A sermon by Senior Minister John B. McCall, November 9, 2008
Hebrews 13:7-16
The Rev. Mr. Benjamin Allen was born in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, on Martha’s Vineyard in 1689. He was a 1708 graduate of Yale College and was ordained in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in 1715. In 1718 he was one of the original proprietors who established the permanent settlement at Worcester, Massachusetts. There were 200 people there, and among them was Palmer Goulding, my 7th-great grandfather. They certainly knew each other.
Mr. Allen was installed as the first pastor of the Second Parish of Falmouth in 1734. He died in 1754 and is buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, which was then just outside the old meetinghouse. Serving just over 19 years, he has the second-longest tenure in our 275 year history. Next May, I’ll pass that mark.
The Rev. Ephraim Clark, our congregation’s second pastor, served from 1755 to 1797, 42 years. His record is safe – don’t worry!
John McCall: I suppose by many measures 275 years is just the wink of an eye. If you’ve traveled in Europe or Britain you’ve seen places where churches go back hundreds of years. And in Jerusalem I’ve stood in places where Christians have gathered since the beginning.
Even in our own country the story began much earlier than 1734, dating back to the natives from time immemorial to a few European explorations in the 17th Century.
But to understand our history here on Meeting House Hill we must recall the spirit of the 1620 Pilgrims who left England for the unknown land across the Atlantic, driven and drawn by a passion for religious freedom (and for some, a better alternative than serving more time in a British prison!)
There’s no reason to believe that anyone from Plymouth Colony came here to what was then called Falmouth. But all these early pioneers were sturdy and determined people. Before 1700, there had been some attempts to settle and put down roots but over the years several skirmishes with the natives made it too dangerous. Finally, about 1715 the balance tipped and the Europeans were here to stay.
By 1726, there were many hundreds of people living on the small peninsula no called Portland, and many fewer here on the south side of the Fore River. Together they called the Rev. Thomas Smith as the founding pastor of the First Parish in town, and built their first building.
One Sunday afternoon each month, Mr. Smith would ride his horse from the peninsula, across the river narrows at Stroudwater, and down the shoreline to the small stockade and meeting house at Purpooduck Point, on what is now the campus of the Southern Maine Community College. The Old Settler’s cemetery dates from that time.
Just a few years later, in 1733, the Massachusetts General Court gave permission to the folks in this neighborhood to form a new district, build a meeting house, and call a pastor. Five men were dismissed from the First Parish to be founding members of the Second Parish. Among them was Robert Means, from whom both Barbara Hill and Marcia Webber are direct descendents.
The people agreed the right place for the meeting house was right here on the hill – the highest point – reminding them of their reach for God.
Now, you have to use your imagination. We don’t have any clear descriptions about how this area looked in 1734. We know much of the land was covered with huge stands of virgin forest including ancient oak trees; Cottage Road was a dusty path winding its way further down the Cape, perhaps wide enough for two wagons to pass, at least in some places…
Benjamin Allen: (out of sight, interrupting) Where is everybody… I thought this was the Sabbath, where are the people?
JM – Excuse me… what are you doing? We do say “no matter who you are, you’re welcome here…” but please sit down like everyone else. Do I have to call the ushers to escort you out? Who are you?”
BA – Allen’s the name… Benjamin Allen. Pastor of the Second Parish of Falmouth, which should be around here somewhere. And who are you?
JM – Wait a minute — I certainly recognize your name. You were here when it all began. You’re the guy I read about, appointed here by the citizens – “a learned and orthodox pastor…” This is the same church – it was called he Second Parish of Falmouth in the beginning, and lots of other names across the years. Now it’s First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, here in South Portland.
And the name’s McCall, John McCall.
BA – McCall? Sounds Irish to me. You’re not one of those Presbyterian trouble-makers are you?
JM – No. I’m a Congregationalist to the core. (pause) I have always pictured you as a sour puss. So, Ben – if I may call you Ben – (doesn’t wait for reply) – so Ben, welcome back. This is a real honor. We’ve been talking about you and the way our church used to be… now 275 years ago when it all started. What’s brought you back?
BA – College reunion – the class agent managed to track me down… Yale College class of ’08. 1708, that is. Just back on campus for our 300th reunion. But I tell you it was a little boring. A bunch of Calvinist preachers aren’t all that much fun – headed to their beds right after supper. And some of those guys are getting pretty old, slowing down.
Not me… I’m fit as a fiddle… but, I’m obviously having a little trouble with my memory. I could have sworn I was on Meeting House Hill, and I remember a simple, two story building with a fine gallery and two doors to the front. Have you seen it?
JM – Only in pictures… that’s the way our first building looked. Made from oak logs cut right on the land. But that was 275 years ago. The town has grown and so has the church. Bigger building, electric lights, central heating…
BA — Why I remember when we had to bring our own heating boxes to keep our feet warm, and lanterns to give us light. Yup, those were very long Sabbath days – walk or ride to church for three hours in the morning, home for a cold meal, then back for evening service. Six hours of church each Sunday. And they expected me to have a two hour sermon every Sunday morning and another for an hour in the evening.
JM – Now some people complain when we run past an hour… things to do, places to go.
BA – “Places to go?” Where do they go on Sabbath?
JM – Well, you know, shopping, games and sports, sometimes they have work…
BA – Shopping? Sports? Work… on the Sabbath?! God might strike them for such sins! I trust you set them straight and warn them for the sake of their eternal souls!
JM – I try, but they don’t like to hear it…
BA – And another thing – I heard the sound of an organ in here, didn’t I? We call it the “Devil’s Voice,” and it has no place in worship… God is only pleased with unaccompanied singing of the Psalms. You’d do well to silence that monstrosity. And I’m shocked to see women sitting among the men, and shamelessly coming to the Sabbath service with their heads uncovered! The Letter to Timothy clearly says…
JM – I know, I know, Ben. But times change. The world is so different today. Women and men go to school together and work together, so they sit in worship together. And just a hundred years after your death, in 1854, our Congregational ancestors started ordaining women. One of the smartest things we’ve ever done.
BA – What’s the world coming to?
JM – God only knows – I’m sure we don’t. But over all these years, from your time in 1734, to our time in 2008, we’ve tried to listen carefully to God’s Word, and have struggled with questions about how we can be sure we’re following Jesus. Some things haven’t changed: it’s never been easy to keep the faith in the face of all the world’s pressures. It seems we’ve solved lots of problems over the years, but we’ve made some things worse, too. I can’t imagine all the changes in another 275 years… I hope we can remember: It’s really all in God’s hands!
[Benjamin Allen exits, shaking his head and muttering about the changes]
JM – Wow – he’s quite a character; and he sure reminds us how much things have changed. But, you know, we’ll do all right if we can remember the wisdom from this morning’s scripture. Two things stand out:
Verse 8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. People come and go, old ways disappear and new ways present themselves. Languages change, cars replace carriages and cell phones replace smoke signals.
But this Jesus, in whom God has come to us, never changes. No matter how long we study and pray and explore, we’ll never be able to grasp completely who he was or what his message has meant to the world. In the life of the church our purpose is to know him and grow closer to him. That never changes.
Then there’s verse 16: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Following Jesus isn’t just about studying the Bible or coming to worship or thinking deep, holy thoughts. God delights when we translate faith into action – doing the right things for the right reasons, even when it means a sacrifice.
That’s certainly been true right here on Meeting House Hill over these 275 years. We are all of us seeking, learning, welcoming, growing, and figuring out how to be Jesus’ followers right here right now.
I guess it’s really true: we are a Pilgrim People Still. AMEN!
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And our thanks to our special guest, Alex Pratt – formerly President of our congregation, and many other roles before moving to Saco. As you can tell he’s a terrific actor and very active in community theater.