Recently my husband and I had the opportunity to drop in on friends from our Wyoming days who summer in New Hampshire. While there, we visited some of the interesting sites in the area. One of the outings took us to the Canterbury Shaker Village.

This assembly of people who fled to America in the mid 1700’s came from England and were religious dissidents whom were nicknamed “Shakers” for the manner in which during worship the spirit moved them to “shake off their sins”. We visited their former places of worship, work and relaxation which were all well-preserved in this educational museum.

The Shakers aspired to live as simple as the gospel and surrender their lives to what they called Christian communism. Living self-sufficiently for the most part, they were ingenious innovators, artisans and shrewd marketers of their wares. They never shied away from modern conveniences like electricity and running water as they believed these devices would make their lives easier, allowing them to work faster and more efficiently for God.

All persons and their work were treated equally. They had “hands to work and hearts for God” and both were used for the good of the community. Their furniture, boxes, baskets and clothing designs remain famous to this day. Their group included many talented musicians whom composed music which remain with us today. Their most famous hymn is Simple Gifts which is a hymn I believe most of us are familiar. The words are as follows:

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free,
Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain’d
To bow and to bend we will not be asham’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.*

 I admire their dedication to their beliefs and love and care for each other and marvel at how this group of people lived and embodied simplicity, love, equality and community.  We can learn from this group of Christian gentlepeople who practiced the words of Jeremiah 9:24. I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness on the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. 

The words of Simple Gifts shared the Shaker’s “delight” in serving the Lord and Jeremiah shared how living with love, justice and righteousness delights the Lord. This is once again a clear message of God’s unconditional love for all of us!

Patty

*Simple Gifts, author Joseph Brackett