A Farewell sermon

For the last year plus we have been walking through the story of the early church and how it spread and grew from its beginnings in Jerusalem. We’ve only got a few more chapters to go in the book of Acts, but don’t worry, I’m not going to try to finish up the story this morning. I’m going to leave the remainder of Paul’s journey to Rome for Chaplain Black to talk about in the coming weeks.

This morning, as I preach for the final time here in this pulpit I want to turn to the Old Testament, to the book of Ecclesiastes. Our text this morning is one that most of you should know if you’ve been around the church for very long.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 CSB

1 There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; 3 a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; 6 a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; 8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-

We learn pretty quickly in the military that this passage is true. There is a time for everything. When we’re going through our initial training the drill instructors make sure that we know this. We’re on their time and they control what we do with every minute of every day. As we finish that training and go out into the fleet we learn that there are still controls over us. There is a time to show up for formation. There is a time for liberty call. There is a certain time for chow and for different things that we must do throughout the day. Even as we move up in rank we still have to answer to the clock. Formations, meetings, due dates, what have you. There is a time for every activity under heaven.

Our time together, with me as your pastor, is coming to a close. Our packers will be at our house tomorrow morning to pack up all of our worldly possessions and move them down to Virginia. Or or at least all the worldly possessions that we aren’t carrying with us anyway. They’ll load up the truck on Wednesday and on Thursday we’ll turn over the keys to our house, hop in our cars and be on the road to the next assignment and the next adventure. This is nothing new for us, and it’s nothing new for most of you here in this church this morning. It’s the life we live. It’s the life we are called to by God in order to serve this country and in order to serve Him. But before all that happens I have a few things I want to share and remind you of as we get ready to leave this season of ministry.

I. Remember that great days are ahead

We’ve gone through a lot of change in the three years that I’ve been here. We’ve moved locations. We’ve changed up the format of the service. We’ve changed up the style of the music. We’ve seen families come and go. But we’ve also seen a lot of growth. We’ve seen many new families come in to our fellowship here and a WHOLE lot of new kids.

Now we’re entering a new season of change as military chapels do every few years. But you’re getting a great chaplain, and a great family coming in here behind us. Chaplain Holliday has a wealth of experience in church ministry, much more than I did when I came into the chaplaincy. He will do a fantastic job and I can only see things growing and getting better over the next few years.

II. Remember that we are all called to share the gospel

Sharing the gospel isn’t just a job for those of us who are called into full-time ministry. It’s not just a job for the chaplains and the pastors. It’s a job for each and every one of us who calls themselves a Christian.

1 Peter 3:15 CSB

15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

Peter is not just talking to pastors here. He’s speaking to all his readers. “Be ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” That’s sharing the gospel. The hope that is in us is Christ Jesus himself and if we are sharing a reason for that hope, then we are sharing him.

We live in a world that is absolutely full of suffering people. I’ve told some of the other chaplains on base, one reason that I’m ready to leave here is that I’m tired of dealing with death. We have had a lot of death connected to this base since I’ve been here. From suicides to heart attacks to cancer to automobile accidents. I can’t even remember the number of CACO calls that I’ve been out on here to bring the news to a family about the death of their loved one. So it’s been a tough assignment. But that just highlights the need for us to be prepared, to be ready, to share the gospel with those around us. We can bring light and hope into lives that are dark and where there is no hope. Be ready. Read your Bible daily. Spend time in prayer. Learn a witnessing outline like the “Romans Road” or “FAITH”. There are tons of them out there. Just be ready.

III. Remember that for those of us who believe, goodbye is not forever

We saw a few weeks ago as Paul was saying goodbye to the elders of the Ephesian church that they grieved when Paul told them that they would never see his face again. And it’s good that we should have relationships where we grieve over the thought of separation; over the thought that we might never see each other again. But we have to keep in mind that as Christians, goodbye is not the end. In fact, it would be more appropriate for us to say “See you later.” Any time I am asked to do a funeral or a memorial service I always turn to the following passage in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 CSB

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-

As Christians, when we lose someone to death, or when we lose someone to being transferred to another area of the country, or another area of the world we can find comfort in the fact that, that’s not the end of the relationship. We have the hope of seeing each other again in eternity. Or, in the Navy, you never know. Chaplain Koch was stationed here twice. Chaplain Shuley has just arrived back at the Coast Guard Academy for his second tour there. The detailer works in mysterious ways sometimes. Or for those who are still active duty, it’s a small Navy. For the new guys, you may not realize that now, but as you continue on in your career you’ll start to see it. You run in to the same people time and again. Especially being in a tight-knit community like submarines. If you make a career of this you’ll see people over and over again.

There is always a chance that our paths will cross again, whether here in this life or once we all get to eternity.

So I won’t say goodbye. I’ll just say, “See you later.”

Now I know this is short, but I want to wrap up our time together with this. If you’ve heard me pray at any of the many ceremonies I’ve done here at SUBASE you’ve likely heard this before at a retirement or a change of command or something. But at times of transition like this I always like to reach back to my Irish heritage and I offer a traditional Irish blessing. So I offer that blessing to you all now as my closing prayer.

Now I know this is short, but I want to wrap up our time together with this. If you’ve heard me pray at any of the many ceremonies I’ve done here at SUBASE you’ve likely heard this before at a retirement or a change of command or something. But at times of transition like this I always like to reach back to my Irish heritage and I offer a traditional Irish blessing. So I offer that blessing to you all now.

But before that time comes we’ll celebrate the time we’ve spent together. We’ll laugh and we’ll hug and we’ll say our, “See you laters.”

“May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

The rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again

May God hold you all, safely, in the palm of his hand.”

Amen