Sermon

Well, my friends, this special day has finally come – the Fiftieth Anniversary celebration for Westwood Presbyterian Church. For three long years, we have been preparing for this day. We have undergone a major pledge campaign, securing a loan to refurbish and beautify our property and grounds. We have spent over $100,000 to this end – doing everything from painting to laying new carpet, from building new cabinets in the fellowship hall to purchasing new furniture throughout the building. We’ve had our pictures taken for a new pictorial directory. We’ve published a new cookbook. We’ve put together a beautiful 50^th Anniversary quilt. And later this year, we will be hosting the November meeting of the Presbytery of the Miami Valley. And to all of this, in light of all of this work, all of this time and money spent, one simply has to ask “Why?” Why have we gone to all of this trouble? Why are we here today?

After all, fifty is just a number. Yes, this congregation has been in existence for fifty years, and that’s a nice, round number. But . . . so what? Why so much effort over what, in the end, is really an artificial celebration? And indeed, even as I ask these questions, I hear you answering in your heads: “Because 50 years is a big deal!” And you’re absolutely right – 50 years is a big deal! It’s a monumental achievement! For it’s not the number that we celebrate today, but rather what that number represents. Today we celebrate 50 years of faithfulness, 50 years of ministry, 50 years of nurture, growth and blessing. Today we celebrate 50 years of love, joy and service. Today we give thanks for 50 years of Sunday School lessons, youth group outings and Vacation Bible School; 50 years of circle meetings and men’s Bible Studies; 50 years of weddings, funerals and baptisms; 50 years of friendships, prayers and fellowship; 50 years of outreach and missions; 50 years of making a difference in this community, 50 years of changing lives in Jesus’ Name. And that’s something that should be celebrated today, something that deserves to be recognized and marked as special. We should be here today in worship. It’s the right thing to do.

But of course, today, as we celebrate those 50 years, in reality, we do not celebrate ourselves. We’re not celebrating 50 years of our faithfulness or nurture or blessing. No, we’re celebrating 50 years of God’s faithfulness, God’s nurture and God’s blessing. For we recognize that, but for the work of God here in this congregation, here among us, we would not be here. Indeed, it is the Lord who called this congregation into being. It is the Lord who blessed it with His own presence. It is the Lord who drew people into our fold, the Lord who changed hearts through His Word and the power of His Holy Spirit, and the Lord who used the members of this congregation to reach out into the city of Hamilton, and indeed into the world, in His Name. When we come together today to celebrate, we celebrate the work of God here, my friends – His faithfulness, His nurture, His work of salvation through this congregation. It’s not about us – it’s about our faithful, loving God, who has been our help in ages past and is our hope for years to come!

And as we celebrate this, friends, as we lift our voices in praise and worship to our faithful God, we join with the saints of old, who for centuries have done the same. With Moses, we also say “Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God!” (Psalm 90:1-2, NIV). And with the sons of Korah, we recognize that it is better to have only one day in God’s courts, only one day in God’s own presence, worshipping Him, than to have a thousand elsewhere. “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10, NIV). And that’s because the Lord God “is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11, NIV). With the saints of old, we express our awe at our great God, who is God from everlasting to everlasting. And we give our thanks for the goodness of our God, who showers us with His blessings and enables us to trust in Him. We join in a great tradition here, in the heritage of faith. As we look to our past, we recognize that we are who we are because of Who God Is.

And of course, that gives us hope. For if God has been so faithful to us in the past, my friends, if He has carried us through times of trial and trouble, if He has raised up teachers and helpers for us, if He has showered us with His love, His joy and His peace, then of course, we have hope for the future. For the God who has been our help in ages past will most certainly be our hope for years to come. The God who raised up pastors, elders, deacons, teachers and helpers will most certainly do the same in the time ahead. The God who blessed this congregation with His Word and Spirit, with His guidance and wisdom, with His encouragement and blessing, will most certainly continue in these blessings for those who will come after us. As we look to our past and see God’s faithfulness, we can also look to the future, trusting that God will still be faithful, will still be present here, will still use this congregation for great and powerful things that bless the world around us. Indeed, our God who has been our help in ages past and Who is our hope for years to come will indeed be our guide while life shall last and our eternal home![1]

So let us celebrate, my friends! Let us give thanks to the Lord – for He is good, and His love endures forever. Let us lift up our voices to our God, who has guided this congregation through 50 years of worship, 50 years of service, 50 years of Bible Study, 50 years of living in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us give thanks and praise to God who will continue to be here, empowering this congregation to do bold new things in His Name, who will continue to open hearts and minds, who will continue to call sinners to repentance, who will continue to lead and guide His people to grow in faith and to reach out in His Name. Let us pray with Moses that the favor of the Lord would rest upon us and establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17). And as always, let us give God the glory – for indeed, to Him and to Him alone belongs all glory, honor and praise! Hallelujah! Amen.

[1] Isaac Watts, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, based on Psalm 90. Tune ST. ANNE by William Croft.