For the Lord is good: his love endures for ever.
It has been a real joy to be with you this weekend in the Diocese of Leicester.
It has been good to spend time with my fellow bishops, Martyn and Saju; with clergy, lay leaders, with congregations here in the Diocese. Thank you, Bishop Martyn, for your invitation, for your welcome and for your hospitality.
It has been good to spend time with you, the people of God, in worship. To pray with you. To hear how God’s Spirit is moving in people’s lives. To see how God is transforming communities through the ministry of the church and the lives of God’s people.
It has been good to spend time learning about the vibrant life of churches and schools across this diocese. To see the impact of your commitment to resourcing children’s and youth ministry in the numbers of children and young people attending your churches. To meet the Muddy Saints in Loughborough and spend time in Muddy Church; to pray with you in your Cathedral; to visit your churches proclaiming the love of Jesus with confidence and with joy.
It was good to spend time with the chaplains at Leicester Royal Infirmary. To hear stories of how God’s love has been made known to those facing illness or difficult diagnoses; it was good to see the love, in the quiet acts of prayer, in the final moments of life. To see how people were transformed at the most critical moments of their lives.
It has been good to see how you are being shaped by God. And it is good to join with you here in worship - each of us, in all the wonderful diversity, giving praise to God!
For the Lord is good: his love endures for ever.
This centenary is an opportunity to give thanks. It is also an opportunity to recognise where things have changed. But it is also an opportunity to recognise where things have been challenging in the past, and to have courage in what God promises for the future.
The Psalmist tells us: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’
‘Do not be afraid’ is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible. Google tells me that it is mentioned 365 times, that’s one for every day of the year. Jesus says ‘Do not be afraid’ to the disciples in the boat; the Angel tells Mary and the shepherds keeping watch over their flock: ‘Do not be afraid’.
Jesus says it again to Mary Magdalene on Easter morning before he sends her out to tell the disciples of the Good News. ‘Do not be afraid’.
As we look back over the past 100 years we know there will have been times when God’s people would have been fearful; and as we look to the future – and cast our minds another 100 years – as much as we rejoice in all that God will do, we might also look ahead with some fear and trepidation.
But the Psalmist reminds us: The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
And, of course, fear is real. There will be times in our lives when we will fear that fear will consume us; where we will have fear for our own safety or for those that we love; fear for the future, fear because of the loss of a job, of an unexpected diagnosis; a breakdown of a relationship; because of an experience of violence or hatred.
In these moments, those words of scripture can become our prayer: – ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.’ The prayer is an act of resistance against fear. Saying that we trust in God’s faithfulness.
Now, remembering Jesus’ words, ‘Do not be afraid’ doesn’t mean to say that we will not face difficulties, it doesn’t say that fear doesn’t exist. But it does mean that God is with us in the difficulties and the midst of the fear. In the midst of the mess and the muddiness of our lives.
There may be times we are fearful about the future of our churches, concerned about their sustainability, about whether they will still be there in a hundred years’ time. I recognise this fear exists in the church, and I understand where how this fear arises out of the love of the church - but I also have hope.
I have hope, because I see the dedication and passion of our clergy to bring the good news in their parishes, chaplaincies and communities they serve;
I have hope, because I see the way in which lay people give of their time, skills and wisdom to ensure the church is proclaiming the gospel every single day;
I hope, because I have seen the commitment of the Church of England to its parishes – priests and people, to the church buildings and communities;
And most importantly, I hope because God promises to be faithful – ‘for the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid’.
There may also be times, and I think we see it in our society today, where fear is stoked - where people want to use fear to polarise societies. Fear can be manipulated for someone else’s gain.
But I have hope, for I have seen communities saying that they will resist that type of fear;
I have hope, where I seen people of difference walking towards each other with curiosity and hospitality - seeing the other made in the image of God - valued, with dignity and worth.
I have hope, because the word of God teaches us, ‘For the Lord is our helper’, and therefore we do not need to be afraid.
There may well be times that we fear that the church is not for us; when we fear that we are on the outside. But I have hope, because I have seen the way in which churches offer hospitality; have had the willingness to change, to reflect their diverse communities and the diversity of God.
I have hope, because the word of God teaches us, ‘For the Lord is our helper’, and therefore we do not need to fear.
We do not need to fear – we can trust in the faithfulness of God throughout all generations – we can put our faith in ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and for ever.’
For the Lord is good: his love endures for ever.
This anniversary of one hundred years is an opportunity to give thanks to God for his faithfulness continuing throughout all generations’.
To give thanks to God for his faithfulness – for the ways we have seen God’s Spirit at work; for those who have come to know Jesus and his transforming presence in their lives.
With give thanks for those who have gone before us, not only over the past 100 years, but those who, throughout the ages, have passed on the faith and raised up generations to proclaim the love of God made known in Jesus Christ.
We give thanks, for those who in this diocese today – all generations, children, young people, adults, elders; of all peoples, nations, languages and backgrounds, who proclaim God’s faithfulness and share their hope in Jesus Christ with others.
We give thanks for the way this Diocese has been shaped by God and will be shaped by God.
God’s faithfulness, of course, goes on – ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and for ever!’ God’s faithfulness, present now and in our future.
For the Lord is good: his love endures for ever.
Now, today’s celebration may have stirred up in you a new desire to know more of Jesus, to find out more about the Christian faith, to listen to where God might be leading you in your life.
Maybe you may feel that you are being called to find healing or forgiveness for those things that are weighing upon your heart.
It might be that the Spirit is prompting you- prompting you in your heart.
So, I would encourage you to find someone to speak to about it – your vicar, your archdeacon or Bishop or a friend - God may be doing a new thing in you this day.
Hebrews 13.8 proclaims ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and for ever’ – our hope is in Jesus Christ who is with us now; who has shaped this diocese over the past 100 years – and whose presence will be with us for ever.
So may you know the faithfulness of God in your lives; in your churches, schools and chaplaincies, across this diocese.
May you be bold as you proclaim Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and for ever!
For the Lord is good: his love endures for ever.
Amen.
