Terry Family Farewell: “Memory and Hope”
A sermon by Sid Burgess for the Edgewood PC, Birmingham, AL
Trinity Sunday, June 3, 2007
Text: John 16:12-15
“So much to say and so little time in which to say it.” That is the universal anguish of goodbyes.1 Today, we shall bid farewell to the Terry family. To Jeff and Sharon, to Rebecca, Jessica, Robert, and Joshua. After eight years among us, this talented and faithful family is moving to Charlotte, N.C. So much to say, so little time, and they will be gone—off to a new home, a new church, new community. But, before we begin our goodbyes someone else is bidding us adieu. Our brief gospel reading today is an excerpt from what scholars call the “farewell discourse” of Jesus. Perhaps we can pick up something here that will help us there. As Jesus bids farewell to his followers, perhaps we will discover something to help us say our goodbyes to the Terrys.
A little background may be useful. The gospel of John, the Fourth Gospel, follows much the same storyline of the first three. But unique to John is this long section— chapters 14 to 17—called the “farewell discourse.” Jesus and his disciples have celebrated the Last Supper. Jesus knows, but the disciples cannot begin to comprehend, that crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, lie ahead. As we pick up the story, Jesus has been talking for some time, and yet he says: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now”(v.12). Even so, not to worry, Jesus says, because help is one the way. “When the Spirit of truth comes, the Spirit will guide you into all the truth . . .”(v.13). The Greek word for Spirit is Paraclete— translated variously as the Advocate, the Counselor, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and here, the Spirit of truth.
Consider the situation of the disciples. Consider what they are about to lose. If you have known a gifted teacher, you might have some insight. If you have known loyal friendship . . . If you have experienced compassion, acceptance, affirmation, and companionship, you have some idea, some notion about the loss the disciples are facing.
After all, these men, and the woman who accompanied them, had had a unique-in-all time, unique in-all-the-world encounter with the Holy One of God— Jesus of Nazareth, in whom God was fully present. Through Jesus the disciples could see the very heart of God. How could they go forward from this sacred encounter? In the vernacular, ‘What to do for encores?’ What to do for encores when you have been to the mountaintop, experienced the greatest success, enjoyed the best companionship, felt the greatest affection?
Jesus says, ‘Not to worry.’ He will provide the encore. He will send the Counselor, the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to his faithful followers. The Spirit of truth will make the separation endurable by speaking all that this Spirit hears from God and announcing the things to come (see v. 13). The Spirit will be the indispensable reality that will enable the church to become a community of memory—the memory of Christ and him crucified—“Christ is dead”—and a community of hope, proclaiming, “Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”2
As a community of memory, the Spirit enables the Church to believe that Christ died to bridge the otherwise unbridgeable gap between humankind and Holy God. As the community of memory, the Spirit enables us to see the pain of our crucified Lord in the agony of the poor and the oppressed of our time. To see His torment in the suffering of the injured and the ill . . . . To see His anguish in the distress of those separated from loved ones . . . .
As the community of hope, the Spirit enables us to see that the work of God in Christ is not over. The Spirit calls us to hope for more than we have yet seen. The Spirit enables us to believe in God’s determination to bring forth a new heaven and new earth. The Spirit gives us confidence in God’s certain victory over death. The Spirit gives the Church courage for our struggle against cruelty and suffering in the world.
It seems to me that as we prepare to say goodbye to the Terry family we should remember that the Spirit’s gifts of sacred memory and of eternal hope—will both go with the Terrys and remain here with us.
For we shall all grieve our separation. Edgewood Church will never again see the likes of this family of gifted athletes and artists, of exceptional scholars and committed leaders. And the Terrys may never find another small congregation with so much acceptance and affirmation to offer, so much love to give, so much talent to share.
But not to worry. For we have both our memories, and we have our hopes. We have our memories of the Christ who made us his own, who gave his life that we might enjoy our abundant life in him. We have our memories of living in that gift--memories of fellowship shared, of worship celebrated, of joys experienced , and sorrows grieved. As God has provided for us in the past, so God will provide in the future. Thus, our hope for more than we have yet seen.
To be sure, Edgewood Church will long remember the Terry family. God led them into our fellowship seven and a half years ago. Already, Jeff and Sharon were recognized as leaders in the Presbyterian Church: Jeff, an elder, and Sharon, a lay preacher. Rebecca was just moving up to the youth group, with Jessica, not far behind. Robert was only six, but already a church veteran. Jeff has served on the worship committee as liaison with acolytes. As a member of our foundations ministry unit, he used his knowledge and skill to help sand and refinish the hardwood floor in the fellowship hall. Rebecca and Jessica have served on our church youth council. Rebecca has given her Christian witness here and the pulpit, and Jessica has danced to God’s glory on the floor of the sanctuary. Today, Robert will come before the congregation to make his profession of faith. Sharon has served two, three-years terms on our Session, and six years as our volunteer youth director. For all intents and purposes, Sharon has also served as a volunteer associate pastor, preaching and officiating at the Lord’s table in my absences, making hospital calls and helping with funerals.
We have marvelous memories to cherish. But we have hope, too. Hope for an exciting future for each member of this remarkable family. We hope that Rebecca, entering college this fall to study bio-medical engineering, will soon be creating new medical equipment that will save lives; that Jessica, with two years of high school remaining, will someday be dancing with a ballet company at Lincoln Center; that Robert will soon be riding his bicycle in the Tour de France; that Joshua will eventually be playing shortstop for the Braves, that Jeff will become president of his company; that Sharon will earn her Master of Divinity degree and be called to serve a congregation as minister of Word and Sacrament.
We have a our memories—memories of Christ and him crucified, memories of two thousand years of Church tradition, memories of 95 years of ministry on this very site through this very congregation. And we have our hope that Edgewood Church, though grieving the loss of this family, will turn our attention to reaching into the community in search of replacements for we still have a quite a few good seats available!
We have our memories, both great and small. We have our hopes, both divine and human. Most of all, we have this sacred promise of the Spirit of truth who transcends time and distance. The Spirit who enables us to become believers. Who helps us to grow in faith. Who equips the Christian community. Who unifies the Christian church through the mystery of the Holy Trinity: One God who is the Creator and Sustainer, the Savior and Lord, The Giver of life within, among, and beyond us.
Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
1Cousar, Charles, TEXTS FOR PREACHING, Year C, Westminster/John
Knox, p. 358.
2Ibid., p. 359.