorities or migrants.
Harris came to understand that being color blind is good, but inadequate. She and her co-writer, Doug Schaupp, give six reasons why developing an appreciation for ethnicity reflects God’s values. Harris and Schaupp write that colorblindness
- ignores the heart language of our ethnic minority friends;
- misses kingdom riches God intended for our blessing;
- misses who people really are at their core;
- assumes everyone is “white like me”;
- makes us vulnerable to stumbling into an Acts 6 rift; and
- numbs our hearts to the suffering of our friends. [1]
This year I invite you to have a conversation with any people from China or of Chinese descent that you know. Ask them about Chinese New Year. What do they like best? What did it mean to them as a child? What are their plans for this year? What did they do last year?
If your friends are Christian, ask some additional questions about where they see God’s grace and joy in the festivities. Perhaps the fresh start implied in Chinese New Year makes them think of the fresh start we have in Christ. You could ask about this.
Around the world, the number of people who do not live in their country of birth has increased to a sum larger than the population of Brazil. In addition, many people are second or third generation immigrants, who have retained holidays and practices rooted in the country of their ancestry. In many countries, indigenous people have cultural traditions, as do many African American people in the United States.
We can try to ignore cultural differences, or we can work on learning about them, affirming them and appreciating what they mean to people we care about. I’m trying to do more of the latter as a spiritual practice that I hope reflects the love of God.
[1] Paula Harris and Doug Schaupp, Being White: Finding Our Place in a Multiethnic World (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004), 93. In the original, each bullet point has a paragraph of text with it.
Sorry to be posting this late, but please enjoy this post about National Inventors Day that was on February 11th from our wonderful friend Rowan Wyatt —
An ape sits, gazing at a pile of dried, desiccated bones. He stares at them with a sense of detachment until something triggers in his mind. He remembers the monolith he had seen the night before, and in his head, the spark the monolith had planted ignites, firing the brain into action. The look he gives the bones are different from before, gone is the disinterest and detachment. He picks one up and realises he can use it.
Used as a weapon to bash his foe, the ape tosses the bone into the air, where, with clever and ingenious use of film editing, the falling bone jumps to a drifting satellite, orbiting the earth with grace and logic.
This is the opening scene to one of my favourite movies 2001: A Space Odyssey and on National Inventors’ Day it seemed apt to look at this famous film scene where the span of invention is shown from the Dawn of Man to our current age of technology.
We have come a long way. From tools of stone and flint, to bronze and iron, to steel and wheels and not just practical tools to be used in hand but for the mind too, with the discovery of mathematics and science, philosophy and theology. We have gone from walking and running, to taming and riding animals, to crude wheeled chariots, to cars and aeroplanes, to the pinnacle of technology the two spaces, Outer and Inner space, the realms of space exploration and invasive surgical procedure into the brain.
What a clever collection of atoms and soul we are. Thanks be to God for giving us brains that can develop, learn, comprehend and expand. Like the fictional monolith in 2001, God touched us, like Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and our brains sparked into life. We have him to thank for our development and our inventiveness. We have left the darkness of primitive existence, entering into a world that, ideally, is civilised and educated. If only that could be so all the time.
National Inventors’ Day was devised and first celebrated in 1983 in order to recognise the contribution Inventors have made to our lives. Every inventor from the humblest garden-shed tinkerer to the PhD scientist has been a part of this contribution and so are honoured the same on the day of recognition, and rightly so. As they are, so should we honour God and give him thanks that he gave us the capacity and intellect to invent and develop. At this time, we in the UK don’t recognise this day, but we should.
Of course, inventions can be devised and developed not to benefit man but to kill and destroy, poison, cripple and disfigure. With invention comes the responsibility that it should be for the good and benefit of mankind. Sadly, our technological progress has gone hand in hand with death and pollution, which the world is beginning to pay a price for.
Going back to that scene in 2001, the transition cut from bone to satellite. It looks idyllic, the white space craft floating in a black sea to the wonderful music of Strauss, but something few people know is that the satellite is a weapons platform, its missiles aimed directly back at the planet from where it was created. The Earth is on the brink of catastrophic nuclear war. This is never made clear in the movie, but that is the background to what is happening on screen and the reason the second monolith is found on the moon, it is there to teach. We have reached that stage in our world where humanity is in that frame of cinema, we have no monolith to say stop, but we have God.
God has seen us create wonderful things to benefit each other, he has given some of us the gift of that higher, reasoning intellect that can see further than most of us can, so they can develop things, for good, for health and conveyance. God has also seen us develop horror and destruction, we have used our free will to become more like Cain, willing to strike our brother down, using what we have developed to do it, coming up with more and more obscene ways to kill, and patted ourselves on the back while doing it, ignoring the responsibilities free-will gives us.
Let’s honour at this time the rising tide of inventors, most of whom are working for good, for the peaceful aims we all desire, to help the planet recover, to aid health and growth, agriculture and medicines. Let’s lift them up to God and pray for their endeavours, that they may be blessed and beneficial, that our leaders will remove their dark glasses and agendas and see the world. Let’s pray for science and faith to reconcile and work together for the good of mankind.
Lent is a time of anticipation, expectation, and waiting. We begin on Ash Wednesday. And we wait, and wait, and wait for the Resurrection celebration on Easter Sunday. Hopefully we keep ourselves occupied during this time of reflection and contemplation. But as for me, waiting is difficult. How do I occupy the time while I am waiting. This question is even more important for me during the period of Lent.
So what does a child and a bus have to do with Lent? It was, and still remains a lesson in waiting and redeeming the time in anticipation of an expected event.
Here is how the story transpired.
My wife and I were out riding in the car running errands. You know, those everyday errands that one fits into one’s already tight schedule. We were not on a very tight schedule that day but we did have to be back home by a certain time. The reason for this deadline has slipped from my memory. I suspect and hope you will see why I cannot remember after reading this story.
I turned the corner onto a street on our way to our first destination, the U.S. Post Office. And there in front of us was a stopped school bus with the doors open, the stop sign out, and the red lights flashing. I stopped the car of course and we remained stopped behind the bus. It was in the afternoon so I assumed the bus was ‘dropping off’.
We sat in the car and waited. We continued to wait. There was no sign of a child stepping off the bus. There was no adult standing at the curb. There was no activity whatsoever other than the flashing red lights on the bus.
Seconds passed. Minutes passed. I turned to my wife and said that the ‘former me’ would say at this point, “Can’t the child just get off the bus so we can get moving?” But the ‘new me’ should say, “Perhaps there is a problem. We should give the child and bus driver some consideration.”
Just as I finished that second statement an elderly man trotted out from the front door of the house and up onto the bus. After a few moments the same elderly man stepped off the bus carrying in one arm a girl wearing full leg braces and in the other arm her walker.
He then helped the girl into the back seat of a car parked in the driveway and buckled her in. The doors of the bus closed. The stop sign retracted. The lights on the bus stopped blinking. The bus began to move.
The bus moved. I pressed on the accelerator and our car began to move.
More importantly, I was moved. The answer to the question, “Can’t the child just get off the bus?” is no. The child simply could not get off the bus. I am grateful for this everyday event providing me with many lessons. Those moments of waiting provided lessons in love, patience, blessings, caring, expectations, contemplation, and many more. As someone once said, “Life can only be lived in the present moment.”
Maybe God has a special Lenten devotional written just for me in the ordinary everyday moments of life. I just need to be present to take part.
When Easter seems so far away and I am struggling with the sacrifices or ministries I have promised to keep during Lent, I remember the bus. The child will get off of the bus. Lent will pass. The bus will move. Easter will arrive. Every moment during Lent is to be cherished. Each moment is to be lived. And so to paraphrase the earlier quote, “Lent can only be lived in the present moment”.
When I am frustrated by traffic, schedule, people, delays or whatever might draw me away from being present I hope I remember “No, the child cannot get off the bus.”
Br. Terrence Declan currently consists of being a professed brother with The Anamchara 
Fellowship. The Anamchara Fellowship is a Celtic Dispersed Monastic Fellowship approved by the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church. He is the the curator for the Fellowship’s website: www.anamcharafellowship.org. Brother Terrence is also the Prior of the St. Patrick Priory for the Fellowship located in Coral Springs, FL. As a professed member of Ananchara Fellowship, he treasures Celtic writings and Celtic spirituality.
By Emily Huff —
“Whether we feel ready or not, this day (Ash Wednesday) marks the beginning of the Church’s observance of the Lenten season—six weeks that are set apart for the purpose of drawing closer to God and seeking him with greater intensity. Unfortunately, the Lenten season often gets reduced to the question, ‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ This is a fine question, but it can only take us so far. The real question of the Lenten season is, ‘How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?’ ” -Ruth Haley Barton
It’s hard to believe that Ash Wednesday is today. Over the weekend, we pulled out some of the things we’ve used over the years to mark this time of Lent. The tradition described below is one way we’ve tried to engage with the question posed above of how we will repent and return to God in this season.
Crown of Thorns (beginning our 9th year of this tradition)
In 2010, we began to put into practice a very meaningful Lenten tradition called the “crown of thorns” that was shared with us from our friends Heather and Jennifer. The crown of thorns is made out of a florist foam ring covered in purple ribbon. I have also made these crowns with simple grapevine wreaths from an arts and craft store with purple ribbons strung through them.
Heather explained the idea on her blog a few years ago: “Throughout the season, we will focus on confession and repentance – learning to say we are sorry to God and to one another. Each time we say “sorry” we will stick a toothpick in the crown, and by the time we reach Good Friday, we’ll have a “crown of thorns” to represent the crown that Christ wore when He was crucified. It is a symbol to remind us that it is because of our brokenness that Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to one another – remembering that He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. Therefore, I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” On the Saturday between Friday and Easter Sunday, when Jesus was in the tomb, I will shroud the crown with a black cloth and then on Easter morning, we will wake to a crown of flowers and lovely greenery. (The resurrection!) All those thorns transformed into vibrant life by His Power.”
The first time we did this nine years ago, my daughter Anna (age 6 at the time) and my son Taylor (age 4 then) did not have any “I’m sorry’s” to say when we offered an invitation, but then about half way through dinner, Anna said, “Taylor, I’m sorry that I did not share my Polly Pockets with you,” and then she put a toothpick in. And Taylor said (without any prompting from us): “Anna, I’m sorry that I was mean to you after school today,” and he also put a toothpick in the crown. Then Taylor went around and gave hugs to us all at the table.
We make the sign of the cross after we put our toothpicks in the wreath: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” I love the sign of the cross as it reminds me that we belong to God. We are crossing ourselves to remember that we are signed by the Author, that we are His workmanship and that we are treasured as His very own.
Over the past few years as we have embraced this tradition, it has been amazing to watch the kids take time to reflect and to admit wrong. This helps us come to God’s grace in the midst of our brokenness.
Lent gives us an opportunity to grow and to stretch, and we hope that this will continue to be a way to turn and step closer to God’s gift of love for us. A number of years ago, our pastor preached about how our disciplines are to draw us closer to God’s love and that we ought to embrace whatever discipline we might take on during this season as a child running to a candy store. I am looking forward to this Lenten routine again this year as a way to embrace this discipline of confession as a family.
As my friend Heather commented, “May we experience the peace of not being pierced anymore by our own toothpicks and the joy of seeing them transformed into beautiful life.”
Help us, Lord, to RUN to you- and in our running,
find that you have been running toward us all along.
When Heather put out her crown of thorns one year, her family read 1 Corinthians 13 together as a way to talk about the crown of thorns:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
After reading this passage, she framed sin simply as a failure to grow in love. This totally resonates with me. I’ve heard this in other contexts before, but it sheds new light on this passage to be using it with our Lenten crown of thorns practice. 1 Corinthians 13 can serve as a mirror that shows me the places that I am in need of mercy and grace. So many of the challenges in life are really all about learning to love well, and Lent is a time that exposes me and gently reminds me that I have much to learn to grow in love—
May this tradition of having a crown of thorns during Lent be one that ushers us all into God’s love more fully and may we know that we can wear forgiveness like a crown because of His amazing grace.
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