Monday, 17 October 2022

SERMON 176 - SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 2022

SERMON AT WILTSHIRE FREEMASONS’ ANNUAL CHURCH SERVICE AT ST. MARY THE VIRGIN PARISH CHURCH, CALNE WILTSHIRE – SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 2022

Joshua 1:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7

May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and may my words be a blessing to all who listen to them.

First of all, a great big thank you to Revd Teresa, David Bevan lur organist and all those connected with this wonderful church for once more allowing us to hold our Annual Church Service here in this sacred and lovely space. Also, thank you all for attending this annual event when gives us the opportunity to sing praises to and worship our Christian God, reminding ourselves that to Him do we owe all things and should at all times give him thanks and praise.

This year has been a year of great change and challenge when many of our traditional ways of thinking have been disrupted and changed for good.  During the course of 2022 we have seen the world order disrupted in Europe by the aggressive invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation plunging Europe back into war the likes of which we haven’t seen in eighty years, we have seen a change of Prime Minister and Cabinet following upheaval in our own Government, a change in the monarchy after seventy dutiful years and finally, and more locally, a change in our own Provincial Grand Master after eight years.  I am also sure that during the course of this year there have also been many personal changes in each of your lives – some for the better and others more a challenging.

I think the one thing which we have all had to take on board over the last three years or so is the need to adapt and change some of the things we do.  We had to face suspension of our activities during the Covid lockdowns and adapt our lives and ways of working accordingly, which I think we did exceptionally well through the use of technology and by maintaining frequent contact with each other. It was so heartening to see the manner in which, despite the difficulties encountered, this Province continued to survive and indeed flourish so that our numbers have remained buoyant and we can now move forward with much optimism.

Our scripture readings today were chosen with care to reflect upon the situation we now find ourselves in.

The first Old Testament reading comes from the beginning of the Book of Joshua. Many of you will recall that Joshua was called upon by God to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land after Moses had successfully led them out of captivity in Egypt and then wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Moses had been an inspirational leader, in contact with God throughout, but not without his critics and throughout those forty years of wandering in the desert lands between Egypt and Israel, his leadership had been continually questioned by those who were impatient to find and enter the Promised Land – indeed on one occasion they had told Moses that it would have been better for them to have stayed enslaved in Egypt rather than wander around seemingly aimlessly.  However, it was during this period of seeming futility that the foundations were laid for the establishment of the Jewish people as a cohesive group with their own laws and customs firmly established.  When eventually God thought them ready to enter and settle in the Promised Land, Moses was an old man and died before he was able to lead his people across the border into Israel.

That honour fell on his successor, Joshua, as recounted in that first chapter of the Book of Joshua read to us this afternoon by our new Provincial Grand Master. Indeed, it fell upon Joshua to take up the reigns of Moses and to establish and secure the Promised Land as their new home.  As we know, it wasn’t an easy task and the Book of Joshua contains stories of the numerous battles he had to fight against indigenous tribes in order to secure the land – something we are reminded of in our Second Degree ritual.

It does seem a little unfair that Moses, who had taken upon himself much hard work and suffered much deprivation to attain the Promised Land, was not allowed by God to
enjoy the fruit of his labour. How many times we do feel that too when we see others achieve what we failed to or where not permitted to?  This story is also repeated with King David when he was also told by God that he would not be allowed to build the Temple at Jerusalem and that this honour would be bestowed upon his son and successor, King Solomon.  Both of these stories remind us that we are all subservient to God’s will and that as such we work as a team for a common goal or purpose, not personal fame or glory.  I am sure you can think of many incidences when things which you have started have been completed by others. Rather than envy them we should be grateful that our work has been fulfilled.

The importance of the Joshua story is to remind us that when changes occur, that does not necessary mean and ending; indeed, in most cases it means a continuance of something already started.  So often we hear people speak of “an end of an era”.  Indeed as with the passing of our Great Late Queen, the Elizabethan era has now come to an end but our monarchy and our traditional way of government has not – we have a new King and we owe him the same due allegiance as we did the late Queen.  The smooth passage of one monarch to another, as we witnessed last month, is testimony to the fact that change does not necessarily mean a loss of continuity or destruction.

So it is with our Province. There may be some changes ahead in the way we do things in our lodges over time but our institution has survived for over 300 years and so long as we acknowledge that change does not mean an end we shall continue for another 300 years or more.  As we move forward we shall no doubt break new ground, we are even looking at the possibility of how we might make changes to this annual service in future years, but the important thing is that whilst structures may change our unwavering Faith and desire to serve God endures.

In our New Testament reading from St. Paul’s letter to his brother in Christ, Timothy, Paul reminds his protégé, Timothy, of the importance of worship and in particular that intercessory prayers should be made for everyone – nobody is to be excluded – and he makes special reference to kings and those in authority (often those opposed to the new Christian Faith in fact) – “that we may all live peaceful and quiet lives”.  As we enter new eras in the authorities over us, nationally and locally, it is especially important that we give such praise and prayers – that is why the intercessions led by our Assistant Provincial Grand Master were worded in the way they were.  It is also important to remember that it is essential to give praise and prayer daily in our ordinary lives and not just on those occasions when we are in church.  Remember the “twenty-four inch gauge” represents the twenty four hours of the day – one third “to be spent in prayer to Almighty God”.  Our masonic forefathers knew this well and it is for this reason that prayers are offered at the beginning and end of each of our meetings and we say grace before and after each of our meals when we break bread together.  In other words, it should be as much a part of of daily life as labour and refreshment and helping others in need.

There is a hymn which we are not singing today but whose words of refrain are very relevant to the theme of today’s service:

He changeth not, he changeth not

Yesterday, today and evermore the same

He changeth not, He changeth not

Just the same kind loving God, praise his name.

 

And again in that more familiar hymn “Fight the Good Fight” –

 

Faint not nor fear: God's arms are near.
God changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
that Christ is all in all to thee.

 

So, in conclusion, whilst everything around us might change, just as the seasons change, just as day turns into night, just as the Moon goes through its different phases, we can rest assured that there will always be some continuity for so long as we put our trust and faith in the one true and living God Almighty.

 

Amen                                                                                                        MFB/176/15092022

 

 

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