A Reflection on Fifty Years of God's Amazing Grace at Christ Church
I've been thinking a great deal lately about what it means for a church to turn fifty years old. Fifty years is a long time. Long enough to have worn out more than a few carpets, replaced a remarkable number of lightbulbs, endured countless committee meetings, and probably had more than one spirited conversation about the proper temperature of the sanctuary. (Some things in the Church, it seems, are eternal!)
But fifty years is also long enough for something rather extraordinary to happen.
Strangers become friends. Children grow up, get married, and sometimes bring children of their own back through the same doors. People who might never have encountered one another anywhere else in life find themselves kneeling beside each other at the altar rail, singing the same hymns, praying the same prayers, and discovering that somehow, through all of it, they have become family.
And I think that's worth celebrating.
When we talk about the history of a church, we naturally tend to talk about buildings, milestones, clergy, programs, and accomplishments. And certainly, Christ Church has a wonderful history to celebrate. But I suspect that if you asked most people what has made this place special over the last fifty years, they wouldn't begin by telling you about a building or a particular program.
They would tell you about people.
They would tell you about the person who welcomed them on their first Sunday, the friend who sat beside them when life was falling apart, the parishioner who showed up with a meal when they needed it most, or the familiar face whose presence made an ordinary Sunday morning feel a little more like home.
They might tell you about a baptism, a wedding, or a funeral. About laughter around a table, children running through the parish hall, or the quiet comfort of knowing that someone was praying for them.
And some of those stories, I imagine, would come with a few tears. Because fifty years of being the Church also means fifty years of loving people, saying goodbye to people, and carrying their memories with us. Some of the very people who helped make Christ Church what it is today are no longer here to celebrate with us. And yet, their faithfulness, generosity, and love remain woven into the very fabric of this community.
What a remarkable gift they have left us.
The Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians, "I thank my God every time I remember you." I've always loved those words, but they seem especially fitting this week. Because when I think about Christ Church, I find myself thinking less about what we've accomplished and more about the extraordinary people God has brought together in this place.
And here's what I find particularly wonderful: God isn't finished bringing people together here.
Some of you have called Christ Church home for nearly all of its fifty years. Others have been here for a decade or two. Still others have joined us in the last few months, and some of you may be reading this having only recently walked through our doors for the very first time.
What a beautiful thing that all of us, regardless of when we arrived, belong to the same unfolding story.
That's the thing about God's amazing grace. It isn't confined to a moment in history, a particular generation, or even the people who first imagined that an Episcopal church might take root here in Kennesaw fifty years ago. Grace has been at work through every generation of this parish, and it continues to surprise us, stretch us, and bring new life into our midst.
And perhaps that is what I most want us to remember as we celebrate this remarkable anniversary. Christ Church isn't simply something we've inherited from those who came before us. It's a gift we've been invited to share with one another, and with people we haven't even met yet.
So this Sunday, as we gather with Bishop Wright to celebrate fifty years of God's amazing grace, I hope you'll come ready to enjoy yourself!
Sing a little louder than usual. Hug an old friend. Introduce yourself to someone you don't recognize. Share a favorite memory. Laugh about the things that only people who have spent time in church communities can understand. And if you find yourself shedding a happy tear or two, that's perfectly fine as well.
Above all, I hope you'll take a moment to look around at the people gathered beside you and give thanks to God for the extraordinary gift of this wonderfully ordinary community we call Christ Church.
Fifty years of worship, fellowship, laughter, tears, friendship, service, and love. Fifty years of people showing up for God and for one another. Fifty years of God's amazing grace.
And the beautiful thing is, we're still just getting started.
What a wonderful thing to be part of.
Pax et bonum,
Fr. Ben
