Stories of Grace & Gratitude: Betty Thornton Testimony, November 24, 2019
This month is Stewardship month, where we take time to prayerfully consider our relationship to the church through what we receive and what we give. As such, each week we’ll be hearing testimonies from members of St. George’s, who’ve been chosen to speak on that get topic—how they experience grace as part of this community of faith. And how they offer up their gratitude to God by sharing their gifts of time, talent, and financial resources.
Our fourth testimony is from long-time member Betty Thornton.
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
Testimony—Betty Thornton
I hesitated about giving a Testimony of my Christian life, but after thinking it over and spending time with God, I said yes. In the early 1970s, there was a spiritual renewal in the United Church and there were Festivals of Faith, with key-note speakers, testimonies from people who had experienced dramatic conversions, great music, worship and also small groups for conversation. I attended Festivals in Nanaimo and in Halifax.In the small group conversations, long time members and workers in the church expressed a feeling that because they had not experienced a thunder and lightening conversion, they somehow did not measure up. This happened at both Festivals and I felt sad about this because these were the kind of people that I admired and wanted to be like, My faith journey does not include a radical conversion and I am glad that I have not taken some of the described pathways which lead to dramatic changes. God has led me on a fairly smooth journey with only a few bumps along the way. I believe there are many in the congregation who have travelled much the same pathway.Each person's journey is no more important of less important than another person's journey.
So this is my faith story:
I was born in the small town of Gull Lake, Sask., and was baptized and confirmed in Knox United Church. My Mom was very active in the church -my Dad, not so much, but he supported Mom's efforts and our efforts and was an honest and well respected member of the community.
I was fortunate to be introduced to the disciplines of the Christian faith in Sunday School, by my parents and the community.
I learned about Giving as I took my coins to church-- sang the little song about “dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping .Hear the pennies fall, Everyone for Jesus -He shall have them all.”We just knew they would be used by God for His work. Even now taking my offering to church on Sunday is a part of my worship. I can't bring myself to use Par!!!
I learned about Praying. We talked to God before we went to sleep. Simple prayers, but a start of a life long habit that continues to this day.
I learned about Serving and Caring for others. As a little child I associated death with pies, because when we heard that someone in the community had died, my Mom started making pies to take to the grieving family. The church took care of others in times of need and rejoiced with others in the happy times.
I learned about faithful attendance at Worship. The 4 churches and the town council agreed that no community event happened until after 12 noon on Sundays. This gave everyone a chance to attend church. It was a simpler time and would not happen today. Going to church has also been a life time discipline.
At the same time as I was growing up, my husband was living a similar type of life in other small towns in Sask., finally ending up in Moose Jaw. He was also baptised and confirmed in the United Church.
We met in Winnipeg where we were both in the Airforce, It was a wonderful surprise to find each other. Whow!!! We married in1963 and started our family. Our twins were baptized at Silver Heights United Church (which no longer exists)When our girls were 1,we were transferred to #3 Wing in Zweibruken, Germany and attended the Protestant Chapel. Our son was born while we were there and was baptized in that Chapel.
In the fall of 1969, after 4 years in Germany, we received a transfer to Comox. We had to look it up on a map !!!! My husband came ahead and found a townhouse to rent in the Puntledge Park area. He got our things out of storage and then the kids and I flew out to be with him.
We attended St. George's the first Sunday here and received a friendly welcome.That Wed. shortly after supper, the doorbell rang and when I opened the door, Rev. Alexander was standing there. He had come to see how we were settling in and asked if the church could do anything for us. How wonderful was that! We have attended St George's ever since,except for the 3 years when we lived in NS, where we attended St. David's United Church in Lake Echo and where we made life long friends.We returned to Courtenay in 1978. It was great to be back HOME!! at St. George's
Both my husband and I served in many areas of the church and were happy to do so.I worked mainly in the Christian Education and UCW areas and he worked in the property and maintenance areas.We were both members of the Church Council at various times. He was also Head Usher for over 6 years. I was Presbytery rep twice.
There have been some ups and downs in the life of the congregation. Life has not always been smooth and with every issue,whether it was over policy or personnel, some people left to find new church homes.
In 1988, about 25% of our congregation left, after the decision was made by the National United Church in regards to who is eligible to be ordained.The decision was that anyone who is a member of the UC, could seek to be ordained. This opened the door for members who are homosexuals to be able to be ordained, if they got their necessary education and went through the very lengthy and much vetted procedure by the church.Some of our members could not live with that and they decided to leave St. George's It was a sad and difficult time for everyone involved, when so many wonderful friends left. We had great leadership at this time and within 10 years our congregation was again about 200 each Sunday.
This is a praying congregation. As I told one minister, these people are serious! If someone says “I will pray” about a situation, they will!. It is also a congregation that tries really hard to provide pastoral care, when care is needed.I have always felt support and encouragement, especially when my husband died 7 years ago. It is a teaching congregation. I particularly learned a great deal in a study called Kerygma, an in-depth study of the Bible which took 2 years to complete.It was so interesting and there was no problem doing the homework. I would encourage you to join a Bible Study when you have a chance.
Of course God has led me in this faith journey which I believe may be a journey similar to one that many of you have taken. You cannot get through life without grief, mistakes, disappointments, regrets etc., but these things have been easier because of my Faith and because of support from this St. George's Family.
You would think I might be perfect after all this Church time, but that is not so. The good news is that God is not finished with me!! But I am assured that God will be with me whatever is ahead. And for this, I am truly grateful.
Sermon - Rev. Ryan Slifka
I wanna pick up where Betty ended her testimony. Betty ended her testimony by saying that’s she’s not perfect (oh no!) but–more importantly--that God is not finished with her yet.
Now, I realize that revealing someone’s age from the pulpit is something of a death wish. So I won’t do that. But if you heard Betty’s testimony, you can probably infer that her spiritual journey began some time ago. It began in a little United Church in Saskatchewan, and has extended over fifty years here at St. George’s. We live in a culture that favours youth. Vitality, energy. Growing old is a curse, so we try to fight it back with all the pills, surgery, and whatever else we can muster. So to say that “God’s not done” seems odd. Maybe “God’s just about done with me” might work better. Because when you grow old, what else is there left to do? What can you do? And if you aren’t perfect by now, where did the time go? The idea that life is simply not over when we get to a certain age is strange. It’s foreign… alien to us as a culture.
But it’s not foreign to the world of the Bible. Perhaps it’s the fact that when it was written, you’d be lucky to make it past thirty. But in scripture age is valued. Not simply because it’s good for the individual, but because it’s good for the community. Because with age comes experience. And with experience comes wisdom. And with wisdom comes maturity. All of which are precious human resources.
Though today’s scripture passage doesn’t directly talk about age, it does talk about maturity. Of growing up. But it speaks of growing up spiritually. Growing in faith.
Our passage begins with Spirit-given gifts. The author tells us that the Holy Spirit dispenses different spiritual gifts to each person. “The gifts Christ gave,” he says, are “that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.” Now, we can’t go in to each of these. But each of these gifts are given for a purpose, the author tells us. And the single purpose is this: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Last week, we heard how the beginning and end of Christian life is to be loved by God, and love like God loves. This passage says something similar—that the church exists to “build up the body of Christ” until all come into maturity. Everything we do as a community exists to nurture our growth as human beings until all of are fully grown into the image of Christ. Until we are the spitting image of Jesus.
Now, whether your spiritual life is slow, consistent, and reserved (like Betty’s). Or if it’s an off-the-wall Holy Ghost explosion (or something in between). It says that either way, the purpose, the end goal of the Christian life is the same—to grow into maturity. To become fully ourselves. Becoming fully alive by becoming fully like Christ.
And it’s not just momentary event, or single experience. Betty said that church—following Jesus—has been for her a “life-time discipline.” It’s that slow, steady, life-long commitment to faith and the practices of Jesus that will truly bear fruit for all of us. Remember, the passage says that the final destination of the Jesus Way is becoming like Jesus. Not a “a little like Jesus.” But “totally like Jesus,” the “full stature of Christ.” So spiritual growth is a life-long process. There’s an end-point. We have a destiny, union with Christ, life in total communion with God. And we can grow in grace, become kinder, gentler, wiser, more courageous and compassionate. And this is what commitment to the Jesus Way, along with fellow Jesus people, leads us to long-term. We can get a glimpse or a foretaste of life made completely whole.
It’s a journey that’s never over this side of the end of time. But that’s good news. Because it’s how someone with a lifetime of church—like Betty—can say that “God’s not done with me yet.” It’s how any of us, from age 0-100 and beyond can say it, too. The journey can begin at any time, any point in life, but it’s a voyage that never ends because life with God never ends. And in the words of the hymn Betty chose “we have an anchor that keeps the soul/steadfast and sure while the billows roll.” We’re in it for the long haul. Because God’s in it with us for an even longer one. One that will continue, “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”
So thus ends our Stewardship series on stories of Grace and Gratitude. Where are you at on your journey? Are you growing towards life as it was always meant to be? Or are you stuck, spinning your wheels, hoping for some kind of way out? Either way, take these words to heart: “God’s not done with you, yet.” There is yet more beauty, more joy, more love ahead. The journey begins right here, right now. If you’re only willing to walk it with us.
Amen.