If we walk in the light we have fellowship with one another

Spoken at the Kerikeri Combined Churches Service in Holy Family Catholic Church 30.03.2014

Good evening everybody. My name is Jean Andrewes and I represent the Union Church. It gives me great pleasure to be here in your church tonight, as the last time I was here, was to attend Joan Taylor's funeral. I was quite blown away by the warmth of the reception I received that day, the welcome from Father Sam and being included in the rituals, even sharing in the sacrament of Holy Communion. This was a very healing time for me, having lost my old friend and sparring partner, Joan, and my dearly loved husband almost a year ago.

In my younger days, my knowledge of Roman Catholicism was blighted by the fact that my mother had rejected the Catholic church to marry my father. I won't go into details of that, but it did leave me with a rather nasty taste in my mouth, and a lot of unanswered questions.

As I reached adulthood, I met with lovely people, beautiful people, practising Catholics who became my friends. I married and we lived next door to the Catholic Church and Presbytery, and we became mates with the priest. He was an awful tease and delighted in the fact that when he rang the bell for early morning mass, he woke me up. I challenged him about this and he laughed and I swear that he rang it even longer after that. I hate mornings and he knew it.

From 1 John we read, "God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another."

By reaching out to me in friendship and fellowship and following his light, you have helped me reach the full circle of the doubt that kept me in the darkness. I thank you all and the God we all worship for that. May we all continue to reach out in fellowship and love to each other.

Now I’d like to read to you the words we sang in our church this morning. “Christians are all kinds of people” written by Stan Stewart

Christians are all kinds of people;

They’re average, they’re short and they’re tall,

From all kinds of backgrounds with all kinds of outlooks,

Our gracious God uses them all.

Christians are all kinds of people,

Not even especially good,

But God’s love is mighty and that is what counts,

With mercy as wide as the sea,

It reaches to you and to me.

Christians are all kinds of people;

They’re smilers, they’re grouchers, they’re clowns,

In all kinds of weather whenever they gather

You’ll find every kind of them round.

Christians are all kinds of people -

And sometimes all kinds are in me.

But God’s love is mighty and that is what counts

With mercy as wide as the sea

It reaches to you and to me.

God uses all kinds of people;

The black and the pale and the tan,

New born and the aged, the fit and disabled,

They all have a part in the plan.

God uses all kinds of people

With problems, with hang-ups, with scars -

But God’s love is mighty and that is what counts

With mercy as wide as the sea

It reaches to you and to me

And may that merciful God use us all and give each one of us a special blessing tonight, and every day before us as we walk the path of light as we share in the time of Lent in study and prayer. And remember, Christians are all kinds of people.