Musical Prelude and Service.

Sermon – Anniversary Sunday – John 14:1-14
“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”
There is a line of theology that makes very clear that it is not our work, our loving actions, our adherence to laws that assures us an eternal place with God. That is faith that brings us into that relationship.
Some argue that absolves us of the need to do good, to be loving as long as we proclaim a belief in Jesus.
It can seem a dilemma. But as many will stress, if you truly believe, acting in a loving and compassionate manner should come about in a natural way if you truly believe and put your faith in a loving and compassionate God. Proclaiming you are a disciple of the Prince of Peace – the source of love and justice – means you value these qualities and desire them for all of creation.
I would suggest, quite strongly, that this notion is at the root of today’s scripture. Yes, we hear the oft-repeated words, “‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But Jesus expands upon that statement.
What exactly is the way, the truth. What life is Jesus pointing us to?
He speaks of seeing God in the works that he is doing. Not the miracles. Not the signs. Although those are clearly there for people to consider, those point to who he is. But here he speaks of the works. He loves his neighbours, he offers healing, he feeds people, he names the injustices of the world and restores communities to wholeness.
And if you believe in him, you will do these works and more.
This is not a commandment, but it is a call to be inspired by the work Jesus takes on as the child of God. The things Jesus does because God is in him, and he is part of God. His intimate relationship with God is such that he can do nothing other than love and care for God’s creation with all that he is.
And as people who believe in Jesus as that revelation of God’s love in the world, we can do nothing else but follow in his footsteps.
Grace United has been an active presence here in Dunnville for 172 years now. As a community of faith, dedicated to being a sign of God’s love, it has dedicated its life to proclaiming that love and revealing that love through its work in the community.
And as we gather today to celebrate the Anniversary of this congregation, we remember its long and proud history.
At the earliest moments of Grace, it functioned as a community of faith led by circuit riders. In 1850, the Nanticoke-Dunnville circuit of the Wesleyan Methodist Church was formed. This was a team of Methodist preachers who travelled throughout the region offering worship in the small communities they entered. They carried their bible and various tools needed for the job. Prayers, hymns, scripture and sermon, and then on to the next town. In his book, Growing In Grace, Lorne Sorge notes that there were earlier itinerant preachers; part of what he refers to as the saddle bag brigade of the Niagara Circuit.
These were preachers who traveled to various stops in the region; preaching, offering communion, and organizing communities of faith.
In any case, it was out of the work of Rev. John Hunt and Rev. John Baxter that a congregation in Dunnville began to grow. From preaching in the camps to using space in a public school to renting room above Frank Ramsey’s Menswear Store. By 1853 they built their first chapel on the corner of Alder and Cedar.
Leaders of the Methodist congregation started to build on our current location in 1904 with the laying of the cornerstone on Dominion Day, July 1, that year. The new Grace Methodist Church was dedicated in 1905 and it was part of church union in 1925 when the United Church of Canada came into being.
We have preserved the names of many people who contributed to the church over the years through pictures and stain glass windows. People who contributed to the building of this church. Many other names are not so prominent, but their work and their generosity should not be discounted. So, whether they are named or unnamed we need to honour what they gave to help this community of faith grow.
But I think we also need to reflect on what we as a community of faith; a community dedicated to being a sign of God’s love in the world – just as we have done over the years to make a difference in our community.
Members of this congregation were instrumental bringing Meals on Wheels to Dunnville and keeping it operating for decades. Grace has shown an incredible commitment to the Food Grains Bank for decades. We have continued to support the Salvation Army and the Food Bank over the years and a home for community dinners for many years.
I want to take time now to reflect on other ways we have contributed to our community. How do we as a community of faith look beyond our doors and windows to express our love for the community of which we are a part? I encourage you to take time reflect on that question. When you are ready, I would encourage you to name these actions, these works inspired by our faith in Jesus the Christ.
These are not works done in the expectation of reward. They are done because we see that they are a part of a beloved creation in which we are all interconnected. We are a vine connected to the root that is Jesus the Christ who abides in God the Creator.
God the spirit flows through us. We are inspired. We see the brokenness of the world, but also see the beauty of this creation. We also see what this world can be; what God desires for this wondrous world. And when we are open to the work of the spirit, and how God has equipped us to work with Jesus to make it real. And if we truly believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, how can we do other than to do the work in front of us, just as all those who came before us have worked, building this amazing and Grace filled community that we remember and celebrate today.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789