Saturday, April 22, 2023
And all the people said
amen
what was that?
amen
one more time so my father can hear you?
amen
I have been waiting almost fifty years to do that. My mother and father brought me to this chamber as a child and I watched Oswald J. Smith deliver one of his famous calls to the mission field from this pulpit.
I watched Billy Graham eulogized him from this pulpit.
I've watched some of the best and brightest of God's warriors of faith stand at this pulpit.
At that time I wanted to stand at this pulpit and speak as they spoke.
That childhood dream sat right alongside other notable childhood dreams like a superhero, ... astronauts... published writer, radio announcer.
And each of those dreams my father encouraged me to put them before God in prayer. And I listened as he sat at his desk and prayed for me and my dreams as he oftentimes prayed for each and every one of you.
One by one life grinds down your dreams sometimes life and reality gets in the way.
There are any number of medical professionals who can tell you why the astronaut thing probably won't happen.
I am 52 this year but I remain hopeful about the superhero thing
But many of my dreams came true and all of them dreams my father prayed about.
Radio announcer? My father's proudest moment was driving me to his favorite radio station and dropping me off to intern on his favorite radio show.
Published writer? My father was not a big fan of the Toronto Sun but at home tucked into his wallet is an article written by me.
I lost faith in many of my dreams but one man did not. One man lived his entire life believing that one day he would watch proudly as his son took to the stage and spoke from the heart at this pulpit.
My father believed in the power of prayer when illness brought me to the brink of death Hector Ramsay prayed and believed that God would answer his prayer maybe not as Hector wanted but if there was anything my father believed it was
Not my will but thine
Not my will but thine
My name is Brian Hugh Ramsay wannabe superhero and I stand here alive and mostly of sound mind at the pulpit of the Peoples Church as indelible proof that Hector Jefferson Ramsay's commitment to family and belief in the power of prayer was not in vain.
I'm going to read john20 1-17
I'm going to make Dad happy by reading it from my phone because once my father discovered that all knowledge including proof that he was right when they had DISCUSSIONS was only a Google search away he loved that I rarely went anywhere without it.
Read passage
That verse became the basis for the iconic hynm In The Garden and if you've ever had my father pray for you or your loved ones you know it was one of his favorite hymns.
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing
He loved it's message of a personal relationship with a loving God.
Now thankfully the version of In The Garden he liked best he heard in this very chamber sung by Miss Susan Gerard.
