Sailing from Plymouth, England on September 16 the 90-foot Mayflower contained 102 passengers plus crew. Enduring the 66-day voyage huddled in the tween deck on top of their luggage, they dreamed of freedom.
The majority of these passengers left England to escape the religious mandates of the Church of England. The hope that carried them through their arduous and difficult journey across the ocean was to worship God as their conscience dictated.
Today that freedom is precious, and often assumed. Each weekend we drive to the church of our choice. We open the Bible for study and discovery at the will of the Holy Spirit. No one breaks through our doors and carries us off to pay for our sins of wrongful worship.
The majority of these passengers left England to escape the religious mandates of the Church of England. The hope that carried them through their arduous and difficult journey across the ocean was to worship God as their conscience dictated.
Today that freedom is precious, and often assumed. Each weekend we drive to the church of our choice. We open the Bible for study and discovery at the will of the Holy Spirit. No one breaks through our doors and carries us off to pay for our sins of wrongful worship.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving with your friends and family, put near the top of your list this privilege to worship freely. Then take a moment to reflect, remember and be thankful for this freedom.
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