Sunday Prayer Corner

In 1620, the men and women on the Mayflower debated for a time about what they could say of the new world they were entering.

The resulting document was originally known simply as "The Covenant" (binding agreement), but later was referred to as The Mayflower Compact - another word for contract.

The Covenant was worded simply, although the language sounds a bit stilted to our 21st century ears. I present here the complete text of that Covenant, with spelling made modern, but otherwise unchanged.

"In the name of God Amen· We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James by the grace of God, of great Britain, France, & Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the christian faith and honour of our king & country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly & mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant, & combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, & preservation & furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact, constitute, and frame such just & equal laws, ordinances, Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet & convenient for the general good of the colony: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11 of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign Lord King James of England, France, & Ireland the eighteenth and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Dom. 1620"

Those brave people, facing a future of which they knew nothing, first set down the purpose of their pilgrimage: to plant a colony in the New World for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith.

I know it's not politically correct in this age to say such a thing - but it's a historical fact. All the PC talk, finger-wagging, and head shaking of the liberal left can't change what happened 389 years ago.

The concept of a union of the individual, sovereign States was conceived when those States first thought to bear arms against Great Britain. Knowing that their strength was greatest when combined, and rightly fearing that they could be picked off, one by one, if left on their own, they agreed to join together and make their cause a common one.

This Nation was birthed in revolution, with liberty an ideal to be achieved. Our Declaration of Independence makes it quite clear that the founders, not all of whom were Christians, believed in a sovereign God who granted such liberty to men.

Their ideal was that those rights are divinely granted, and that no government, however instituted, has any authority to take or abridge them.

This country has been through a lot, and come a long way. But along the way, those of lesser morals have managed to take enough power to slowly chip away at those rights. Our rights now, those precious rights only some of which are enumerated in the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, are being stripped away - a piece at a time.

The American people have only just now begun to wake up and realize what has been stolen from them. And they're beginning to demand - not "ask", not "beg" - that those rights be restored.

It's about time!

"Father, we lift our hands to you, acknowledging that only from you flow all our freedoms and blessings. We repent for the condition into which we have allowed our country to fall. Please grant us the wisdom and courage to do what is right in your sight, and reestablish the United States of America as the beacon of light, hope, and freedom which our forebears envisioned.

We ask your help, as we are unequal to the task. But with you, we can accomplish anything. Please help us to see it through, and to make this country into what it is supposed to be: a nation established for Your glory, showing all men what it is to be free.

In Jesus' name, Amen."