Lately, my historical studies have focused on Civil War-era Helena with the Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Helena July 4, 2013 approaching. I was fortunate to have received a copy of the Book of Common Prayer from the pastor at St. John's in Helena (Father Travis Frank). I'm trying to understand the mindset of the Bishop who presided over the Southwest prior to the Civil War, so I have been studying the Episcopal faith. Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk was brought to the faith in the "Burned Over" region of upper NY state during the 2nd Great Awakening while a cadet at West Point. Polk, upon graduation from the Academy, opted for the priesthood instead of military service, so he was not part of the war effort in Mexico. I'm trying to finish the BCP before my Plains vacation so I can begin study of the Baptists and Methodists of Helena in that period. My grandmother attended the Episcopal mission on Cherry St. shortly after her family migrated to Helena from Cotton Plant and it was a thrill to see her siblings and she on the baptismal record there. My grandmother was also a member of the historic First Baptist Church in Helena where the old Ft. Curtis set during the war. The church was extant during the war along Perry St. (I'm operating strictly from memory, so be kind if I'm mistaken on that one) closer to the center of town. Ft. Curtis was actually the fringe of town in those days.
Reading through the BCP on Labor Day evening before I turned in, I read a collect For Labor Day (#25):
Almighty God, who hast so linked our lives one with another that we all do affecteth, for good or ill, all our lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those whom are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen (BCP, page 210)
No wonder William Faulkner loved the BCP. We tend to forget that mundane things like our labors are actually in service to the common good as much as for our own financial well-being. It's nice to believe that rolling the rock up the hill only to have it roll all the way down the hill to start the whole process over again can have more of an impact than on our own affairs and families. Folks who work as police, soldiers, firefighters, and social workers aren't the only ones serving their fellow human beings. We should all labor with the knowledge that no matter the task, we should all consider our labors as edification for others and that we all serve God. In my job, I need that kind of encouragement.
On Facebook, I see children of firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, state and Federal employees, and the military who followed the calling of their parents to serve America, humankind, and God and I want to personally thank all these folks in honor of Labor Day and to urge you all in the faith (stealing from the Pauline epistles). And thanks for all of you who labor for the common good outside the service sector. Hopefully, all Americans who wish to labor for the common good will find a job worthy of their efforts. I'm happy to be able to pay my bills and collect enough money for music, books, and travels, so I'm truly grateful to God for His mercy. I could be one of the unlucky who have been booted from their jobs, their homes, and their good dispositions. Everyone deserves to feel needed and have a job to occupy their time and fill their wallets for their personal pursuits. Economic times like these have a tendency to divide Americans cumulatively and their individual families, so let's all pray that better economic times are ahead for the sake of us all.
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