GS10: Bishop Bruce Gilberd Memorial Homily

Homily at the memorial service for Bishop Bruce Gilberd
St George’s church, Thames
19 January 2024
Bishop Richard Randerson

It was a hot December night 29 years ago in Goulburn cathedral. It was the occasion of my episcopal ordination and I was very grateful that Bruce had agreed to be the preacher that night. And so it is with a sense of reciprocity and humbleness that I have been asked to preach today on this very different occasion.

I have known Bruce for 62 years from St John’s College days, through shared years in industrial mission in England and Aotearoa, and with lives interwoven ever since.

How many have his book One Thought for Today? – very many I see. The book has 365 daily reflections, and I see it as a compendium of all Bruce has been:

• Daily reference to scripture
• Earthed in the many events of his life and relationships
• Vocation and pilgrimage
• A challenging question and a prayer
• All woven together so that the watermarks of faith are seen in daily living. Bruce liked to talk of divine watermarks in life.
  

Revelation 21 1-7 The text Bruce chose for today.

• A new heaven and a new earth
• Note the location. The holy city coming down from heaven It is here. God dwells with us.
• I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Note that the end means goal or purpose, telos, not a terminus, destruction or death. Death shall be no more.

Footnotes refer back to Isaiah. The prophet writes:

• They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks
• Isa 65: New heaven and earth where people will live long lives
• They shall build houses and live in them
• They shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit
• They shall not bear children for calamity – a poignant note when we think today of Gaza, Ukraine and other places.

So our mission and discipleship is to build the new heaven and a new earth with the watermarks of faith, justice, peace, truth, compassion and being kaitiaki of all creation.

Rev 21.7: Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. These are words of aspiration and promise to Jesus’ disciples.

• Resurrection: Bruce wanted us to be clear on this and we can do no better than reflect on the life-changing encounters the disciples had with the risen Jesus:
• That first morning at the tomb when Jesus said to Mary Magdalene “Mary” and she replied “Rabboni’ – teacher
• Then Thomas who came to the locked room with the disciples and seeing Jesus’ wounds said “My Lord and my God”
• The disciples on the Emmaus road whose heart burned within them as a stranger explained the scriptures to them and became known to them in the breaking of the bread.
• The BBQ breakfast on the beach and it was John who first saw the stranger and said It is the Lord. Peter jumped in the water and went ashore while Jesus cooked some of the 153 fish they had caught. I’m sure Bruce could have explained the 153 fish to us.

On these encounters the Church was built and we know resurrection to be a reality in our own lives today, in the midst of joy and sorrow Jesus comes to us as our constant companion, offering renewed life and hope out of sorrow and loss – not quickly, not easily, but assuredly.

Our hearts reach out today Pat at this time. 60 years married to Bruce. A long life of love and partnership. And also to Catherine and James, Stephen and Michelle, Paul and Jo and the mokopuna Zachary, Lily and Charlie.

May you be sustained by God’s continuing presence and healing love, and know that Bruce remains with you still, and with us all, in the communion of saints.

Henry Nelson Wieman wrote of life after death as hope without prediction. We cannot predict the details of what lies beyond death, but we have hope in the full Christian sense of confidence that in life and in death we are with God.

Into your hands, O Lord, I commit my Spirit. Bruce and I shared Jesus’ words from the Cross a couple of weeks ago. I use them every night before sleeping. They are words of trust and confidence that God is with us in life and in death and beyond death, words we can use daily and finally.

So Bruce, go from us in peace but remain with us still.

Haere, haere, haere atu ra.

May you rest in peace, and may that peace sustain us all.