When visiting Copley Square in Boston’s Back Bay, you can’t miss Trinity Church, considered one of the most impressive buildings in America. On the Boylston Street side of the church is a statue of Phillips Brooks, one of the most respected ministers of his day. He was born in Boston in 1835 of a long line of Puritan ancestors and was named for him by Dr. John Phillips, the founder of Phillips Academy in Andover.
His parents were devout Episcopalians who started and finished each day. with family prayers and Bible readings, placing special emphasis on the memorization of hymns. His Pastor/Rector, Doctor Vinton was a major influence in Phillips’ life, one he often turned to for advice.
Brooks attended the Boston Latin School, where he later taught briefly. It was here that he began writing poetry and essays, contributing to the school newspaper. From there he attended Harvard. A popular student, he was elected to the Hasty Pudding Club and Phi Beta Kappa. He read well beyond the courses prescribed for him. The president of Harvard encouraged him to enter the ministry. Brooks was firmly rooted in his faith and entered Virginia Theological Seminary, where he was surprised to discover that many of the seminarians owned slaves. These were the days filled with conflict that led to the Civil War. Brooks began teaching slaves to read and write, and later championed the right to vote for African Americans.
After ordination, Brooks briefly remained at the seminary as an instructor, but found his true gift in preaching. An Episcopal church in Philadelphia asked her to minister to him. These were the days when sermons appeared in the paper and publicity made attendance skyrocket. Brooks was a powerful preacher. He explained his success in the pulpit by saying, “Take a good subject seriously. Treat him seriously without preaching and kindly without frivolity.” He was known for his quick, breathless delivery and his calm sense of urgency. He said, “I preach the gospel, nothing else.” Brooks was known to lay out his main idea and then develop it with frankness and simplicity. He strove to relate Christianity to everyday life. He said, “I am a preacher to the end.”
He continued his strong views on slavery by helping John Brown and as an ardent supporter of Abraham Lincoln, whom he met. . He wrote: “War is inevitable, so let it come.” He seriously considered serving as chaplain for the Army of the Potomac, but influential members of his church dissuaded the military from offering him a commission. This did not prevent him from giving patriotic speeches or ministering to the victims of Gettysburg, both North and South. When Lincoln was assassinated, Brooks was part of an honor guard to receive the president’s body at Independence Hall and delivered a moving memorial address that was widely published.
He was much in demand as a speaker, and soon other churches clamored for him to serve as their pastor. When his close mentor, Dr. Vinton, retired, his church (also in Philadelphia) urged Brooks to replace him. With the bishop’s approval of him, Brooks resigned and took over the larger church. He was quickly becoming one of the most well-known citizens of Philadelphia. Under his leadership, the church began Bible studies, a series of lectures, and work among the city’s poor.
On an eventful visit to the Holy Land, Brooks visited Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, on horseback with a few friends. They rode through the dark streets of the town and entered the nearby grazing area. fields. Inspired by the moment, Brooks took his pen from him and wrote the hymn that has become the beloved Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The music came later, composed by his church organist Lewis Redner, who said he awoke from his dream with the melody whispering in his ear.
Brooks received a call from Trinity Church in Boston to serve as pastor. , a return to his hometown, and close to his parents. The church was an offshoot of the former Anglican King’s Chapel on Tremont Street. Brooks’ success in the new parish was immediate. The people felt that his concerns were at the top of his pastor’s mind, and they were. His door was always open for people.
The congregation wanted to expand and purchased property in the Back Bay to build a new sanctuary. What “sealed the deal” It was a devastating fire that destroyed the old church and the surrounding neighborhood. Brooks entered the burning building and sat sadly in the back as the fire slowly burned through the structure. The congregation rented space at MIT while their new church was being built. The new Trinity Church was a marvel of Romanesque architecture.
Brooks never married; a young woman who could have become his wife died suddenly of illness. She admitted her loneliness and the desire to have a family, but it was not to be.
He traveled abroad a lot and knew most of the famous people of his time. Queen Victoria invited him to dinner and to preach in her chapel at Winsor Castle. He became a close friend of the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. He befriended Helen Keller and led her to faith in Christ.
Long before the term “tutoring” Brooks was known to spend considerable time with students preparing for ministry. His informal conversations with them influenced the raising of the next generation of pastors. He also delivered popular annual lectures on preaching at Harvard Divinity School. He challenged the students: “Don’t pray for easy lives. Let us pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks!” “Bear the faults of others as you would like them to bear yours.”
A defender of orthodoxy, Brooks pointed out how skepticism invariably ends in despair and hopelessness. He warned that if we are guided by mere opinions instead of convictions, we will change our creed every week.
In a time of sectarian differences, Phillips Brooks was known for his ecumenical spirit and his popularity spread across various denominations. He was invited to preach at the Dwight L. Moody evangelistic meetings. His denomination recognized his gifts and elected him Bishop of Massachusetts. He became known as “the people’s bishop.” All of Boston considered him his spiritual father.
Brooks declared that his supreme duty as a minister was to allow God’s truth to manifest through his own life and soul. He said that “No man can do much for another if he is not much himself. It is fire that lights fire.”
A modest man, he warned seminarians: “Never allow yourself to feel equal to your work.” Compliments embarrassed him. A quick and impatient man, he admitted: “My problem is that I am in a hurry, but God is not.” His relentless pace and his grueling schedule took their toll on his stamina. In the winter of 1893 he fell ill (probably pneumonia) and died at the age of 58. The city of Boston sponsored a civic memorial service, and for his funeral at Trinity Church, tens of thousands filled Copley Square. He was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery near his parents. His influence lives on.
Now let us sing Brooks’ Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”