Sermons

"We are Marching in the Light of God"

Note: The sermon began with the children of the parish joining the choir and singing, “We are marching in the light of God.”

“We are marching in the light of God.” This popular song of anti-apartheid played a role in South Africa much as “We shall overcome” did here during the Civil Rights movement. Both served as positive affirmations that God works to bring freedom to those who suffer oppression, love to the unloved, food to the hungry, and shelter to the homeless. “We are marching in the light of God.”

It is easy to see the power of these words in the face of apartheid, to see how they could bring strength during the struggle for freedom and equality. However, what does it mean that we proclaim them this morning as part of our anniversary celebration? What does marching in the light of God mean for and to us?

For our Centennial Capital Campaign, we chose the slogan, “Emmanuel: A light for the Community.” We chose it not only as an indication of who we have been, but also as an affirmation of who we want to be. We, the people of Emmanuel Church, share a commitment to serving as a light for the community, proclaiming God’s love to all those who need and desire it. Perhaps Anne Sherman, author of our just printed history book, said it best when she wrote: “Emmanuel’s doors are open to all, in an age when many doors have closed.”[i] We are marching in the light of God.

This desire to be open to all is deeply rooted in our history. A small group of people, including Darius Brewer, the then rector of Trinity Church, dared to question the then common and widely accepted practice of renting and selling pews as a means of income. Marching in the light of God means being willing to ask questions, to challenge long standing practices, never to be satisfied with the status quo. This small group of people eventually founded what became Emmanuel Free Church – a spiritual home for anyone, regardless of ability to pay.

One hundred and fifty years ago, the people of this congregation received a state charter and became members of the Diocese of Rhode Island. Our predecessors were entrusted with the awesome responsibility of proclaiming the good news of God’s love to the world in which we live. During the ensuing century and a half, countless people have walked through these doors, sat in these pews, sung the hymns, and received communion. Several thousand babies have been baptized into the Body of Christ. Perhaps an equal number of lives have been committed to God’s care at funeral and memorial services. Each Sunday for one hundred and fifty years members of this congregation have been exhorted and encouraged to go out into the world to live as God’s people. They, and we, have been reminded of God’s call to proclaim through words and actions the good news of God’s love - to march in the light of God.

For one hundred and fifty years, we have marched in the light of God. Through the Civil War, two world wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, the terrorist attacks of last September, war in Afghanistan and the threat of nuclear was between Pakistan and India, we have struggled with what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ in a very complex and sometimes difficult world. It is not always easy to march in the light of God. Marching in the light of God requires that we take our faith seriously, that we view the events of our world through the lens of our faith.

While we celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the parish, we also celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of this beautiful building. Built in memory of John Nicholas Brown by his wife, Natalie, it stands as an outstanding example of Gothic Revival architecture and provides a magnificent setting for the worship that we offer to God each week. Surrounding us are paintings, windows, and carvings that tell the story of our faith. How inspiring it is to sit in this place, to look at the artistic expression of faith, to listen to the music and to let our hearts be transported heavenward!

What we really celebrate today, however, is not the building, not our history, but the living record of God’s work in our lives. The church is the people of God, baptized into the Body of Christ, seeking to live faithfully according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. While our hearts indeed are transported heavenward, they are also moved outward, endeavoring to embrace each other, learning to love one another, seeking to serve each other. The outward and visible expression of our faith is not our religious piety but our devotion to being what our Epistle reading calls living stones. The stones of this building serve as symbols of our identity as living stones, living temples, the dwelling places of God.

Anne Sherman’s history book includes a chapter entitled, “Our Living Treasures.” This is what we celebrate today. We celebrate Lester Kendall, who was born before this church was consecrated. We celebrate Connor Perry and Mitchell Ventura who were born within the last year. And, we celebrate everyone in between – the living stones who together make up the body of Christ. We celebrate those who commit themselves to marching in the light of God – to organizing mission trips for our young people, working in partnership with the Church Community Housing Corporation, providing meals to the hungry, making beautiful music, teaching our children.

You, my friends, are the ones that we celebrate this morning. You are the people who make Emmanuel Church such a special place. You are the people who make me proud to serve as your rector. You are the people marching in the light of God, seeking to be God’s people in this world where it is not always easy to proclaim God’s love. Amen.

[i] Anne Sherman, Emmanuel Church, p. 49.