The Gathering Light... A Christmas Message

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ…

Tonight is Christmas Eve… In keeping with some of the traditions of Christmas, we celebrate the Birth of Christ with carols and candles, and the re-telling of the story through Luke’s Gospel. This evening, at the beginning of the service, we paused to light the Advent Wreath… lighting the four surrounding candles symbolizing prophecy, peace, joy, and love… and then we lit the Christ candle in the center of the wreath… As we lit each successive candle, the light grew in its intensity… And in a few minutes, we will take the light from the Christ Candle, and pass it on to the person next to us… As we stand around the perimeter of the sanctuary and bask in the soft glow of the candlelight, we will sing “Silent Night… Holy Night… All is calm… All is bright…”

We will then blow the candles out… the sanctuary lights will come up, and we will disperse into the night singing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king!”

For a moment now, I would like to ask us to pause and contemplate the intensity and the meaning of that light…

The Light of Christ Jesus is the same light that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah when he observed that “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” And then that light shines upon us… The people walking in darkness… through the darkness of sin… through the darkness of broken hearts and broken relationships… through the darkness of despair and disappointment… those people… you… and I… have seen a great light!

Those people have seen the Living Word… It was of that living word that King David wrote these words… “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path…”

There’s something fascinating about light, isn’t there?

The interesting thing about light is that it has certain properties… certain qualities which are unique to it, and define its characteristics…

It warms… It gives warmth to those who are in its glow… as a ray of sunshine streaming through a window gives warmth and comfort…

It illuminates… One cannot hide a light under a bushel basket, but set it on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house…

It gathers… It draws people into its glow…

By these three properties, I mean to suggest that the Light of Christ transforms our hearts and warms them. Of his own experience with the Holy Spirit, John Wesley observed that his heart was “strangely warmed” by the divine presence in his life…

The Light of Christ illuminates… this evening, the light in this sanctuary is dim, and you can, to a certain degree, tell who is sitting close to you, but you can scarcely tell who is sitting a few pews away from you. But as the light from the candles is passed on, and as the light grows and gathers, you can see more faces… you can recognize more people… And it dawns on you, as the Light of Christ dawns on you, that you are not alone… you are gathered this evening with more than a hundred people for the same purpose… to worship Christ Jesus… Tonight we are in one accord as we gather around the manger. We are focused together on the Light of the World.

I am reminded, not of some scripture at this point, but of words from Simon and Garfunkel… Their memorable song “Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend” contains words which speak of a revelation… of an epiphany. The writer is seemingly wandering around in the darkness, aimlessly, feeling alone and distraught… when “In the naked light I saw ten thousand people, maybe more…”

Suddenly… you realize that there are a lot of people… more and more people streaming into the light as it shines more brilliantly than before… On this night… there are people, too numerous to count, gathering in churches throughout the world… across the 7 Continents… to celebrate the Light of Jesus… to celebrate the Birthday of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Literally a cloud of witnesses to that light… and Paul the Apostle asks the question… “Who can deny such a cloud of witnesses?

John bore witness to that light… to the light shining in the darkness… shining in the streets… in the homeless shelters… behind the WalMart… in the bus terminals… and while the darkness did not understand it… could not comprehend it… still the light shines brightly… testifying to the one… the only… the Bright Morning Star.

The Light of Christ shines for everyone… through every situation… through despair as well as through joy… it shines with God’s love, and the hope of the Savior.

It shines for the mother of the newborn child… it shines for the husband praying by his wife’s hospital bed… it shines for the widow bidding her husband a tearful “good bye” at the graveside… just as it shines for the young man who is happily stunned to hear the words “yes, I will marry you” from the young woman he loves more than life itself…

It shines for the Bride and Groom entering into the vows of marriage… just as it shines for the child celebrating a birthday… “Silent Night… Holy Night… Son of God loves pure light… Radiant streams from thy holy face… with the dawn of redeeming grace… Jesus, Lord, at thy birth… Jesus, Lord at thy birth.”

On a personal note, I must admit that it was rather difficult for me to get into the Joy of Christmas this year… With the economy spiraling out of control… with the hustle and bustle of Christmas Shopping… with the commercialism which has run rampant… Deep down inside, I felt like a Scrooge. I just wasn’t connecting with it… Until the evening of the Christmas Concert at my daughter’s school.

One of the songs that they sang that night declared that “Mary was the first one to carry the Gospel.” It really hit home for me that evening that the real Joy of Christmas isn’t in opening the presents under the tree and in your Christmas Stocking… The real Joy of Christmas is found in the smiles on the faces of those who are closest to you, gathered with you this Christmas. Jesus pointed to you and to me, and said to us “You are the light of the world…” and then passed that light on to us.

The real light of Christmas is not found in the glow of the candles this evening… The real light of Christmas is already here… it is shining in you… and it was ignited in you by God himself.

In the Message translation of the Bible, Jesus gives us these words. “Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

The best gift you can give to others this Christmas is to open yourself to those around you. Share the love of Jesus, let it overflow in your heart, and let that light shine brightly in your heart.

Monica and Amanda, and the whole Beres and Calandra family join me in wishing each of you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas.

I Bid You Peace...

Dr. Ken+

Prophecy: A Birth Announcement

S.B.: Isaiah 9: 2 – 7

It’s almost hard to believe, isn’t it? Once again here we are at the first Sunday in Advent. Last evening we put up the Christmas Tree in the Parsonage living-room, and plugged the tree in to find that more than a few of the bulbs had burned out. “Well, that’s okay,” we thought, “we’ll just go to Ocean State Job Lot after church tomorrow and pick up a strand of while Christmas tree lights, and that will be okay…”

The beautiful thing about the Christmas Tree we have is that after everyone else is asleep, I can tip-toe downstairs to the living-room, turn on the lights, and just admire the tree shimmering with all those lights. I remember last year, putting the tree up, decorating the tree, and then later on that night sitting mesmerized by the dazzling display of ornaments. It was so other-worldly beautiful, that I sat there until it was almost morning before I realized that I had been up all night.
Back in the day that Isaiah wrote down the prophecy that foretold the birth of the coming Messiah, the people were walking in darkness. I do not necessarily mean the sort of darkness that you experience in the middle of the night, but rather the political climate of the day was one of oppression and tyranny, and the economic climate of the day looked grim. The people were walking in darkness, and God was about to do something wonderful… something powerful… something which would change the course of history.

Light was coming into the world… Prophetically, when God was about to do something, he would tell his prophets… he would give a sign… and then, when the time was right, he would roll it out. In this case, light was the sign. John wrote these words…
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

Isaiah got the word from God that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… and it was the same light of which John testified. And he looked back and saw that it was the same light that God called forth at creation

John not only tells us who that light is, but he traces its existence back to the beginning of creation, when God said “let there be light…”

The first candle of the advent wreath, which we lit this morning, symbolizes hope… and the hope of the world is the one person in all of history who is the complete fulfillment of every last prophecy concerning the messiah.
Here’s an interesting fact for you… There are, in the Old Testament, 363 prophecies relating to the messiah…

Question: Out of those 363 prophecies, what are the odds of 10 of these prophecies actually coming to pass…

How about 50 of these prophecies… or 100 of these prophecies… or even 200 of these prophecies?

The fact of the matter is that ALL 363 Old Testament prophecies concerning the messiah were fulfilled in one and only one person in all History… Not one single prophecy was missed… proving conclusively that Jesus was and is the fulfillment of prophecy… that HE alone is Messiah… He alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I could load you down with point after point of prophecy that was fulfilled in Jesus… But I’m not going to… Instead, I am again going to point to the light… In Isaiah 60 we read this wonderful declaration… “arise, shine… for your light has come… and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Jesus is repeatedly referred to in the New Testament as “the light of the world…” The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… He who follows Jesus shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life!”

Today, as we observe the First Sunday in Advent, and later on this morning, as we deck the hall… and as gifts and presents seemingly multiply under the tree, we do not have to wait until Christmas to have the greatest gift of all… This gift does not have the words “Do Not Open Until Christmas…” You can have that gift today… You can know what true love is, and you can personally know the Light of the World.

Later on tonight, as you and your family settle in for the evening, turn on the lights on your Christmas Tree… and say “Thank You” to God for speaking the light of the world into existence… for promising us through the words of the Prophet Isaiah that the Light of the World would roll back the Darkness… and for Jesus being the Light of the World.

That same light has the power to roll back the darkness today… even in the face of political unrest and a grim economy… even in the face of adversity and doubt… when your faith is faltering… when it seems like all hope is gone… when you are walking in darkness… look to the Light of the World… And listen to what God’s word says about you and your relationship with Him… For you are a chosen generation… You are a royal priesthood… You are a Holy Nation… You are a people who belong to God… That you may declare His praises… (listen to this…) because HE has brought you out of darkness… and into HIS marvelous light!

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+

Roll Up Your Sleeves

I Thessalonians 5: 1 – 11
Matthew 25: 14 – 30

In our first text this morning, Paul is tackling an issue which most theologians have debated for years – eschatology – the study of the end times – the second coming of Jesus Christ.

There have been people who would point to this date on the calendar, or that date and claim that this was the day of Christ’s return… only to be disappointed when it didn’t happen. Even as recently as New Year’s Day 2000… Y2K came and went without the trumpet sounding… without the Eastern Sky splitting… and without the return of Jesus at that moment. This only serves to emphasize that we really do not know the day or the hour of HIS return, but we are told to be ready, because the day of the Lord will come suddenly.

The word picture that Paul employs here is very vivid, and very violent – he writes that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

The whole point of Paul’s writing here is that he encourages us to be vigilant… be watchful… be sober… He tells the church at Thessaloniki, and the church at New Bedford, that God has not destined us for wrath, but for salvation through Jesus Christ.

The enemy of our souls would like nothing better than to see God’s children paralyzed with fear with the idea that God is a big, mean old tough guy who only exists to punish his children… not so, says the Lord… God is love… and perfect love casts out all fear…

Romans 8: 1 and 2 echo this point… there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit…

What people do not realize is that God is not angry with you! God loves you so much that he sent his son, Jesus, so that if you believe in him you will not perish, but have everlasting life… God did not send his son into the world to condemn us, but that we might be saved through him! Share the good news! Don’t keep quiet about it! Spread it around! Get ready!

Jesus shared a parable with his disciples one day, telling them not only to get ready, but to use the talents and gifts that God gave them. A businessman was going on a trip. Before he left for his trip, he called three of his household servants together, and gave them each a special assignment. He gave one servant 10 talents… he gave another servant 5 talents… and he gave yet another servant 1 talent. His instructions were to let the talents work… invest the talents, and when he came back from his trip he would see what were the results of those investments. The first servant invested the 10 talents and brought back 20. The second servant also invested his 5 talents and brought back 10. The third servant did something entirely different. He took his talent and buried it in the basement of the house.

When the master came back and called his servants into the boardroom, he was very pleased with the two servants who invested their talents wisely. The third servant was another story. The master looked at his talent, which had been buried, and read him the Riot Act… “You could have at least put the money in the bank and allowed it to accrue interest… you didn’t even do that! Instead, you buried your talent, and didn’t even use it.” He then took the talent from that servant, and gave it to the servant who had been given 10 talents and returned 20.

This point needs to be made… God gives us gifts… God gives us talents… not for our own benefit… the businessman in the parable wasn’t handing out talents simply for the benefit of his servants. He wanted to see how these three servants were going to invest and use the talents. He was concerned with one thing… what would his investment yield?

Jesus also pointed out what would happen if you do not use the talents you were given… One day Jesus was walking along with his disciples when he passed a fig tree. Fig trees are commonplace in the Mediterannean, and so that fact alone was of little consequence. Jesus was apparently hungry, and he wanted a fig. When he saw that this particular fig tree had not borne fruit, he pointed to the tree and said “You have not borne fruit, and you never will again!”

Paul gives us a catalog of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in I Corinthians 11: 1 – 11… He points out first that nobody can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit… so the gifts in this catalog can only be yours if you have a specific relationship… if you have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Then he points out that there are different kinds of gifts… different talents that we are given… but the same spirit… and the same Lord. Wisdom… Word of Knowledge… Faith… Healing… Miraculous Powers… Prophecy… Discernment of Spirits… Speaking in Tongues… Interpretation of Tongues… and the same Holy Spirit gives these gifts to each one as he determines… so I might not have the same gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have, but the overall message to each of us is simple… be ready to use the gifts that God has given you… let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works, and give God all the glory.

The last verse of Chapter 11 is an interesting springboard from the catalog of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to the most famous chapter in the whole Bible… the Love chapter… Paul looks back in this verse, points to each of these gifts, and says “earnestly desire these gifts… but there is something more… and now I will show you the most excellent way…”

What Paul does in the Love chapter is point back again at the gifts, and says that each of the gifts mentioned in the previous chapter… prophecy… healing… faith… miracles… tongues… is meaningless and worthless without the greatest gift… Love.

It had been at least 20 years since I had done any painting or sketching, and yet, while I was away at on retreat one year ago, God rekindled my love for painting, and who knows how that gift may one day be used to share Jesus.

I Timothy 1:6 gives us a kick-start… “rekindle the gift within you…” God’s word tells us that it is not too late to use your gifts to be a blessing to others… it’s not too late to bear fruit and allow God to minister to others through you.

Galatians 6:9 gives us even more encouragement… “Let us not be weary in doing good…”

Yes, it is often the easiest thing, when you are discouraged, when you are tired, when you feel as if all hope is gone, to throw in the towel. My pastor and mentor, Dr. Ken Steigler has often encouraged me by telling me that when I feel like throwing in the towel, I am to pick up the towel, drape it over my arm, and serve.

My word of encouragement for you today is simply this… be ready to use the talents that God gave you, whatever they may be, because he has given you those talents to be a blessing to those people around you… will the master give you even more talents for having borne much fruit, or will the master point at you and say “You haven’t borne any fruit, and you never will again…”

Get ready… be ready… for the day of the Lord… Get ready to use your gifts… roll up your sleeves… put the serving towel over your arm… the King is coming!

I Bid You Peace,
Dr. Ken+