A Message from Mrs. Terri Austin

As we reflect on Independence Day this week, I thought I would share a hymn story with you about “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” written by Samuel F. Smith. This information is from the website: umcdiscipleship.org.

Smith, who was born in Boston and educated at Harvard and Andover Theological Seminary, wrote the hymn in 1831. It was first publicly sung at Park Congregational Church in Boston on July 8, 1831. It was even one of the songs considered when a national anthem was being chosen for our country.

Martin Luther King, Jr., cited the phrase, “Let freedom ring,” in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. We can only wonder if Samuel F. Smith, who had given up his dream of serving on the mission field due to poor health, ever imagined the influence his hymn would have. It is the final stanza of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” that connects God and country.

Our fathers’ God, to Thee, 

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing:

Long may our land be bright 

With freedom's holy light; 

Protect us by Thy might, 

Great God, our King! 

As we celebrate the freedom we have as a country, let us never forget the most important freedom is that of salvation through Christ Jesus.

In Christ,

Terri Austin