THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Farewell Sunday
June 30, 2002
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You must know what a joy it has been for me -
to have served here with you these past 16 months.

You have blessed me beyond measure –
Before I came here –
I was a nothing -
I was a couch potato –

I could hardlydrag myself –
out of the bed each morning -
I was shy – I was introverted –
I was a dour – cranky old sour–puss –

I was just an old fuddy duddy –
I had absolutely no sense of Humor –
I could hard put two sentences together when preaching.

In fact -
When I first came to St. Martin’s Church, Houston –
and
When President George Bush the Elder
Was present the first time I ever preached there -
I thought I really had a barn-burner sermon –

However -
The next day they installed an historical plaque -
On the Church.

St. Martin’s being a fairly young Church –
They had always wanted one those historical plaques -

So would you believe –
Would you believe that the next day –
The very next day –
Right after I had preached my sermon to –
President Bush the Elder

They just could wait to install an –
historical plaque on the front door
of the Church -

The Historical Plaque -
read:
"President George Bush Slept Here."

But -
just look at me –
now.

Because of you -
I have been offered a spot on the Saturday Night Live Show –
Replacing Father Sarducci.
It seems that I have finally found my niche.

I have you all to thank for this.
You should have –
never laughed at my stories.
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What can I say on this last Sunday-
That I haven’t already said –
Any number of times ?

It is said that most Clergy have –
in them only two or three –
really good Sermons –

And that the rest are just variations –
On the same themes.

My temptation is to stroll down memory lane &
Recount all the wonderful events & activities
That we have experienced together.

However –
Life moves forward –
not backward.

And while -
We celebrate the past –
however –
there is not too much –
we can not do about the past –
but -
we can -
learn from the past.

However it is –
in the future –
that we must live –

and it the future –
with which we must contend.-

and it is the future wherein –
the rest our Lives & our Ministries together –
reside.

So it might seem that a –
State of the Church Report
Would be in order –

A Spiritual Checkup if you will.

With Susan Barnes and your new Rector –
You are all in for one heck of a
Grand & Glorious
Spiritual Journey –

I’m not sure about the New Rector –
But I can assure you that –
Susan Barnes is no shrinking violet -

You won’t have to worry about her –
"Telling it – like it is."

So together with –
Susan Barnes & Merrill Wade
You will soon experience
A Christian Adventure -

The likes of which
You have never seen before.
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How wonderful it is -
For New People have already begun to show up
It is true that for some time now –
For some reason –
Maybe they know something we don’t know


But for some reason -
New People have been coming –
out of the woodwork –

And -
With God’s help
We can keep them and give them a Church Home
And make a place for them -
In our midst.

One thing that has happened these past months –
For which I give my very deep & sincere thanks –
And that is –

I give thanks for –
The Joy and the Happiness that has abounded
In our Church Community.

In all my years –
I have never known or experienced such –
Joy & Love.

I am told –
That this is the way it used to be –
here at St. Matthew’s Church –
and we pray that it will continue to be that way and –
even grow more & more.
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If this life is only a foretaste –
A preview -
Of the life to come –

Then -
Just imagine when that time comes –
Just imagine –
what we have to
Look forward to –

In that Place that our Lord –
has prepared for us.

However –
Please allow me just one parting pastoral word –
Of -
Suggestion –

No that is not right –
This is more than just a suggestion -

For -
The real truth is –
Please allow me one parting word –
of Pastoral Admonition.

With all of its Ministries, Study Groups,
with all of the wonderful fellowship –
and glorious worship –
that abounds –
here at St. Matthew’s Church -

One thing that is needful and –
that is seriously lacking –
is –
Growth in the Area of our Christian Stewardship –

True it is that we abound in –
the giving of our Time and our Talents –
However –
That is only half or the first part of –
our Stewardship –

The other half –
The second part of our Stewardship is –
Seriously and prayerfully –

Growing in our Giving.

To be sure –
If –
St. Matthew’s Church is to live into –
the wonderful future that God has –
destined for it –

Then -
There is no question about it –
There must be –
There has got to be –
It is absolutely - crucial –
And it is imperative -

That we have -
Significant growth in our giving.
Enough said –
I can say this because I am leaving –
And hopefully –
You wouldn’t fire a poor –
old man on his last day –
Or –
Would you ?
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St. Matthew’s Church is not some wimpish –
Feeble or impotent Church –
But it is one that is built on –
The strong and firm foundation –
of –
Jesus Christ –

And this –
Has enabled St. Matthew’s Church –
to endure & and to even abound –
In spite of storms & hardships –
Through –
pain & sorrow –
and –
disappointment.
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For any Church built on the Foundation –
of –
Jesus Christ

Our Lord Himself –
has promised that nothing –
that nothing in this world -
shall ever prevail against it.
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Christian People have always speculated and –
wondered what it means to sin against –
the Holy Spirit –
which is to be considered –
The Unforgivable Sin.

There are all sorts of interpretations –
of this –
Unforgivable Sin -

However –
one sure and certain understanding –
of this –
Unforgivable sin is –

Not be open to new truth !

To be shut off from –
The promptings and the inspiration of –
The Holy Spirit -

To be closed off
From -
The guidance and the leading –
and the power of –
the Holy Spirit.

For it is -
The Holy Spirit -
who is always renewing and –
always making new –
old worn out things –

To be closed off –
From the Holy Spirit
is the death knell of the Church

Without the Holy Spirit –
The Church is lifeless & powerless –

For -
The Holy Spirit is –
the Wind –

The Holy Spirit is the breath of God –
that propels the Church –

And to be sure –
It is the –
The Breath of God that gives life –
For the Holy Spirit
Gives the same Breath of Life –
That God first breathed into Adam =
At Creation


It was
The breath of God –
which made –
the lifeless Adam -
to become a Living Soul.

That is why we pray so earnestly & feverently –
"Take not Thy Holy Spirit from us."

And so today –
On the last day of this –
Interim Period –
We give Thanks –

We give Thanks for Malcolm Riker –
all those Faithful Lay People –
who in Faith –
planted this Parish –
in 1959 –

and we give Thanks for Chuck Huffman
and all those other Clergy –
and Faithful Lay People

who also –
in Faith –
continued to build –
On those strong Foundations.

We give thanks –
That they began to develop Lay Ministry
In a way unique to many Congregations.
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The Torch will soon be passed –
And so we rejoice –
We rejoice that
You will be in the Good Hands -
Of a New Rector –

And you will begin to experience
the Beginning of a –
New and an exciting Chapter –
In the Life & History
Of this Great Parish & Congregation..

Please allow me one last Proclamation –
On this last day:
And so -
On this day –

"I hereby Proclaim –
That
St. Matthew’s Parish henceforth –
And thereafter -
be called and be known throughout –
Austin and the Diocese of Texas –
as –
"The House that Love Built"

For to be sure –
We Christians know that the word
Love –
is synonymous
With the Name Jesus Christ.

For to be sure –
"The House that Love Built"
is a Name and a Title that
aptly describes St. Matthew’s Church –
and it is one that St. Matthew’s Church –
can continue to grow into
and aim for.
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Please know that as we leave –
Betty & I –
will be praying & watching and –
cheering from the sidelines –
during the months and the year ahead.

It is our aim –
God Willing -
In His own good time -
in the not too distant future –

It is our hope
To return to St. Matthew’s Church



To reclaim -
To reclaim and to recover -
That very large part of our hearts –
That we will leave here with you.

We are deeply Grateful –
And -
We give thanks that God has brought –
Betty & me together with you –

The People of St. Matthew’s Parish.
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We Love You !

So –‘ til we meet again

Love One Another –

Love One Another -

And -

God Bless You Each and Everyone !


AMEN & AMEN !!!


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