Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah & Shen. He named it Ebenezer, meaning, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
Well, happy birthday to you! Some of you don’t look a day over 184…
I suspect that someone in the past will have done some research, so you might well know this already. But apart from the opening of this building, do you know what else happened in 1840? Any offers?
- Queen Victoria married her cousin Prince Albert
- David Livingston left Britain for Africa
- The Penny Black – the world’s first adhesive postage stamp – was issued
- And, closer to home, the Stockport viaduct was completed – still one of the largest brick structures in the UK today
1840 was a year of new connections, new horizons, new hopes – and building solidly for the future.
I’m sure that it was in that same spirit that a band of believers gathered here to establish this church, planting their faith deep in God’s promises and with a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. And today, we gather to celebrate the 185th anniversary of this church, a church which on its outside wall has a stone saying: ‘Ebenezer 1840’.
Scrooge
Now most people will immediately think about Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’. And maybe there was a sermon to be had there. Something about transformation from a miserly, self-centred individual to one who was compassionate and generous – with the help of spirits from the past, present and future. And indeed, ‘A Christmas Carol’ first came out within a few years of this building opening. But that ran the risk of you thinking that I was saying you were miserly and self-centred…
But rather I’m sure that the builders of this church had our Bible verses from 1 Samuel in mind when they chose the name. Like the popularity of baby names coming and going, it wasn’t unusual for churches of the time to pick names rooted in the Old Testament such as Bethel, Shiloh or Ebenezer. If it was being opened today, the chances are that you’d call it something like New Spring, New Life or, better still, House on the Rock. I looked up how popular Ebenezer was as a baby name for a boy now – and it was number 2632 on the list! Interestingly, Ezra was at number 8, Elijah was at number 4 and coming in at number 1 was Noah!
Thus far
The name Ebenezer was chosen by the founders of this church to especially remind people of God’s enduring faithfulness because, as we heard in our reading earlier, when Samuel set up a stone, he named it Ebenezer to publicly declare to Israel – and to everyone else then and since: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” It was both a marker of the past and a signpost for the future.
When Samuel raised the stone, he was firstly remembering what had happened in the past. There had been years of warfare and conflict, they had wandered away from the true God but now was a time of repentance. Israel had faced loss, fear, and uncertainty.
It was at this very same spot that they had earlier lost the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines. The Israelites thought they were invincible if they had the Ark with them, that very public symbol of God’s presence, but they lost both the Ark and the battle. Now they don’t have the Ark – but they had repented of their sins and so God gave them victory. Tears became triumph when arrogance turned to humility.
We should learn that outward appearance and show mean nothing if there’s not some substance, some holiness behind it.
In Samuel’s action there was both sorrow for past sin as well as celebration of their recent victory. But through it all, God had preserved them. They’d survived. God had helped them in this place.
Uncertainty
Now, I don’t know the context in which this church was planted here in 1840. Whether they also had problems in the past. But I can imagine that there would have been a mixture of faith and perhaps some uncertainty for the future too.
Because who could have imagined then all the events and changes that would happen in the years to come? The world wars, industrial revolutions, civil rights movements, communication transformations – all of these came after that first simple step of faith 185 years ago.
And yet, through it all, this church of Ebenezer stood. Storms may have come, local, national and international, but this house stood firm—because its foundation has its own Rock: Jesus Christ. And today we can say, as Samuel said: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
The Lord
But “The Lord Has Helped Us” also acknowledges something else – a power greater than our own.
Notice that Samuel did not say, “Thus far our strength has prevailed” or “Thus far our wisdom has guided us.” Instead, he said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
- It was God’s strength that sustained Israel despite its defeats.
- It was God’s mercy that forgave their failures.
- It was God’s providence that secured their future.
And it is the same with us now. We’re not perfect either. We don’t win all the battles that we choose to fight. But this church still stands today, because of the hand of the living God, a God who has watched over His people here from generation to generation. Helped, just a little of course, by some human perseverance and passion and, no doubt, sacrificial giving.
As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:6: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” We’re each part of a faithful chain. All with our parts to play as the years unfold.
Every child that’s been dedicated, every sermon preached, every communion celebrated, every soul saved, every burden lifted—these are all stones in the wall of testimony that the Lord has built here.
A milestone
But the words “thus far” should also remind us that the journey is not yet over. For Samuel and the children of Israel, Ebenezer was a milestone—not the end of the road.
In 1840, a small piece of adhesive paper ¾ inch wide by 7/8 inch tall, and mostly coloured black, was stuck onto an envelope and transformed the delivery of information – but who could possibly have imagined then the speed of communication now.
Things never stand still:
- There are still prayers to be prayed.
- There are still children to teach and disciple.
- There are still weary souls who need the hope of Christ.
The God who has helped us “thus far” will surely carry us onward. As He says in Isaiah 46:4: “Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Every blessing
There’s a hymn called Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It was written by 22-year-old Baptist pastor Robert Robinson in 1758. Baptists along with Methodists and Congregationalists were known as Dissenters at the time since they thought the Church of England was too Catholic. Here are the words to the second verse of that hymn:
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
It is a hymn about God’s amazing grace and faithfulness. A God that seeks us out when we are not seeking him, who showers us with his mercy in Jesus, and holds onto us no matter what, especially when we are not faithful ourselves.
To the future
As we mark this anniversary, we don’t merely look back in nostalgia. We lift our eyes in faith and gratitude to the future, for whatever there is to come.
We can surely say:
- Thus far the Lord has helped us.
- Thus far He has built us.
- Thus far He has blessed us.
- And, with hope, we can declare: He will yet help us still!
‘Ebenezer’ might be a word that sounds old and dated to our ears but this Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church and this church, may the Spirit descend on us again and let today be a fresh Ebenezer—may this be a place of praise for what God has done both here in this building and in each of our lives. But may it also be a mark of our trust for what is yet to come.
Let’s pray: Lord, we thank You for the Ebenezer stones that You continue to set in our lives. Today, we raise a new Ebenezer in our hearts, declaring Your faithfulness in days past and trusting Your hand for days to come. Be glorified in us your church, Lord, now and forever. Amen.
‘Ebenezer – House on the Rock’ was delivered by Ian Banks on 8th June 2025 at Affetside Congregational Church. It was based on 1 Samuel 7:3-15.