POW-CA Chapter 100 Year Thanksgiving Service on July 6, 2025, in Rancho Cucamonga, California

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Brother J. Reynold Weeks delivered the sermon during the Thanksgiving service.

[Transcript]

Good afternoon, UMC Cucamonga! President Reggie Samuels, officers, and members of the Prince of Wales Alumni Association of California, members of the clergy, and guests.

May God’s grace and mercy be multiplied to each of you this afternoon.

I am very grateful to President Reggie Samuels and the officers of my Alma Mater for allowing me to proclaim the Word of God to you at this significant Centennial celebration of a school like no other in Sierra Leone that sends forth truer gentlemen and stands on firmer ground.

You know if I were at the beginning of time and given the possibility of taking a kind of general and panoramic view of Prince of Wales’ history up to now, and the Almighty asked me, Reynold, which age would you like to visit?

I would first take my mental flight to April 6, 1925, when the school was officially inaugurated by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. A school intended to serve as a model for a balanced and high-quality secondary education. And in my company are Ernest French, Sanusi Mustapha, Sylvanus Juxon-Smith, Cyril Rogers-Wright, Harry Sawyerr, Amadu Cole, Faltihu Iscandri, and 114 other legendary figures who form the class of 1925.

I would continue my flight to 1936 when the late Principal William J Davies MBE introduced the school song “Come swell the chorus one and all and join the ranks with me; Prosperity to the Prince's boys upstanding three times three”

But I will not stop there, I will take my mental flight to 1964 when I lined up with other young, eager boys for “Kennedy,” a cup of warm milk, some bulgur with stew, and the occasional pancake.

Pa Willie at the woodwork building where the English language was shabby.

Even then, I will not stop there, I will then take my mental flight to Pa Willie at the woodwork building, where the English language was shabby and if made fun of, will get you to visit Pa Gabbidon’s office, where a chair and some well-preserved canes will tantalize your buttocks.

Even then, I will not stop there; I will take my mental flight into the Science Lab, which for decades stood as a beacon of scientific progress and high academic excellence. In there, I can smell the hydrogen sulfide which has permeated the air, and see the sixth formers beaming proudly, wanting me to know they hold the key to many scientific secrets. And while there, I will peek into the geography lab where I could hear the Scottish man Mr Bacon say, “ If the earth were flat, the place would be marshy.” With a huge smile, I will climb the steps to the 2nd floor to take a peek in the Arts lab where the genius Mr. Vandi would be teaching students how to paint masterpieces.

‘Gabby ar werr am, ar werr am oh!’

And finally, I will take my mental flight to form 2A, where the Math teacher, Mr. Inyang, being made fun of for falling asleep at his desk, threw his wooden duster at the provocateur, missing him badly, hitting and cutting open the head of Berthan Macauley Jr, son of the Queens Counsel Berthan Macauley Sr. I can still hear the frantic Inyang saying as he ran down the stairs to Pa Gabidon’s office: Gabby ar werr am, ar werr am oh!

On this, my final flight, I ended up in Ivan Benjamin’s PE class, where with my tiny 110 lbs frame, he paired me with Ada Yakubu, weighing a whopping 250 plus pounds, for a wrestling match that landed me at Connaught hospital with a fractured sternum.

But strangely, I will turn to the Almighty and say: If You will, let me take one last swim at “Pole” in the Atlantic Ocean just south of the principal’s office. Oh no! Here comes senior prefect - Seray Wurie, he’s collecting our uniforms and shoes from the shore, we will have to walk to Principal A W Rogers’s office, doing our best to cover up our nakedness.

Thank you, Prince of Wales Secondary School! Thank you!

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Today’s sermon is taken from the Gospel just read:

Matthew chapter 25 verses 14-30. And Paul’s reference in Philippians 1:6 is the chosen theme for this Centennial celebration.

The Gospel is subtitled “The Parable of Talents,” And in it, Jesus helps us understand what it means to be ready for His second coming.

For those who are new to Christian terminology. The word parable simply means a story drawn from everyday life using everyday illustrations to express a deeper truth.

Church, let me declare to you that this “parable of talents” is more about Jesus’ second coming. You see, He wants us to be watching and to be ready.

It is God who begins the "good work" in a believer's life, which is the work of salvation, including justification (being made right with God) and sanctification (the process of becoming more like Christ). And He is faithful to continue this work until Jesus returns.

My Sermon topic is: “What will the Master who began this work (of excellence) in you say to you at its completion?”

“The parable of talents.”

Allow me to first clarify the Bible's use of the word “talent”.

Usually, when we use the word talent, we attribute it to somebody with an exceptional ability: someone who can sing, or someone who can write a bestseller, or paint a masterpiece. We even have a TV show called America’s Got Talent.

But in the Bible, “Talent” has nothing to do with human ability. The word talent in the Bible is a unit of measurement. It is a weight of roughly 75 pounds and is always used in relation to money, be it silver or gold. In both the Old and New Testaments, references are made to a talent or multiple talents of gold and of silver. To put this into perspective, a single talent of silver back in Jesus’ day was worth about 20 years of wages. Let me repeat that: “A Talent in Jesus’ day was worth about 20 years of wages.”

With this background, we can now better understand the use and meaning of the word Talent in its Biblical sense.

“The Parable of Talents”

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and another one, to each according to his ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time, the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we pray that you will speak to us through this parable and that you will help us to be ready for your second coming. Let us be hearers and doers of Your Word. That being ready, we will joyfully anticipate your return.

We pray for Your clarity, boldness, and perseverance so that we will run the race and finish it well, in Jesus’ mighty name, and everybody says, Amen!

I think that this is one of the most difficult of Jesus’ parables to understand. I say so because I have heard it preached in so many different ways. Most with a common trend to interpret it with an eye on the practical aspects of it and not on the eternal. I am not saying it’s wrong to look at this parable in terms of its practical aspects. We are going to do a little bit of that ourselves today. But if all we do is interpret this parable as a matter of practical advice for everyday Christian living, then we will miss its greater, and more important, eternal significance.

Jesus highlights that at the end of the parable. In verse 30 when He says, “Cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” That’s the highlight, Church! And that is an Eternal outlook.

When you hear the words, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth, if you have an understanding of the Bible, you know that those are idioms that refer to HELL!

With its eternal suffering. The Bible speaks of hell as a place of unquenchable fire. Oddly enough to us Christians, it must be a fire that does not cast out light, because in addition to the Bible saying that it is a place of unquenchable fire, it also says it is a place of outer darkness. Unquenchable fire, outer darkness, weeping and grinding of teeth, all idioms for suffering, and relative to an understanding of hell. So Jesus is trying to teach us in this parable that our actions here on earth have practical and eternal consequences. The greater being is the eternal, as we will see in the story.

Now let’s look at the practical side of this parable, because I do think there’s value in seeing this as a way to help us understand the principles for everyday living, especially as Christians or as followers of Christ.

This wealthy Master is going away on vacation or a business trip. He doesn’t say how long he’s going to be away. But before he travels, he entrusts to his servants a measure of his wealth and property for safekeeping or managing. It should be noted that he is careful to entrust only certain amounts of his wealth and property to certain individuals. Verse 15 states, “he proportions out his wealth according to the abilities of the servants.”

You see, He entrusts more to some than he does to others. He did so in proportion to their abilities.

QUESTION- Was the Master showing preferential treatment by giving one servant 5 talents and another 2, and another, one? The answer is an unambiguous NO!

You see, the Master was honoring each individual with what he or she could successfully handle. The passage says, “according to their ability.” You see, if someone is not qualified or doesn’t have the proper skill set, or the job is beyond their ability to handle successfully, then it is a MERCIFUL thing to pass that someone over. It is! Because, to entrust a high level of responsibility to someone who lacks the skill set or the job qualifications, temperament, and or the desire, could crush that individual. If you load someone up with a responsibility for which they are not prepared, you are setting them up for failure, and it is not a good thing. You see, the Master’s action did not show preference. It showed a deference. He gave each servant what he or she could properly handle, so that they might be most successful. That’s leadership 101!

You do not put people in positions or give them responsibilities that will set them up for failure. You should want people to succeed. So, this Master is handing out talents proportional to the ability of the servants: That is what the Gospel says:

He looks at the first servant and says, he has a lot of leadership skills and is a visionary and is very faithful, he gives him 5 talents. The second servant may not really be a visionary, but is detailed, and he gets the job done, as long as you can give him the task and let him know when it needs to be completed. He receives 2 talents. For the third servant, the Master must have looked at him and said, “I don’t even know why I have him here, but you know, once in a while he comes up with a pretty good idea, he receives 1 talent.

In summary

Our talents represent resources, abilities, and opportunities entrusted to us by God. And these gifts are to be used to generate a return for God and His kingdom.

This means you and I should actively engage in some form of stewardship and not neglect our God given gifts or opportunities.

Again, God gives different amounts to each person based on their ability, showing that not everyone is created equal in terms of gifts or resources. Let me stress the point- The purpose of using our talents and or our gifts is for the Master's gain and glory, and not for our selfish pride.

Our Heavenly Father, on a practical level, wants accountability for how our talents are used. This accountability is based on faithfulness. In the parable, the faithful servants are rewarded with greater responsibilities and joy, while the unfaithful servant is judged harshly and loses all opportunity.

Looking at the Eternal aspect, this parable emphasizes that everything, including abilities, resources, opportunities, and circumstances, are gift entrusted to each one of us by God to serve Him. We are accountable for how these gifts are used, and God expects us to faithfully use them for His glory and the benefit of others.

Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:6, the theme for these Centennial celebrations, tells us God’s work is guaranteed. Paul’s confidence stems from the belief that God is committed to finishing what He starts in the lives of believers. This is a promise of God's faithfulness and unwavering commitment until the "day of Jesus":

You see, at the Second Coming of Christ, believers will be fully transformed and glorified, their faith made perfect.

The parable states that the Master goes away immediately for a long time and suddenly returns.

Well, Jesus has been gone for a long time now, and we are told by Him, His return will be sudden.

Each of the servants in the parable gave an account on the Master’s return. Just like each one of us will have to give an account of our lives when Jesus comes back.

The first servant who was given 5 talents gave an account of what he did with the talents. Maybe he dabbled in stocks, because he doubled his five talents. And the passage says: “he gave all ten talents to the master. Folks, he was faithful. I am sure the Master would have been pleased to receive 7 or 8 talents from him.

He did not do the: “Ous sy you tie cow na dae ee go eat grass, NO!

He gave the Master all 10 talents. And his Master said to him in verse 21, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Fellow Princewaleans: “What will the Master who began this work (of excellence) in you say to you at its completion?”

The second servant comes along, and he gives an account for the 2 talents he was given; he also had doubled his talents, and he gives back all 4 talents.

The Master repeats in verse 23 the “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

The third servant, when called to give account, delivered a blistering criticism of the master: in verses 24 and 25, we read:

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.”

Hmm! Maybe, just maybe, that will be the account given to the Prince of Wales alumni association if they inquire why, with all the bonuses and incentives given to teachers, the school and its students got a failed report and a cheating scandal.

The Master replied: “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my coming, I would have received back my own with interest. His talent was taken from him and given to him who had ten talents.

Well, will the statement from the Prince of Wales Alumni Association to the teachers be similar to the Master’s rebuke of the 3rd servant? Just asking!

You see, the servants who multiplied their talents were commended as "good and faithful" and were invited to "enter into the joy of their master". This speaks of the eternal reward of living in intimate fellowship with God and being entrusted with greater responsibilities in His kingdom.

The "wicked and lazy" servant who hid his talent is condemned and cast into "outer darkness". This consequence highlights the eternal implications of neglecting or rejecting God's entrusted gifts and opportunities; it leads to separation from the joy and blessings of God’s presence.

The master's sudden return symbolizes Christ's second coming, when believers will be held accountable for their stewardship.

Faith is the Foundation of Action, my friends. This parable emphasizes that faith, not fear, is the driving force behind faithful stewardship. The first two servants acted with confidence because they trusted their master, while the third servant's fear led to inaction and negative consequences. Let me say this to you: Faithful stewardship is crucial for eternal destiny!

In conclusion, the parable of Talents calls for us to be productive and faithful stewards of the resources and opportunities God has given us. It urges us to use those talents and abilities to glorify God and to serve His kingdom. We are not to be paralyzed by fear; we should be empowered by faith. Fellow Princewaleans step out and take risks, for God's sake and the Kingdom.

Jesus will return to settle accounts with us. He will hold us accountable for what we have done with what He has entrusted to us.

So let us strive to be counted among the faithful, those who have invested and multiplied what God has given them. If we do, we will hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master".

May I ask: Are you confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus? Are you?

Always remember we are not alone in our spiritual journey. God is actively working in us even when we stumble or face challenges. He will successfully bring His work to completion.

Only Jesus Christ can save our souls and give us eternal life if we believe. And so we must share the good news of Jesus Christ with others that they also might be saved. That will be a wonderful return on the Master’s investment. Amen?

Heavenly Father, I pray that all under my voice this afternoon might be able at the end of their lives to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter the joy of your Lord.” Amen and Amen!

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“RELATED UPDATE: POW Inaugural Thanksgiving Booklet”

— Source: Australia Chapter | September 7, 2025 (AEST Time Zone)

POW Inaugural Thanksgiving Booklet - Australia Chapter

Thanks for all your congratulatory messages. Inaugural Thanksgiving Booklet.

Special shout-out to the unknown user for your encouragement to create a booklet as a keepsake for this historic event, September 7, 2025 (Australia Time Zone).