United Benefice of Thornhill & Whitley Lower

Serving our local communities

• WELCOME
• WEEKLY NOTICES
• Calendar
• NEWS &EVENTS
• CHILDREN &FAMILIES
• Christenings, Weddings and Funerals
• GIVING
• MUSIC
• Church ACTIVITIES
• Focus Groups and committees
• WHITLEY LOWER CHURCH
• CHURCHYARD
• HISTORY &FAMILY HISTORY
• Safeguarding and Privacy Notice
• GET IN TOUCH
• Find Us
• Useful Links

Archived - Lindsay's final sermon at Thornhill May

 

Easter 5. 10^th May 2009 Farewell sermon at Thornhill

Where do you start on a day like this, at such a time as this, on such an occasion as this. Will I get through this sermon, this day, without a tear or two, or three or four!?

Today’s reading focus our attention very much (as they always do in this Easter season) on how we’re supposed to live our lives as Christians.

We may like to think that those first followers of Jesus had it much easier than we do today – that belief and faith were so much easier to accept and live by. But I want to say that it wasn’t – it was just as complicated as the struggle we have in our day. From the gospel stories we know that they had their questions, their doubts, their fears, as well as those moments of being absolutely convinced of the truth of Jesus and the reality of God’s loving presence. Just like us today they struggled with faith and belief.

Our first reading from Acts tells us the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch and how Philip was enabled by the Holy Spirit to go and speak to him about the truth of Jesus as he understood it. And the reality is that this Ethiopian was the first foreigner to believe and it is thought that the church in Ethiopia traces its beginnings back to the moment when the eunuch returned to tell his story of how the Lord came to him and changed his life and he became a follower of Jesus. And as he goes on his way Philip moves on to a new project of proclaiming the good news.

The second reading from the first letter of John speaks of the powerful and limitless love of God – and invites those who hear his words to express that same love in their lives – not just love towards God but love towards one another because it follows that those who love God must love their brothers and sisters in the faith also. We love, says St John, because God first loved us. I’m sure those who followed Jesus in those early days will have questioned John about this – in their own minds if not personally to him. Yes, we can see what you’re getting at and it would be lovely to do that – love one another – and I can do it, but what about that person there who hurt me so long ago, or that other person who ignored me, or spoke in a less than helpful way when I needed encouragement or acceptance. I can love anyone else, but don’t ask me to love them. That’s impossible. But John’s words burn a hole in our hearts – love he said was the command of Jesus and to do anything less would be a failure to do as Jesus commands.

In the Gospel, John writes of Jesus speaking to his disciples – it’s not to the wider world or to lots of people that Jesus is speaking it’s to that little band of followers gathered with Jesus to share the bread and wine of the Passover.

Jesus paints a picture of a gardening project – in it he is the vine, the plant that is growing day by day and from it the branches grow and flourish. If he is the vine then he says we are the branches –and we are the ones spreading out and developing to grow fruit. Be careful he says because if you’re not bearing fruit then there could be trouble ahead. Just as a branch is a part of the life of the plant so are we a part of the life of Jesus. We live and grow in him and as we do so then it is that we bear much fruit. I used to think that bearing fruit was about bringing others to know and follow Jesus too – but I think it really means that as we practice being a part of him then we will bear the good fruit that he talks of in Matthews Gospel and that St Paul speaks of when he talks of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control which are all fruits of the Spirit. These will be things which grow in us if we are a part of Jesus the True Vine.

If nothing else then, that is the live style that all those who are followers of Jesus should be striving for today. Living out that life of being a part of Jesus is what we are called to do as his followers – there’s no other way to live the Christian life.

Today, looking back over these past 12 years both churches have seen much change – significant change. The buildings (definitely) have altered, our confidence (I hope) has grown, our commitment (I hope) has developed, and our faith (I hope) has grown stronger.

I now stand today and look out over your faces and I also see the faces of those who have shared the journey with us but who now travel on a different pilgrimage in the closer presence of God – and you who have longer memories of these churches than I do will also remember many, many others who over many years have shared the faith and life of both Whitley and Thornhill and are now in God’s presence taking with them the fruit of their Christian pilgrimage lived out in their lives and experienced in their faith.

I hope that as we have travelled together through what is a very insignificant period when you remember how old our churches are – I hope that we have been able to grow in faith, commitment and confidence and that we will continue to do so as we walk into the coming days of what will be for all of us a new way of life. In this new way of life Jesus calls us to abide in him – to be conscious of him in our daily lives, to be aware of his presence and to be faithful, and as he says in doing so we may become his disciples.

So today in our goodbyes, I want to say how grateful I am that these past years have been a rich experience of good friends and good times. Yes, there have also been challenging times and sad times as well – times that we wished with all our hearts had not happened but yet through them all I have been conscious of your friendship and love as you have held me in those difficult moments and I’m grateful for the moments when you have allowed me to hold you too.

I want to end by leaving you with a text – not from the Bible but words of Dag Hammarskjold who was sometime Secretary General of the United Nations. In his diary found shortly after his death were written these words: For all that has been – thanks! To all that shall be – yes!

For all that by the grace of God we have achieved together, and for all your friendship and all that you have taught me, for all that has been – thanks! And to all that lies ahead both for me and for you – yes!

And now to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

be ascribed as is most justly due,

all might, majesty, dominion and power,

now and for ever. Amen.