Message from Judy Thompson
Message from Judy Thompson
Next week's sermon is titled “Going to Visit the Relatives” by our Pastor Ken Radant. The scripture he has chosen is from Corinthians 1:1-9 using the NLT version.
As I read and pondered on these verses, I saw the words, “To you who have been called by God to be his own holy people and the gracious gifts he has given you now that you belong to Christ Jesus”. I wondered how the title of this sermon would fit.
We had an amazing 100th Anniversary event a week ago. We had guests, friends, and neighbours come to help us celebrate. The sanctuary was full and almost overflowing with people, the BBQ was set up for easy access, and children were playing on the grassy field. God blessed us with a sunny day, which was supposed to be cooler and overcast. We all felt blessed that God answered our prayers.
It was indeed a joyous time of fellowship and remembrance. In a sense the many people who came were coming back to visit the church, to see old friends, to enjoy each other, maybe renew lost friendships. Going to visit the relatives reminded me that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. How will we engage people at these events? Both Thanksgiving and Christmas have fond memories, but there are also unhappy memories of family division, do we invite the Uncle who is always grumpy? What about Auntie who dresses funny and tells bad jokes? What about our favorite Grandmother who won’t come because she had a fight with her sister? What about Francis who won’t forgive her mother?
Whether it is family issues or Church issues in my mind it all relates to forgiveness. Yes, some people didn’t come to the 100th Anniversary because they felt upset in some way. Some didn’t come because they didn’t have a way to get here. At some point, we need to forgive each other. Yes, it is hard to go to someone and either ask for forgiveness or to give forgiveness.
When I was younger my parents divorced. I was 9 years old, but I understood that they fought a lot. My father was in the Navy and, after the divorce, was in Japan for a few years. He wasn’t good at communicating long distance. He was introverted, and the “out of sight out of mind” person. My sisters and I only saw him once a year during the summer. It was a good time while we were there. He remarried and his wife would write us occasionally, with one or two sentences from our dad at the end of the letter. Needless to say, we really didn’t know our father.
Many years later I attended a Vineyard Conference in Calgary called the Father's Heart. I came away from that conference a different person. God was my Abba Daddy. I wrote a letter to my father sharing my concerns about our relationship. His letter back to me left me in tears. He didn’t acknowledge my heart and his lack of contact. But at that point I forgave him, I felt God asked me to. Truly, I couldn’t change him, that was up to God. But it did change me when I forgave him. The burden I carried for years was lifted, and my life changed. A recent quote I saw said; “When a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive”. This was true for me.
Either asking for forgiveness or giving forgiveness is a powerful gift from God. Lives change as mine did. How many times do we forgive? Is it as many as seven times? Jesus tells us, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”. Even, if we forgive and the other person doesn’t acknowledge it, we will change and grow more in the Lord.
Let us acknowledge that we have hurt people and ask for forgiveness, then see what God will do amongst us.