Farewell Sermon
March 16, 2014
“Through the Church the Song Goes On”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
God’s beloved children of Christ, Clinton and Zion, Chestnut; for over 8 ½ years I have had the privilege of proclaiming Christ in this pulpit to his beloved children. During that time you entrusted me with the care of your families here at Christ/Zion…visiting the sick and those who are homebound… rejoicing at the birth of your children and watching them grow up, baptizing 26 children and adults, confirming 28, and marrying 11 couples. What a joy each of those events has been. I have also hurt with you and mourned with you during hospitalizations, chemo therapy, and death. And as we mourned together…gave thanks to God for calling 26 saints home to heaven. What an honor it has been to serve our Lord in this place.
During that same time you shared the love of Christ with me. Kenton, Hubert, and sainted Jean came out to Fort Wayne on the night I received my call to be your Pastor. Hubert and Jean would also attend my wedding. You welcomed not only me…but Alicia, our parents, and Aaron with open arms. You celebrated our wedding with a reception and joyfully celebrated the announcement of a child to be born. You rejoiced with us as Aaron was washed in the Holy Waters of Baptism. You have prayed for me and my family. Thank you for your love and support. You may never know how much I truly give thanks for you.
One thing has remained the same these past 8 ½ years…God’s love for you. That has not and will not change. Right now we do have a change. The Lord has called me to a new place to proclaim His Word. Here there will be changes as well…as you seek God’s will and call a new Pastor. This may not be what you wanted. This may discourage you or cause you to have doubts. Many will wonder what the future will bring. The unknown scares us. We come up with all kinds of “what if” questions. What if we did this…what if we did that…? Certainly there are things we could have done…and should have done these past years. We are not without sin! We never do enough! We don’t pray enough. We don’t give enough. We don’t share enough. We can always do better…and should do better. This includes me too! For I know there are times when I came up short to your expectations…when I didn’t give all that I should have. So what do we do?
We do…what we have done these past 8 ½ years…we gather in this place. We confess our sins. We hear our Lord and receive His forgiveness. We listen and hear God’s Word and the faithful proclamation of that Word. We come to this altar and eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood for forgiveness and strength. We leave this place strengthened, forgiven, and loved.
On that note…A hope I have for your future. As you remain faithful to God and His Word…seek His gifts. What I mean is this. Our Lord has given you the wonderful gift of His very body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins and to give you strength to overcome sinfulness and this sinful world. Yet this morning…where are those gifts? Dearly beloved: I am a poor miserable sinner. I need God’s forgiveness. I need the assurance and life giving and sin forgiving nourishment that is Jesus body and blood. I need that as often as I can get it! While I may no longer by your Pastor…I want for you to have the desire for the Lord’s Supper weekly. I want for you to understand that God has given you His best in this supper. I didn’t want you to adopt weekly communion for my benefit…or because that’s what they do in Chicago or anywhere else…I want you to have weekly communion for your benefit!
The truth is that this is not MY church. This is not YOUR church. This is God’s Church. And God has many things to say about His Church…whom he lovingly calls His bride. We are told as a Church to: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:12-17)
That is our calling as members of His Church. That is our calling no matter who sits in the pews around us or who stands in the pulpit in front of you. God has called each of you by name and given each of you, as members of the body of Christ, a wonderful, humbling, task to share His love.
But as good Lutherans…we don’t like change. We get comfortable. Sometimes we get lazy. We fear the worst. God has something to say about that as well; a beautiful reminder that we need to hear as we fear for our congregation and the Church throughout the world. God’s Word reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:1-3, 11 ESV)
If that were not enough Jesus proclaims: “And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18) That rock…the rock on which God’s Church is built is the confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
What a promise our Lord has for you the people of Christ/Zion. On the confession that Jesus is the Christ…is the promise that the Church shall prevail…it shall prevail even against the gates of hell. God loves you! He loves His Church! And nothing will destroy it.
It has been a wonderful 8 ½ years. Yes, it has had ups and downs. There has been heartache and joy. There will be change. But God’s promise to you does not change. God is Lord of His Church and promises to stand guard and watch over it. Do not fear what tomorrow will bring…for our Lord is ever present and protecting His children.
May God continue to grant you all His marvelous blessings…as He has promised. I love you. I will miss you. I give thanks for you. And if I do not have the privilege of seeing you before…I thank God that I will see you in heaven. May the song; the proclamation of God's Word continue to "go on" in this place. Godspeed. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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