Speaking of Faith: Lessons from local patriots

By Rev. Deborah Jackson
Guest Columnist

My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty of thee I sing…

Many know that the words of “America”, this very familiar patriotic hymn, were penned by the Rev. Dr. Samuel F. Smith. What is not as well known is that Dr. Smith was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Needham from 1866 – 1873 and then again from 1877 – 1880. It is on the occasion of the Fourth of July and in tribute to one of the favorite sons of this church that it seems fitting to consider the Rev. Dr. Samuel F. Smith and the lessons learned from his life.

The first lesson is ingenuity. In recounting how the song “America” was created, Dr. Smith shared that he was asked to review songs written for German schools children, translating them as appropriate for use within American schools. One particular song caught his attention because it had a simple melody and patriotic lyrics, which in turn motivated him to write a patriotic song as well. He was said to have grabbed a piece of scrap paper as he was inspired to write. Thirty minutes later, he had penned the words that are substantially the same as are sung today. Dr. Smith took a simple melody, the idea of a patriotic hymn and cleverly combined this into what is now a beloved patriotic anthem. The song was presented only months later on July 4, 1832 at the Park Street Church in Boston. It was ingenuity that provided the impetus for Dr. Smith to take what he had to make what he wanted.

That same can-do spirit led Dr. Smith in his pastorate at the First Baptist Church in Needham. The first services conducted in the newly established Baptist church were held in June, 1855. At that time, only a lower level Vestry existed. Although there were plans to complete the church, the membership had become complacent in its building program. It was Dr. Smith who provided the motivation, a second lesson from his life, to rejuvenate the church and complete the building. Under his leadership, the church raised approximately $4200.00, the cost of building the sanctuary, and on June 5, 1872, the church was dedicated, finished and furnished free of debt. He moved the congregation to complete the work that was started and today this church remains as a testament to his ability to motivate a people in a common purpose.

And while Dr. Smith had ingenuity and the ability to motivate, he never lost sight of the need to be filled with a strength that was beyond his own. From his life, we learn the lesson to look to God to fill us. When the church was dedicated on that afternoon in June, it was Dr. Smith who had written a hymn for the occasion, “Come, O Divine Shekhinah, come, with glory fill this new abode…” Shekhinah is a post-biblical term for the “dwelling” or “presence” of God. The church needed God’s presence to live up to its mission and in that same spirit, Dr. Smith needed the indwelling of God to do all that he was called to do as well.

Are these not the lessons that have carried us as a nation for 233 years? Ingeniously, our founding mothers and fathers forged a new land with a vision that all people are created equal. With courageous bravery, our ancestors rallied the masses, marched and lobbied to motivate all to seek freedom and justice. Moreover, we as a nation recognized that we were endowed and filled by God with the same inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thus we find on the Fourth of July and through the lessons of the Rev. Dr. Samuel F. Smith that we share a bond as a people and a nation. This is a land where our father’s died. This is a land of the Pilgrim’s pride. So from every mountain side, let freedom ring.

Rev. Debora Jackson is the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Needham. She is part of the Needham Clergy Association, an association of clergy and ministers that is open to all faith traditions in the Needham community.