Sunday Sermon - 28 September
I started thinking about having this Volunteer Appreciation Sunday very soon after I started here last September and here’s why.
I think it is fair to say that St. John’s has been through quite a bit over the past few years, arguably much longer than that, and somehow and some way this place has persevered.
Let me put this into perspective. Anglican priests, on average, generally stay at a parish for 7 - 10 years. St John’s has had 7 priests since 2005 (I went through our Vestry Book), not including the Coverage or Supply Clergy because there were too many of those to count.
I am well aware that many of you already know this fact and you’re probably saying to yourselves “Why is he telling us this?” I’m telling you this because churches that have had that many priests in what is a relatively short period of time experience great instability and, especially these days, have issues with survivability.
But not St John’s
Why? Because of all of you.
So this is our first expression of gratitude and appreciation today - could I ask everyone who has been a member of St. Johns since 2005 (or earlier) to please stand.
Now, you might not remember this but I was here a fair bit in late 2005 and early 2006 after my friend and colleague Peter Bishop passed away. I was one of those many priests who came in and covered services. I even recall celebrating an 11pm Christmas Eve Mass when I thought no one would show up because you already had 190 at the 4pm service (David Peasgood did that one - clearly, he was a bigger draw!). I was wrong, 120 people came to that 11pm Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. When I was here (I supply-covered about 6 or 7 services) I could feel the strength and resilient spirit of the people in this parish in the midst of that tragedy.
The reason I’m asking you to stand is, as today is a service of gratitude, we thank you. You are the people who kept the flame, the spirit of this place, alive during some really sad and then tough times in late 2005 and 2006 and ever since. Now, those of us who followed and joined this parish later, are grateful to you for holding together the foundation upon which these last 20 years stood and that we will continue to build upon. So, on behalf of us who have since come to join this parish, we thank you.
A lot has changed over these past twenty years - at St. Johns, in our Anglican Diocese, our National Church, in this community and in the world. But the one thing that has stayed the same, remained consistent and strong, has been the ministry of the members and friends of this church, internally serving one another and externally, serving the community and even globally, caring for the world.
To those who are here who volunteer for the Food Bank or have worked at Northcote Farm to provide fresh food to the food bank - please stand.
To those who are here who Quilt for Cancer or have made Prayer Shawls - please stand.
To those who are here who are members and serve this Church; Sidespeople, Musicians, ACW members, Coffee Reception Hosts, Chancel Guild, Advisory Board members, Collection Counters, Liturgy Leaders, Readers, Wardens, Communications Coordinators, Gardeners and Grasscutters, Pastoral Caregivers - have I missed anyone? - please stand.
If you are not yet standing (even if this is your first time in this church), I invite you too to stand, as you are here today and your presence matters deeply to us all and you deserve to be thanked for coming today.
I have you all standing as a visible sign that it takes all of you to live the life and purpose of this church in the community. So… give yourselves and each other a pat on the back. This is our mutual expression of gratitude for the gifts that we all share with each other to make God’s love alive here at St. John’s and out there in our world. Thank you and thank each other for being a part of this wonderful and vibrant community.
Please be seated.
Now, you might think I’m cheesy and that this is all nice but a tad superficial or maybe it’s just a way to fill a sermon on a Sunday but if you think that, you are way off base. This matters. Your service and commitment - whether you are members of this church or not - your gift of giving your time and resources to and through this place really, really, matters. And not just existentially, not just to keep this building afloat. Not just because there are people out there that need food, or warm quilts and shawls. This matters, today’s acknowledgement and expression of gratitude for the work that you all do matters, because you, individually and collectively, are God’s sign of hope; in this church, for one another, and especially for those in our community who may be in dire straits and need to see and feel some measure of hope in their lives. You are that for them. You are their hope.
In today’s reading - so fitting for this Volunteer Appreciation Service, and as we also acknowledge the call to Truth and Reconciliation today - we hear Jeremiah buying land in the middle of war and despair. His purchase is an act of defiant hope, a sign that God’s love will not abandon us but promises restoration even in the darkest times. This is the same hope we celebrate in our volunteers, all of you who embody God’s promise through your service, and it is the same hope that sustains us as we continue the work of restoring and reconciling relationships with Indigenous peoples.
And Paul’s letter to Timothy is a reminder that true wealth is not material, but found in generosity and good works. Your acts of service, volunteering, live this out: for you are all “rich in good deeds.” Your service is the living expression of God’s love and in so doing you yourself find joy in giving, in community, and in helping others.
Last, and most importantly, Luke’s parable confirms for us how much it matters to truly see those who may be invisible or ignored by the rest of the world. The rich man failed to see Lazarus as he was blinded by his earthly good fortune and it was easy to ignore the poor or the different as unseeable. But you aren’t that; you see Lazarus in the person who comes in need to the Food Bank. You see Lazarus in the afflicted person who is comforted by the warmth of a quilt or prayer shawl. You see Lazarus in the neighbour who needs a prayer, a visit, a word of encouragement or maybe just a comforting hug of support. You see Lazarus in the eyes of the suffering children of residential schools. You notice and as a result, I, we, notice you and your care for others - and that is why we appreciate you today.
Volunteers, those who serve this place and this community make sure that no-one is invisible at the lodge’s gate. Everyone feels God’s love through your care and concern.
You all, everyone sitting in this church today, are Jeremiah’s sign of hope, Paul’s living vision of “richness in good works” and the ones who see and serve the many Lazaruses in our world. For that I, as your priest, pastor and friend, thank you. It is both my privilege and honour to serve you in return.
Today, I thank God for you all. For ensuring that the foundation of this church stays strong so that it may continue to live and love the world for many, many, years to come.
Let us pray.
Loving God, we give you thanks for all who serve in this parish and in our community. Through quiet acts of worship, faithful stewardship, and ministries of compassion—feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, offering warmth and prayer—your love is made visible.
Bless this parish with joy in their service, and guide us all to walk the path of justice, truth, and reconciliation, that together we may be signs of hope and healing in Christ’s name, for you and for this we give thanks.
Amen.