Colossians 1:28 page 1

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There used to be a car parked near where I lived before moving here that had the following sticker in the rear window: 'Hire a teenager - while he still knows everything.' What experiences of parenting led the car owner to buy that sticker? And what has that to do with my farewell sermon here? Everything.

Not long ago I was looking through some old minutes of meetings here - it must have been an insomnia night - and I noticed something. On two separate occasions, a few years apart, I made the same observation. It was this: that as a church we were like a group of spiritual teenagers. There were people who carried on like they knew all the answers to life, but who displayed alarming signs of immaturity. Hence my description: spiritual teenagers.

As I leave, I feel differently. Not because I think I was wrong, but because I think this church is maturing. People who would have had a frivolous attitude to some things are now bringing wisdom into this church. Or there are wise people who previously were on the margins of the church but who are now able to bring an influence.

This is why I support the move to apply for parish status. Whether this church is a parish or a Conventional District is in one respect neither here nor there to me as a Methodist, but I support it - not because we are more or less financially viable. I support it because there is now a maturity here that wasn't present when this subject was first raised.

I like to think a lot of this growth in maturity is down to the culture that Keith has introduced here since he and Jenny arrived two years ago. So let me say publicly that for all the jesting you see Keith and I engaging in, I have the greatest admiration for his willingness to tread on toes in Christian love, to give a clear lead and not to take any nonsense. This church has needed that kind of leadership.

So as I prayed about a suitable theme for this farewell sermon, Colossians 1:28 came into my mind:

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

That disturbing word 'perfect' means 'mature'. The goal of the church and her leaders is to present everyone mature in Christ. So my theme this morning is about how we might nurture that continued growth in Christian maturity.

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Copyright © David D Faulkner, 2006 except where other sources are attributed or noted as inspiration.