Church and Politics
Good morning everyone.
It’s great to be here at St. Paul’s this morning with you all to share in fellowship and faith. Everytime I’ve stepped through these doors, you feel welcome and get a real sense of a strong congregation.
I was not surprised that when I drove by along Main Street to see the billboard, there was a picnic after the service.
I’ve never left these grounds without eating and leaving full!
The invitation is very kind of you in giving me the honour of guest speaker this morning to deliver your 159th anniversary message.
I do a lot of public speaking for a living naturally.
Meetings. Community Events. Weddings. Funerals. Even Cemetery services. And a few church sermons and messages.
When my friend Rev. Bruce gave the invitation a few months ago, I’m going to guess he was a bit nervous inviting a politician to the pulpit.
So I’m sure his jaw dropped and he started sweating a little bit when I gave him the title of my anniversary message entitled “Church and Politics”.
Despite that dangerous title, I know better.
No politics. No ideology or anything like that.
Hearing a weekly sermon here in this sanctuary provides you a chance to hear a message of faith, to reflect, and to maybe put things in perspective sometime.
A lot of sermons and messages have delivered to Winchester area Presbyterians on Sundays. If you did the math over the years, over 8,000 sermons. Many from this pulpit.
So I was naturally a bit nervous thinking, what message or experience can I share with you this morning that hasn’t already been said in 159 years?
I’ve actually come to really enjoy the process of preparing for a sermon in the few times I’ve done it. It gives me a chance to step back, brainstorm, reflect, think, and analyze what I’m doing and seeing in my life- as a Mayor, and as a young Canadian looking out at the world.
I was thinking about what common similar theme we see in our government and in the expressions of our faith both.
Then it hit me.
In our lives, in our government, in our church, in our work, with our family.
What is one thing we have difficulty dealing with, controlling, and accepting sometimes?
Change.
We can all think of examples in our lives at home, at work, with family that we want to change, but are having trouble doing.
For every example of that, we struggle on the other scale where we just want things to stay the same. Keep the tradition.
Sometimes we’re encouraging it and sometimes we’re trying to avoid it.
The bottom line is change is very difficult. Whether it's changing a habit or attitude or job or city - change is always a challenge, and change is even more difficult when it's imposed on us suddenly or without our approval.
For example, change in health, or change in a relationship because of death or divorce. There is always an element of pain in change - even when the change is for good. Like when a new and better job in a new city means leaving friends and familiar places behind, and this is painful. It's for this reason people naturally avoid or put off change because they want to avoid the pain that usually accompanies change.
Of course we know that not all change is good. There are many changes in life that are both painful and sad because the change that takes place is for the worse, not better. And then there are changes that change nothing like people changing careers only to find out that their new jobs don't make them any happier than their old ones or couples divorce thinking that this change will solve their problems and they find out that the divorce only brings them new problems to solve.
But my lesson is not about these kinds of changes. My lesson is about the challenges that positive changes create and how we can meet and overcome them.
My message of faith this morning is to remind us to have faith and hold it close.
Whether it be faith in ourselves as a community, faith in yourself as a congregation and a church.
Individually and collectively.
And faith that God is watching over, guiding you through change, however tough or turbulent that may be.
Now the Bible is filled with stories of people who had to experience the pain associated with change in order to receive the blessings that positive change brought into their lives.
The story of Abraham is a fitting example.
1 Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
Note the change that Abraham had to make. Leave his country and go live in a foreign land that he didn't know. Look at the pain involved in this change.
• The fear of living in a different culture, language, traditions.
• The pain of leaving his relatives, his home, his friends behind for good.
• The risk of leaving the security of his home for the unknown place God was sending him to.
Look at the blessings associated with this change.
• His name and family would be great.
• God would give him many descendants.
• The world would be blessed through him.
Abraham considered the change and examined the pain and decided that the blessings were worth it. Today, Abraham is called the father of all those who have faith.
What a blessing to be remembered in such a way.
I think the best example of handling and adapting to change was the virgin Mary in the Bible.
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36
And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Now there’s a woman who had to accept a lot of change and a lot of pressure.
Now, I thought I had stress when unannounced visitors to the house. Then I remember the story of Mary.
Her grace, her acceptance to do what’s needed, and put her fate in God’s hand and his plan, that is a shining light for us all.
On anniversary Sunday, we can use the past congregations of St. Paul’s as examples. They have faced the pressures of change and evolution before.
From the humble beginnings when the Presbyterians in the Winchester area began holding services in a log school house and later in a barn to “The White Church” just down Main Street.
“The White Church” was sold in 1894 and while the new church was being built the congregation worshipped in the Baptist Church. St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church was dedicated on June 2nd, 1895.
Today, on this Anniversary Sunday, we can look after at those who came before us, who built St. Pauls literally from the log cabin to the barn to the ground up.
There’s been a lot of change. Some welcomed. Some not.
Back in 1895, they had challenges.
Health care. No such thing.
No Cars. No electricity. No easy access to university or college.
Lots of poverty. And life expectancy nowhere near where it is today.
But there was a lot of opportunity as well.
No terrorism and little fear of the world at times.
Nor Computers.
Cell phones. Smart phones.
The Internet.
No Facebook or Twittering.
There wasn’t hockey practice on Sunday morning and you didn’t have to work after chores were done in the barn.
You couldn’t just hop in the car and head to the South Keys for shopping and movie.
You stayed around home and went to church and spent time with family.
In my case growing up, we went to my Grandma Lila’s. Every Sunday for potluck lunch. All 9 of her children, and then all us cousins.
If the cribbage games weren’t done by 4, and there was food left, we stayed for supper.
From the founding days of St. Paul’s to today, a lot has happened and a lot has changed.
The congregation has always had to deal with change whether they wanted to or not.
Perhaps today though, more than ever before, churches and our communities of faith are experiencing a lot of change. Some good, and some challenging to say the least.
My message here this morning is not one of fear or gloom.
But the complete opposite.
Today, Canadians are interpreting their faith and their expressions of faith and their belief in God more diversely than ever before.
That presents a big challenge and some changes for churches and all of communities regardless of denomination.
But like in politics, sometimes we miss the forest for the trees.
Each and every day outside the walls of St. Paul’s, your influence and values are being transmitted and shown to thousands of people.
The values of family. Compassion for community and people. To love one another and work together to make a difference in the lives of those who need a hand.
As I look out from this pulpit this morning. I see a lot of familiar faces. That I often see here at St. Paul’s, but also throughout the community.
At the hospital. At community events. Helping out friends and strangers in need. Spreading the word about God’s word- through actions and examples each and every day.
If I could leave you with a note of comfort and perspective, it would be this.
Despite all these types of changes, one constant remains the same for the first congregration back then and the one here today.
The reliance on the value of scripture for guidance, and for the guidance of God in the decisions and challenges being made.
And the Bible does talk about the Lord’s efforts to deal with change.
Jeremiah Chapter 29, Verse 11 says:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Fitting words for change. Fitting words when times are tough.
And I think that Hebrews Chapter 13, verse 8 sums it all up well today where it says:
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
No matter what changes in your life or in the church, however good or challenging, the fundamentals don’t change.
Rely on each other. Rely on your family. And rely on your faith.
What changes and challenges do you need to reflect here at St. Pauls- and in your own life?
What perspective can you brighten up, and look at the glass half full?
Believe in your faith as your bedrock and in each other.
St. Paul’s has a storied history. Some things have changed. Naturally, the demographics and the membership of the church have evolved over a century and a half.
The church and those who fill it have dealt with change for a long time- and it is still here today standing strong. And it will be for a very long time to come because of the efforts and the message that each and every one of you take from here and use it in your own lives.
To show others by actions in our lives the other six and a half days of the week. That you believe in your faith and in your values.
159 years and thousands and thousands of people that have flowed through these doors, went out and made Winchester, made our country, and our world a better place sharing and spreading the messages heard here.
In Church and in politics both, we need to remember that. Putting these messages into action in all aspects of our lives.
The reason I dangerously entitled my message this morning “Church and Politics” is to say that our politics today can learn a lot from our churches and communities of faith.
I see it everyday.
Not just in political figures. But those who engage in debate.
Those who know me, I use a line very often “Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference.”
Our politics today can be nasty. It can be personal and petty. It can be scary.
But why? The way we discuss and accept change- or frankly don’t accept change- is not pretty sometimes.
We judge people not policy.
We focus on the minute detail that doesn’t even matter at the end of the day instead of what’s important.
We could learn a lot from the way from folks like you.
And to remember the basics: keep you values and principles firm. Have an unwavering devotion to God and his belief to be caring, loving, and accepting.
Treat each with respect, be optimistic in life, and have compassion for those who truly need it.
And we’d be better off, remembering that again, at the end of the day and the end of any decision that’s made….all that matters is that line of scripture in the Bible:
It’s like the more things change, the more they stay in the same. The basics and the fundamentals are still there:
Jesus Christ is still the same yesterday and today and forever no matter what happens.
St. Paul’s stands today as a shining light in our community for accepting the changes put it before it over many, many decades.
You can take pride in where you’ve come. And for serving as a example, not just in this lesson or theme of change, but in so, so many regards.
Happy Anniversary. I can’t wait to come back and serve as the guest speaker and Mayor when the church doubles in age and celebrates that anniversary in 159 years.
That’s being really optimistic with change. Perhaps too much…