The
Voyage of the Born Trader
When
I first heard of the sad news of the sudden death of my former
pastor, Bernard Thompson, just a month ago today, my mind was drawn
to C S Lewis' fictional character Reepicheep.
One of the reasons it occurred to me, I think, is because he had been on a voyage, a cruise, at the time of his death. Reepicheep too left his friends story on his final voyage; The voyage of the Dawn Treader.I am not now sat next to a copy of that book, so I am left with only my sketchy memories of the story, but if any of you have read the Narnia Chronicles you may well remember The talking Narnian mouse Reepicheep, for his indomitable spirit and courageous valiant attitude. One of the reasons he was on the Voyage in the first place was because of his love of adventure.
I met Bernard when I was just 12 years old. He came to our fellowship to take on the pastorate after a devastating scandalous revelation about the previous leader had decimated us. We went almost overnight from a congregation creeping towards 200 down to just 28. This was the situation when Bernard arrived leaving his successful and thriving church in Bridgnorth, Shropshire to take on a new adventure, because he sensed God was calling him to do so.
Today we said our goodbyes to Bernard and many words have been better said, by people who knew him better. I can't really attempt to do him justice with some huge appraisal of his character or the impact he had on us all. But I have my own memories.
One of the reasons it occurred to me, I think, is because he had been on a voyage, a cruise, at the time of his death. Reepicheep too left his friends story on his final voyage; The voyage of the Dawn Treader.I am not now sat next to a copy of that book, so I am left with only my sketchy memories of the story, but if any of you have read the Narnia Chronicles you may well remember The talking Narnian mouse Reepicheep, for his indomitable spirit and courageous valiant attitude. One of the reasons he was on the Voyage in the first place was because of his love of adventure.
I met Bernard when I was just 12 years old. He came to our fellowship to take on the pastorate after a devastating scandalous revelation about the previous leader had decimated us. We went almost overnight from a congregation creeping towards 200 down to just 28. This was the situation when Bernard arrived leaving his successful and thriving church in Bridgnorth, Shropshire to take on a new adventure, because he sensed God was calling him to do so.
Today we said our goodbyes to Bernard and many words have been better said, by people who knew him better. I can't really attempt to do him justice with some huge appraisal of his character or the impact he had on us all. But I have my own memories.
My
relationship with Bernard was a little fraught for a period, He
started his pastorate with us at the commencement of my adolescence,
and henceforth my most rebellious phase, which did not help matters.
He even kicked me out of church at the age of 16 for my disruptive
behaviour.
But on my return 2 years later, after Jesus drew me back to faith and to fellowship after a turbulent, substance fuelled prodigal period, no-one made me more welcome than Bernard. Although my sensitivity coupled with his penchant for blunt truth-speaking (as he saw it) was sometimes a heady cocktail (Not that I imagine it troubled him much) our mutual fondness grew over the years and we both mellowed a lot, which did not hurt. He officiated at my wedding, and later my mothers funeral, and then a few years on, again at my fathers wedding. He gave his support to every venture I undertook for God, he gave me my first preaching engagement, (and a fair few subsequent ones) he sent me to the same Bible College that he himself had attended, and far more significantly, he never turned me away. He always made time for me. He always made a point of encouraging me.
But as I say, many knew him better and have said it better, but this enduring quality I saw in him was what drew me to compare him to Reepicheep; Bernard was passionate about loving God and not settling for less than what God had for him. He was ever looking forward, to the next thing the Lord had for him, to the hope to come, both in this world and in the coming Kingdom. Whenever I asked him how he was doing, he always said, almost without fail 'I'm in my prime, me!' His positivity was seemingly unbounding in this regard and he was heartily and whole heartedly convinced that the key to everything was being in the presence of God. He was a passionate pursuer of the presence of God.
But on my return 2 years later, after Jesus drew me back to faith and to fellowship after a turbulent, substance fuelled prodigal period, no-one made me more welcome than Bernard. Although my sensitivity coupled with his penchant for blunt truth-speaking (as he saw it) was sometimes a heady cocktail (Not that I imagine it troubled him much) our mutual fondness grew over the years and we both mellowed a lot, which did not hurt. He officiated at my wedding, and later my mothers funeral, and then a few years on, again at my fathers wedding. He gave his support to every venture I undertook for God, he gave me my first preaching engagement, (and a fair few subsequent ones) he sent me to the same Bible College that he himself had attended, and far more significantly, he never turned me away. He always made time for me. He always made a point of encouraging me.
But as I say, many knew him better and have said it better, but this enduring quality I saw in him was what drew me to compare him to Reepicheep; Bernard was passionate about loving God and not settling for less than what God had for him. He was ever looking forward, to the next thing the Lord had for him, to the hope to come, both in this world and in the coming Kingdom. Whenever I asked him how he was doing, he always said, almost without fail 'I'm in my prime, me!' His positivity was seemingly unbounding in this regard and he was heartily and whole heartedly convinced that the key to everything was being in the presence of God. He was a passionate pursuer of the presence of God.
Bernard was something of a natural
when it came to bartering and getting a good deal. He collected coins
and made shrewd investments and always knew a good bargain when he
saw it and knew the value of a thing. One of his favourite characters
(if not his actual favourite) was Jacob, who obtained the blessing and the birth right for the bargain price of a bowl of
soup. I think that translated from the natural to the spiritual.
Jesus tells us a few parables on this theme, the pearl of great price
being one. The man, having seen the pearl, went out and sold all he
had, we are told, so he could buy it. That pearl may represent the
presence of God and I would be convinced that Bernard would have
thought that, the price as high as it was, an absolute
bargain.
Reepicheep, when the ship and it's crew decided to turn back on the return leg of the Journey, decided that he would continue his voyage, in search of Aslan's country. Earlier in the story he made his intentions clear;
Reepicheep, when the ship and it's crew decided to turn back on the return leg of the Journey, decided that he would continue his voyage, in search of Aslan's country. Earlier in the story he made his intentions clear;
“My own plans
are made. While I can I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails
me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east
with my four paws. And when I can swim no more, If I have not reached
Aslan's country...I shall sink with my nose to the Sunrise”
The last time we see Reepicheep in this story, he is courageously
paddling east in his coracle, having left the Ship to return on it's
own.
I saw something of that absolute commitment and determination in
Bernard and his commitment to the pursuit of God, at all costs. And
like Reepicheep, on his final voyage, in one sense, he did not
return. In fact his whole life was a voyage and, In my eyes, he kept
going, not into Aslan's country but into the precious presence he so
persistently sought, this time to stay.
I am so grateful to the Lord to have known this man, and to have had the inspiration of witnessing this burning desire for God for the last 34 years, and to have been warmed by it, and to have caught some of its sparks with which to kindle my own passion.
You have fought the good fight, You have finished the race, you have kept the faith. Now there is in store for you the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award you on that day- and not only to you, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(2 Tim 4:7-8)
I am so grateful to the Lord to have known this man, and to have had the inspiration of witnessing this burning desire for God for the last 34 years, and to have been warmed by it, and to have caught some of its sparks with which to kindle my own passion.
You have fought the good fight, You have finished the race, you have kept the faith. Now there is in store for you the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award you on that day- and not only to you, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(2 Tim 4:7-8)
Thank you Lord Jesus for your servant Bernard and for your grace to
him and your grace to us in knowing him.
All glory and honour to you,
Amen
.
