Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

A Quick Trip

Lou travelled for work to England last week and her company was very generous and said I could tag along too.

As Lou was planning for the trip she realised that we were going to visit England a few days before ANZAC DAY and that this year is the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

It was also the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Villas

So Lou and I decided to attend the Anzac Day memorial service after Lou finished work in Norwich and London.

We arrived at 1am on a very cold morning at the Australian memorial just outside the town Of Villas Bretenu on the very battle field those young soldiers fought across 100 years ago to the day.

We were mindful of the sacrifice and really wanted to show our thankfulness to the young men and women who lost their lives all those years ago in the First World War.

Slide 1: photo of battle of Villas

It is also the first 100 year anniversary of the end of one of the biggest allied victories of the war where the Australians stopped the final German advance and began the rout of the German army after years of stalemate on the western front the town of VILLAS BRETENU.

Slide 1: photo of battle of Villas

This battle was the beginning of the end of the First World War.

The battle is so significant in our history that this is where the Australian government decided to build the AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL to all Australians who lost their lives in the First World War at VILLAS BRETENU

This battle was the beginning of the end of the First World War.

The battle is so significant in our history that this is where the Australian government decided to build the AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL to all Australians who lost their lives in the First World War at VILLAS BRETENU

The battle to take the town was desperate because if it was lost, nothing would stop the Germans marching to paris and we very well could have lost the war.

The battle for villas bretenu began 3 years to the day to the first landings at Gallipoli.

This fact was not lost on the soldiers who lined up behind the white tape in the dark before the attack.

They fought desperately knowing the consequences of defeat.

Many died …. but they won a major victory and more importantly gave back the town to its people.

Slide 2: Slide show of Lou and I at the Ceromony.

Slide 3: the ceremony crowd maybe?

We were mindful of the sacrifice and really wanted to show our thankfulness to the young men and women who lost their lives all those years ago in the First World War.

Slide 3: the ceremony crowd maybe?

Lou and I were struck by the thankfulness of the people AT THE CEREMONY.

There were at least 9000 Australians there among others.

It was the most aussies in the town of villas bretenu since the day the AIF attacked on 25 April 1918.

The prime minister was at the ceremony.

Our ex prime minister Tony Abbot

Slide 4: Me and Tony

and Prince Charles representing the queen.

Slide 5: Lou and Charles

The thankfulness expressed that morning was very moving.

But what struck Me the most was not the speeches of the dignatories.

It was the French young people from the village of villas bretenu who had come to say thank you

Slide 4: Young person speaking at Ceremony

They represented the French people from the Somme river valley.

The people there are still mindful of the sacrifice of the Aussies who gave their lives to win them the peace the enjoy today and they are thankful.

As a result we experienced nothing but generosity from the French people’s met for the whole of our time there.

As soon as they realised we were Aussies and that we had taavelled to join them in remembering they could not do enough for us.

Slide 5: photos of flag in village

As we drove through the region the day before we had been struck by the outpouring of thankfulness from the people of France to Australia.

We saw flags and statutes and memorials.

But prehaps the most moving was the school in villas bretenei itself.

The school has the saying never forget Australia in bold letters painted in their main quad.

Slide 6: Never forget Australia at school in village

After the war the people of Victoria were so moved by the poverty of the towns people of villas bretenu who were struggling to rebuild their lives after the war children from Victoria held a fund raising drive to rebuild the school.

The aussies did not just rescue the village they also wanted to build a better life for the people.

So the people of villas breteneu are doubly thankful.

They are now living prosperous peaceful and happy lives in part due to a country from the other side of the World.

This thankfulness is deep and abiding and shows itself as more than just mere words .

In …. the Victorian town of … was burnt down in the black ….. bushfires.

When the school children of villas bretenu heard about the fire and they held a fund raiser to build a new school for the Victorian town.

Now the town has a written plaque at its school never forget France.

This thankfulness has only made the bonds of friendship between our two countries stronger.

thankfulness longs to be generous.

Not out of a sense of duty or just because there is a debt but a desire to be generous because of love and relationship.

Thankfulness with generosity is one of the core values of Sr that gives us our culture.

We may not always achieve it but each week we seek to build warm and lasting relationships.

We are mindful that Christ gave his life for us and we are so thankful for the benefits we have that we want to try to be generous to others.

The Bible teaches me that Thankfulness makes my life better and my thankfulness makes your life better.

In fact thankfulness is a central value of the Bible and is a personal response of someone who has been captivated by he titanic generous of God to me and you.

It is well summed up in the words of Jesus when he says he who has been forgiven much lives much.

More and more people are understanding the importance of thankfulness.

But if we leave god out of thankfulness we miss the true power it holds.

Thankfulness motivates ordinary people to contribute to the greatest cause the world has ever seen or will ever see, a cause that is not, that of partnering with God as he builds the Kingdom of God person by person, generation to generation, culture to culture and place to place all over the earth.

How can I cultivate thankfulness in my spiritual life?

There are many passages in The Bible that explore different aspects of thankfulness but tonight we are going to dive into just one.

It is the verse we have chosen on our values page that you can find on our website on the beliefs section.

The

Just like Lou and I were mindful of the sacrifice of the diggers and responded in thankfulness so Paul in our passage tonight reminds the Thessalonians and reminds all Christians what Christ has done for them so that they may be mindful of who they are as Christians and be thankful.

Can you see evidence of this kind of thankfulness in your life?

As Lou was planning for the trip she realised that we were going to visit England a few days before ANZAC Day and that this year is the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

It is also the first 100 year anniversary of the Australian victory at the Battle of Villas Bretenoux.

As Lou was planning for the trip she realised that we were going to visit England a few days before ANZAC Day and that this year is the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

This year is also the 100 year anniversary of the Australian victory at the Battle of Villas Bretennoux on the western front.

It is also the first 100 year anniversary of the Australian victory at the Battle of Villas Bretenoux.

The Battle of Villas Bretennoux

Slide 1: The Battle Of Villas Bretenoux

Slide 1: photo of battle of Villas

Slide 1: photo of battle of Villas

was the beginning of the end of the First World War.

Villas Bretenoux was so important, that this is where the Australian government decided to build the Australian Memorial in France.

Slide 2: The Battle to take the town

This battle was also very symbolic as it occurred 3 years to the day after the first Gallipoli landings on the 25th of April 1915.

This day was already being remembered as ANZAC Day.

The fact that the Battle of Villas Bretenneoux took place on the 3rd Anzac day was close to the minds of the soldiers at Villas Bretenoux.

Many of them were vertrons of the Gallipoli landings themselves.

The battle began 3 years to the day to the first landings at Gallipoli.

This fact was not lost on the soldiers who lined up behind the white tape in the dark before the attack.

They fought desperately knowing the consequences of defeat.

Slide 3: The Australians suffered 2,473 casualties.

but they won a major victory and more importantly the gave back the town to its people.

The Anzac Day Service

Slide 4: So Lou and I decided to go to the Anzac Day Service on Wednesday

After Lou finished work in Norwich and London we travelled to western France.

On Anzac day we got to Villas Bretenoux at 1am on a very cold morning and joined the crowd at the Australian memorial.

We were mindful of the sacrifice and really wanted to show our thankfulness to the young men and women who lost their lives all those years ago in the First World War.

Slide 5: There were around 8000 Australians at the Anzac Day Service.

What struck me the most during the ceremony was the speeches of two young people from the village of Villas Bretennoux who had come to say thank you to Australia.