CHRIST CHURCH QUAKER FARMS (1812-2012)
Oxford, CT Sunday, January 8, 2012
INAUGURAL BICENTENNIAL SERMON
200 years ago live was awfully hard for those living in Quaker Farms.
· Like in our day and time, there were times when the local economy boomed and times it bustled.
· In 1807, the shipping port in Derby closed, causing widespread economic hardship for farmers and factory workers, and for the wealthy people alike.
· Housing was a problem for most people who lived in log cabins. When the cold wind blew in the winter, you couldn’t escape to a nice heated house, like we do now. Life was much more like what we experienced with the power outages after the Halloween blizzard at last year.
· Of course roads were problematic. During the spring rains the dirt roads became mud city. But during the winter months going up hills & mountain roads, covered with ice & snow were almost impossible. Indeed, during such months, the people of Quaker Farms were cut off from the outside world.
So, in 1812, something wonderful happened . . . something which began to improve the quality of life for the people of Quaker Farms. Neighbors and friends of many different religious backgrounds and even some who had no religious background at all . . . all came together in the name of Christ to build Christ Church Quaker Farms. One early document says, and I quote, “The Episcopalians and others contributed generously to support St. Peter’s Church (which was the mother church in Oxford center), but during the severe storms of winter, there were many times when they were deprived of the comfort offered by the church’s worship and sacraments.” So, about 50 plus people generously pledged their time, talent and treasure, to begin to create a space and a place where they could come together in the name of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.
You see, our spiritual forefathers and foremothers understood that just as there are the dark times at winter, there are also dark times in life . . . Dark times when we face hardship, pain, loneliness, grief, loss, sickness, death, and the like.
But they understood that the Light of Christ could lead them through those dark times; and building Christ Chapel would provide for Jesus Christ to do just that.
So, the light of Christ shined through the worship at Christ Chapel, but it also shined through the community at people who gathered here. Christ Chapel was not intended to be a strictly denominational church. Indeed, in its bylaws Christ Chapel was dedicated to be a church for everyone in the community regardless of religious affiliation or lack there of. Within this building, and later in the social hall across the street, people came together for dinners, parties, dancing, talking, and socializing. Here, people new to the area met new friends. Here, young women and men met for the first time and some of them got married here and some of them had their children baptized here, and some of them were buried here, and some of them were comforted by there friends as they grieved their loss. And some of them saw the Light of Christ in their darkness and they picked up and resumed their lives, waiting until the time when they would enter into the heavenly light of Christ to be reunited with their departed loved one.
Our Bicentennial there if “200 years of Celebrating Christ, the Light of the World.” For 200 years, the Light of Christ has shined through this community, during good times and bad; for better for worse; for richer for poorer; in life and death and in eternal life.
One of my predecessors, the Rev Timothy Carbury, spoke about this in a sermon delivered from this pulpit 35 years ago. He said, and I quote, “The Light of Christ shines through this parish, and it here illuminates within and without, inside and out, hear and far. The light shines brightly, most vividly in our Sunday worship, in the Eucharist, in the reading and preaching of the word, and in and through our program of church music. The light shines in our Sunday school with our students and our teachers. It shines in our prayer group; it shines in our parish suppers, events and meetings. In times of death, in times of confusion the light is not allowed to dim or quiver, but is offered as a bright and determined guide. The light shines bright in these four walls, as we serve our community.”
And of course, the Light of Christ continues to shine through this church today. Indeed, whether you realize it, the Light of Christ guided you this morning to this place to be part of our celebration of Christ.
· We celebrate Christ today as we welcome a new member of the Christian family through baptism.
· Shortly our young people will celebrate Christ as they enter this church carrying star, representing the Light of Christ and as they offer their annual Christmas gifts for needy children in Navajoland.
· Following our service today, we will celebrate Christ with great food, fun and fellowship at the special Epiphany party and lunch, being hosted by the Bicentennial Committee.
· Our Bicentennial committee will lead us in commemorating 200 years of Celebrating Christ through a whole year of bicentennial Fellowship and special activities.
You see, the wonderful thing about the light of Christ love is that once you have received it, you want to celebrate by sharing Christ’s light with others. Indeed, Jesus went as far as to say that only we have received and acknowledges His love, that WE ARE the light of the world – that His light shines through us. He went on to say that as the Light of the world, we don’t have this light under a bushel – but we place it on a stand for it to shine and shine brightly.
Closing Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer
Almighty God, to whose glory we celebrate the anniversary of this house of prayer: We give you thanks for the fellowship of those who have worshiped in this place, and we pray that all who seek you here may find you, and be filled with our joy and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, nor and for ever. Amen
--The Rev. John Donnelly
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