By REV. MARILYN RICHARDS
Pastor, First Church Unitarian of Athol
First Church Unitarian of Athol has been providing progressive religion since 1750 and enjoys seeing progressive causes receiving respectful attention recently. Celebrating our heritage, means standing on the side of love, remembering “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
For us, as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote: “Thinking the deed, and not the creed, Would help us in our utmost need,” the long term emphasis has been on good deeds and a heartfelt tolerance of theological and philosophical diversity, including Humanism. We revel in theological/ philosophical diversity of good will. And this has been a part of the Athol church’s heritage, since the founding of our country. Our second minister, Rev. Joseph Estabrook, fought in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775, and was far more interested in good works than in whether his parishioners’ theologies were Unitarian or Trinitarian.
Estabrook was raised in a “hot spot” of revolutionary fervor, Lexington. He was a teenager when the British Regulars marched into Lexington early that morning. Joseph helped move his mother with an infant, in an arm chair, to a safe location about a mile out of town because the Estabrook home was close to the village green. Against his father’s wishes, Joseph joined the men on the village green to stand up to the British forces. After the battle, the Estabrook home became a local hospital and Joseph carried many living and dead friends to his home. Later that day, as the British retreated, they attempted to set fire to local homes. Estabrook and his half-brother, Prince, spent many hours protecting their home/hospital from fire. Later, in the dark, Joseph helped bury his fallen friends.
Joseph Estabrook’s compassion, intelligence and calm resolve, in the midst of seemingly endless crises, attracted the attention of local ministers. In 1787, Joseph Estabrook was called to his one and only parish in Athol, serving the congregation for 43 years. He stated that a secret to his success was to focus on the deeds, and avoid creeds. Estabrook wanted to be free of creeds and urged his ministerial colleagues in the area, to do the same. Estabrook refused to “teach for doctrines, the commandments of men.”
Those words remind me of a saying by the Japanese poet, Basho: “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.”
Seek your own spiritual connection with the Universe, seek God. And, if your experiences are not exactly the same as others, this is fine. Seeking life and an understanding of love were essential to creating good works. And, good deeds were the foundation of a healthy happy life in community.
This reciprocal tolerance is still a hallmark of our church’s faith today. Two hundred twenty-nine years later, Estabrook’s teachings are alive and well. We seek what our teachers sought. And, like other religions, progressive religion has a long history too.
Thank you for reading.
Sources: “Athol, Massachusetts, Past and Present” by Lilley Brewer Caswell, (1899). “Centennial Discourse” by Rev. Samuel F. Clarke at Athol, Mass., Sept. 9th, 1850. “The Day of Concord and Lexington,” by Allen French
About First Church Unitarian of Athol
First Church Unitarian of Athol is located in downtown Athol at 478 Main Street, behind the big maple trees. Our worship services begin at 10 a.m. from March through the end of December, open all summer. Our website is updated weekly throughout the year, at FCUUAthol.org. The phone number is 978-249-8142. Our congregation is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The church was called together in 1750. Our present building celebrated its 100th birthday this year. Please pardon our appearance — renovations are in progress.