Ebenezers

Our Worship Pastor occasionally sings a great hymn that contains the line, “Here I raise my Ebenezer”. It initially caused some consternation among my boys who had no idea what on earth we were singing. Just in case any of you are similarly perplexed, it refers to Samuel chapter 7 when Samuel set up a great big stone which he named Ebenezer - "the stone of help" - for he said "Up to this point the Lord has helped us!"

I often linger on my mistakes but God wants us to look not to our failures but His faithfulness. Just before Samuel raised up the Ebenezer, God’s people had really messed up, but the focus now is not on their mistakes but on God’s mercy. I am told that each member of AA deliberately reminds themselves of the last time they took a drink, not to remind themselves of failure but to be encouraged that they have stuck this long on the way of sobriety. Our past failures can loom up and overshadow a new year but God calls us to leave them behind - our memorial is not to our flaws but to the one who helps us.

The Ebenezer stone was a reminder of a God who wonderfully helps his people; they had disobeyed Him and hurled themselves into the hands of their enemies but when they cried out to God, He forgave them and rescued them, just as He always does. We are told that “the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.” If you were there, I would think it would be one of your most memorable moments - why would you need a stone?

The fact is that it’s easy to forget how God has helped us. I regularly do. There are moments that God’s presence is so tangible and His acts of kindness are so wonderful that I think I could never forget them, but the next day I have a nasty cold or too many odd socks to sort or hear some bad news that punctures my heart and I forget.

Samuel’s approach to the problem is solid and substantial, a boulder, probably not unlike one of the Stonehenge stones, a massive memorial to jog the memory of all the people. So what can we do to help us remember?

Years ago, I heard a New Year's Eve talk on this verse and ever since then I have ended my year by looking back to see how God has helped me and making a list that I keep. I’ve just put a picture of an Ebenezer stone on my phone to help me remember. Any other suggestions to prompt the faulty memory are welcome!

It is so good to look back and remember what God has done. It’s what we do every time we share the bread and wine. But it’s not only good to remember His great salvation acts on our behalf; it’s also good to remember the particular ways He has helped us. We are deeply thankful for the many ways God has helped us as a church. It’s great to look round HT and see new faces in the kingdom of God. There has been new impetus to reach out and we are excited that God has opened the door for us to plant a church in Barnes. Trevor and I have been encouraged by the generosity of our church family enabling growth and mission all year, right up to our big lunch on Christmas Day when bottles of bubbly wonderfully appeared for us to celebrate. Again on Christmas Day, we shared greetings from our partner church, St.Peter’s Wandegeye in Kampala and were reminded of how Karis Kids is making a difference there to the poorest of the poor. Here in Richmond, we are thrilled that this last year saw the foundation of Riverbank Trust, caring for vulnerable women. Writing this, I am so grateful to God because I could go on with example after example of the ways He has helped us …

Next week, Trevor and I go on sabbatical for three months. I’ve said to some of you that it feels a bit like handing over the kids to a babysitter; you know you need a night out but you love the kids and it’s not easy to leave them! We will be praying for you and would value your prayers for us that we would meet with God and be empowered for the next stage of ministry. Please pray for my wonderful mum and dad who will hold the fort at home with our boys when we are away, for good family time when we have some holiday and for Cookie as he takes the reins at HT.

I don’t know what each of us will face in the coming year but I pray that you will know God as your helper. 
 

Kate Patterson