Bishop Andrew has thanked the congregation of Tamlaght O’Crilly Parish Church, near Upperlands, for their care and love for their local church down through the years and praised their commitment to the Christian faith.
His remarks were made in a sermon during a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication, this afternoon, during which the appreciation of the Rector, Rev Gary Millar and the Select Vestry was expressed for the extensive work carried out on the building over the last year and a half. Today’s service was led by the Rector and his wife, Rev Gillian Millar.
The extensive work includes restoration of the Communion Table and provision of new gold cloths for the communion table, improvements to a number of large windows along the side of the building, the installation of a new handrail, and donation of a new Hall Table and Vestry Table. Gratitude was also expressed to the congregation at large for their financial support, and for their upkeep of the church and its adjoining graveyard.
Bishop Andrew, who returned only a few days ago from an arduous mission trip to Tanzania, compared the witness of the congregation in south Derry to that of the people in the Diocese of Kondoa, an overwhelmingly Muslim region where Anglicans have been involved in a huge church-building programme in recent years.
“The fact that you love this place, that you care for this place, that you put so much work into this place and dedication into this place, it’s a witness,” the Bishop said, “it’s a witness to the community around that Jesus Christ is loved here and worshipped here, and that we honour him and devote ourselves to him. For me that’s something I feel we – and me personally – need to recapture, that a church building isn’t just a building that we’ve had for years, it’s a witness to the faith in Jesus Christ.
“And when we think about that witness, we think about the part that we have to play – that interlocking chain of people down through the years who’ve been a blessing here. I’m sure you’re thinking of some of them today. I want to acknowledge all you’ve done to make today happen.”
Among the hymns sung at today’s service was ‘My Lighthouse’ and Bishop Andrew employed a couple of nautical metaphors – a lighthouse and a lifeboat – to explain how he felt the Church should serve people in the modern world. “The Church needs to be that lighthouse. We need to warn the world of the danger they’re in without Christ. We need to warn the world that we are lost without Christ. There are people who are trying to find significance in life, trying to find meaning in life, but they’re lost because they haven’t found true faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world,’ and we’re his lighthouse, to show people that they’re in danger without Christ. But also [the Church needs to be] a lighthouse for each of us, to help us plot our course, our journey through life, as we hear from God’s Word, as we listen to His teaching, as we gather in fellowship, to help us live our life in a way that honours God and is a blessing also to the community around us.
“So, the Church is a lighthouse. I think it’s also a lifeboat that says to people in the challenges of life, ‘Come in, let’s help you,’ whenever we feel that sense of need or fear. I think the Church needs to be a lifeboat, a place of refuge, a place of togetherness, a place of help and love and security in a world that is filled with danger and fear and insecurity.”
After his sermon, Bishop Andrew moved throughout the church, leading the congregation in prayers of dedication, thanking God for “the vision that inspired, the generosity that provided, and the hands that built and restored” Tamlaght O’Crilly Parish Church.
During the service, the Rector used two water pistols – one empty, the other filled with water – to impress on the congregation the importance of God’s presence in our lives. Holding up the empty one, he said, “This gun has got many pieces. It’s got a barrel, it’s got a chamber and it’s got a trigger. It looks the part and it is the part, but without water it can do nothing. So, if I fill it with water, what can It do?” Rev Millar squeezed the trigger of the full pistol, sprinkling water over the laughing parishioners. “You see, we can look the part, we can have this beautiful building, it can stand the test of time, but without the presence of God within His church, without the presence of God in our lives, we’re just like that [first] water pistol, we’re empty, and we’re not all that God created us to be. So, today, let’s be filled with the presence of God, allow Him to saturate our whole being so that we can continue to work together to God’s praise and His glory, because when God is in our lives, God is in the building, amazing things happen. My prayer today is that God will bless us and fill us with His spirit.
This afternoon’s readings were delivered by Natalie Rowe and Rev Canon Harold Given (a former Rector of the Parish). Musical worship was led by the church choir, under the direction of organist Melissa McCombe.
After the service, the congregation enjoyed refreshments and fellowship in the parish hall.
