From Milestones to Stepping stones. Text: Joshua 4:1-7 Mark 10:17–31

By Rev. James Murray at Dominion-Chalmers United Church, October 14  2012

If your house was on fire, and you had the time to save only one thing, what would you save? Would you save a family heirloom which has been passed down through the generations? Would you save your favourite painting? Would you save your wedding quilt? Or would you try to save a photo album?

Each of these objects can have great emotional significance for us. Our prized possessions are not usually important because of their financial value. They matter because they are a symbolic connection to family, to tradition, and to significant moments in our lives. They help us to stay connected to the milestones. Milestones are the significant events and relationships which help to define who we are. They mark our development as individuals.

Right now the prized possession which is prominently displayed in my home is a set of four graduation photos. The photos show my son Nathan and his wife Melissa receiving their Master’s degrees. The other photos show my other two sons Peter and Scott receiving their Bachelor’s degrees. I feel a lot of pride when I see those photos. I also feel a tinge of sadness, because these photos serve as a milestone. They are a milestone which marks how my children have grown up and they have moved into adulthood.

Milestones are markers which help us make sense of the past. They also serve to move us forward. They are stepping stones which help us to move towards the future.

When Joshua brought the people of Israel into the Promised Land for the first time, it was a significant event. It had been forty years since they had escaped from slavery in Egypt. For the first time in a generation they were going to have a home to call their own. For the first time in several centuries they were going to live as free people in their own land. Joshua wanted to mark this special moment so they would remember what they had been through. So as they crossed over the Jordan River, they gathered up one rock for each of the twelve tribes. They made a cairn with these stones. Joshua told the people that when the next generation saw the cairn and asked ‘What do these stones mean?’ the people were to tell the story of how God led them out of slavery, through the wilderness, and in to the Promised Land. That pile of stones was to remind the people of what it means to be here today.

As one historian puts it “We study the past to understand the present; we understand the present to guide the future.”  (William Lund)

As the religious community called Dominion-Chalmers United Church, we have a very rich history. We have been shaped by 180 years of tradition and faithful witness. We have struggled to be faithful. We have worked hard to let the light of Christ shine. We have touched countless thousands of lives. We have built many buildings. We have supported many ministries beyond these four walls. We have helped to plant new ministries and congregations.

But this is not simply a description of what we have done. This is not merely a recounting of the many milestones we have achieved over the decades. This is also a description of the kind of community of faith we are. Because we still struggle to be faithful. We still work hard to let the light of Christ shine. We still make a difference in people’s lives. We are still in the service of God’s ministry of redemption.

God does not speak of us in the past tense. We are part of God’s redemptive work in the past. We are also part of God’s saving work in the present. And we will be part of God’s liberating ministry in the future.

If God had only been active in the past, then we would be nothing more than custodians of the museum where God was once at work. Since God continues to be active in our midst here today, this makes us the stewards of God’s living community. This building is not a beautiful museum which must be kept perfectly preserved. This is a living working building which gets used every day for God’s purposes of teaching, praying, worshipping, serving, and healing. We are active partners in God’s ministry of blessing the people of Ottawa.

It is people like you that make history. You are the driving force of our history. A great man like Winston Churchill was important in the Second World War, but it was the common people of all countries who fought against fascism.  In the same way it is people like you who will make history in your serving the good news of Jesus Christ. As stewards of the gospel, it is people like you who will turn our milestones into the stepping stones which will write the next chapter of our history.

While this may sound like a very daunting challenge, remember that you are not alone in this. The God who blessed Abraham is blessing you. The God who led Joshua into the Promised Land is leading you. The God who gave wisdom to Solomon is teaching you. The God who inspired Jesus Christ is inspiring you. The God who guided Paul to spread the word around the world is guiding you. We are not alone. We are the stewards of a great tradition which is full of important milestones. So may we bold enough to use them as our stepping stones which will take us to God’s future.