Remember, O Israel, that I, the Lord, redeemed you from physical slavery, gave you a land in which to prosper, and have been your sustainer in all your undertakings. Remember, O Church of St. Michael & St. George, that I, the Lord, have redeemed you from spiritual slavery, have given you a church in which to prosper, and have sustained you throughout your history. Therefore, what I require of you is to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8).
The remembrance of our church’s history encourages us on our journey. Remembering is not about nostalgia; it has a spiritual purpose.
Our Church Is a Place of Rejoicing
Because of God’s steadfast love for us throughout our church’s history, we have many reasons to rejoice. The Apostle Paul constantly encouraged the first Christians to rejoice, even though they often lived in difficult circumstances:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4–7)
The Psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps 118:24). Let us find encouragement in the knowledge that this is the church the Lord Jesus has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Remembering our history gives us ample reason to rejoice in the Lord always. Our present was once our antecedents’ future; we, like they, have a future—a future that warrants our present rejoicing.
Our Church Is a Place of Rebirth
The rector observed at the May 2003 vestry meeting that “we cannot remain focused on what used to work but must move forward. Rebirth is not an exercise in nostalgia. The parish must continue to seek identity, vision, strategy, experimental action, and reflection.” We must continually be seeking to know what we are uniquely gifted by God to be and do at each point in time. What God has gifted us to be and do is what God is calling us to be and do. If we are to be all that we can be—to be all that we are called to be—we must be willing to move beyond our comfort zones, to move beyond what our finite minds think is possible, and to engage in experimental action.
Simon Peter, a fisherman by trade, had been fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee and had caught nothing. Jesus said, “Simon, put out into the deep water and put down your nets for a catch.” Simon called on his experience, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. I’m tired. I’ve had plenty of experience in the fishing business, and you haven’t. You know carpentry, but I know fishing. Trust me—what you are asking me to do will result in no gain. All it will do is make me more tired.” But then Simon decided to trust Jesus rather than his own experience and said, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” And lo and behold, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break (see Luke 5:1–11). Simon Peter and his fishing partners, James and John, followed Jesus and became fishers of people.
Our nets have broken here for 108 years; they will break in future years if we continue to trust Jesus rather than ourselves. When we take “experimental action” trusting Jesus, rebirth and renewal will occur and produce catches we cannot imagine.
We are living in a difficult time. So did our fellow parishioners of earlier years. They overcame difficulty with a radical faith and with perseverance. They are a source of encouragement for us today. As we follow their example, we will be a source of encouragement for future generations of parishioners. That is something to be thankful for as we approach Thanksgiving Day.
Now thank we all our God,
With heart, and hands, and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom his earth rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.
Oh, may our bounteous God
Through all our life be near us!
With ever-joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.
Words: Martin Rinkhart, 1586–1649
Tr.: Catherine Winkworth, 1829–1878, alt.
