I am positive that, at many times of our public and private lives as Christians, that we have little or no idea of the impact of both our words and actions on the lives and faith of another person. This can be a heavy weight, for this influence can be a very positive moment in people’s lives and conversely it can be very negative. The question always becomes, what do we do with this responsibility? How do we share what we have received? How do we take this good news and make it known to the world in which we live and move and have our being.

I would like to describe one such story regarding the impacts of our words and actions – it is the story of an audacious Anglican – a William Wilberforce.

William Wilberforce was born into privilege, in the mid 1700’s. His families wealth, his position in life and his eloquence with his words, made him a natural at the art of politics. However, his life’s journey to get there was dominated by his relationship with our Lord. You see, Wilberforce was an Anglican – one who had the privilege in hearing a great number of preachers – including one who challenged him with some of hymns he had written. One of the preachers he encountered was a Priest by the name of John Newton.

Newton was famous for a few things – being a sailor, having been severely abused as a boy and a young man, yet coming through his trials with an unshakeable faith – faith that our Lord would both forgive him the wrongs he had done and would grant him grace to help others come into relationship with our Lord. In fact, he knew what is was like to be saved, physically – for a an older teenage, he had been forced to serve as a servant on a slave ship for two years, until a sea Captain, sent by his own father, had rescued him – he was lost, but was now found – physically – and soon, he would be found spiritually.

One of the gifts that Newton had given to Wilberforce was that he had allowed him to see into his soul – into what demons ate away at him, that caused him to cling so dearly to our Lord. While, he could not always identify these demons, those around, especially Wilberforce, could identify them as the slaving he had done in his youth and as a young adult – demons that both haunted him and moved him into an ever-deepening relationship with our Lord.

As a young parliamentarian, Wilberforce, had crafted a bill outlawing slavery within the British Empire – believing that slavery itself was evil, and that it was an abomination on the Lord, and a stain upon the British people. His first and subsequent efforts failed – however, his efforts were not diminished. Indeed, with each setback, he became more determined. Part of his determination was fueled by conversations he had with Rev’d John Newton, who by the time Wilberforce was in full voice in Parliament, was going blind. One such conversation with the priest and songwriter was all about vocation – with Wilberforce openly wondering if he should abandon all and enter into the ordained ministry. The answer from Newton was a resounding “NO”, that he had a ministry within the Parliament of the Country – and that his voice was the voice of the conscience of the nation and was essential that it be heard.

Some 50 years after first standing in the House of Parliament, his motion to abolish slavery was finally passed – and passed in an overwhelming fashion. I watched a movie of this man’s life recently, titled, Amazing Grace. The tribute given to him at the end of the movie was for me the best part, for he was recognized for his greatness in his determination to do what was right, not just what was easy. To be about the Lord’s business in an age when it was easier to be about man’s business. He was honoured, because he could articulate the vision that our Lord had given to him – that it is wrong to enslave another child of God against their will.

Why do I mention him, well, it seems to me that we are sometimes all to eager to dismiss the impact we have on this world – and that the voice that God has blessed us with, the courage to speak it and foundations that our words and concepts come from are too easily layed aside in favour of someone else’s ideas, thought or enthusiasm. Yet, I do not believe that this is what God is asking of us. I do not believe that this is what God is demanding of us when He instructed us to go into this world and teach and preach and make disciples of all nations – he never said to us to take the easy road. I believe that we are not only asked to listen to the word of God, but also to find ways to put what we hear into action in definable and concrete ways in the world in which we live. It means looking at our own church, and the ministry we undertake in our Lord’s name, and seeking ways to make a difference by what we do.

I believe that our church is on the threshold of something big in making a difference for this community. I believe that we have the potential to have a huge impact on people’s lives in ways that none of us can every expect – just as Newton’s hymn and sermons had impact on the life of one young man – and he could take the words, and take them beyond the original intent of the preacher, and apply them to the world we live in, the world we minister in, the world that God has placed us in – to bloom where we are planted.

I know this is hard. A number of years ago, when I was a young priest, I was simply the shepherd – visiting and preaching and praying with my flock. I was attentive to the needs of others, sacrificing my own personal life often in an effort to be all things to all people. I remember one particularly special day for myself – it was court day in our community. A young man, whose father had just died – and to those who were on Church Wednesday evening heard me describe this death – this young man had acted out – upon watching his father die, he had rushed from the room, picked up a rock and thrown in through a window of the Housing Association. Of course he was charged – and that day was his trial. He was asked how he would plead, and as an honest young man who had made a mistake, he plead guilty – to which the judge at the time sentenced him to 10 months.

Me, I am still surprised at my actions, I just jumped up in court and told the judge he was wrong. An exchange took place between myself and the judge, that continued in his chambers. It did not result in the sentence being reversed, but it did result in a totally new attitude being taken within the community towards justice – and injustice – with a desire to make a difference in our young people’s lives. I look back on that moment, a moment when I found my voice, as a time when I saw that part of our role as a church is to be the advocates to those without voice – as difficult as this may be – it is part of our role. But his begs the question, how is our role as a church changing in light of the demands on it, in light of the changes within our communion, in light of the changes within our diocese and city.

The Vestry, in a discussion that has taken place over a few months, has agreed, that the time is now in which we should spend some time, a year, in which to review what we do, to ask the basic questions on how we believe God is using us, and to pray where we believe, as a collective, He is leading us towards.

I have asked a small group of people – an ad hoc committee to facilitate this listening, to ask the questions that lead to the discussion, and to help the church move towards a renewed sense of ministry within our community – a renewed sense of purpose in bringing the Gospel message alive to His people.

You never know where God’s words go, once we speak them. You will never know how those same words will mold you and He grants you the courage to speak them. You will never know what the seeds from the word of God will bring forth once they are scattered – but scatter them we must.

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