Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
The good news is -- God is always with us even in our darkest hour. He is near whenever we need him and is ready to forgive us again and again no matter what. We just need to believe in God and continue to have faith. He will go through our darkest hour with us and help us to the other side. Carlos Wilton writes the main article this week and Jim Killen writes the another view section of this week's The Immediate Word. There are also illustrations, a worship resource, and a children's sermon included.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Carlos Wilton
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
THE WORLD
"As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him" (Genesis 15:1). We don't know, exactly, what the author means by "deep and terrifying darkness," but it's an image that evokes, to many minds, the experience of depression.
The cover story of the February 26 issue of Newsweek is called "Men and Depression: Facing Darkness." Recent news stories have focused on the mental health problems of various celebrities: Britney Spears, the late Anna Nicole Smith, astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak, to name a few. Certainly, we're all becoming aware of the fact that depression is a much more common ailment than we had hitherto believed.
The story of the rescued climbers from Mount Hood, who endured many hours at brutally cold temperatures, with only the body heat from one another and their dog to sustain them, is likewise one of surviving the darkness.
Abram's way out of the "deep and terrifying darkness" is to walk with God straight through it -- in an eerie covenant-renewal ceremony that is all but impenetrable to us, because it belongs to a culture so different from our own. This ancient story continues to witness powerfully to the truth that the Lord journeys with us, whether we find ourselves walking in darkness or in light.
THE WORD
Abram's "deep and terrifying darkness" descends on him suddenly, and without warning. It's strange that he should feel so frightened, because, as this passage opens, he's just heard the greatest news of his life.
"Look toward heaven and count the stars," the Lord has promised, "if you are able to count them. So shall your descendants be." That's just the sort of pledge a near-eastern nomadic chieftain like Abram would have cherished above all others: a multitude of descendants.
More than that, the Lord has just instructed Abram in the first step of an ancient covenant-making ceremony. The Lord has directed him to bring in the sacrificial animals: a cow, a goat, a ram, and a couple of birds. Abram doesn't need to be told what to do next. He cuts each animal in two, laying the bloody halves across from each other -- forming a grisly gauntlet for the covenant partners to walk.
In the usual order of things, two people making covenant would then walk between the halves of the butchered animals -- thereby witnessing to the general public that, if either one were ever to break that covenant, may it go with them as with the poor, unfortunate beasts. "Cross my heart, and hope to die," kids still say to one another, in making a solemn promise. This is the kind of thing the Lord and Abram are doing.
That's what Abram expects to happen, anyway. But what do you do when your covenant partner is the Lord? You sit down and wait for the Lord to come.
Abram waits a very long time. As the animal-carcasses lie rotting in the hot sun, he continues to wait. He waits so long, he has to run over to the sacrificial site, waving his arms like a madman and shouting (how else to frighten the vultures away?). Still, the Lord does not arrive to seal the bargain.
This is when Abram becomes afraid: afraid of the dark. The sun has gone down, and he falls asleep -- or is it a trance? The "deep and terrifying darkness" descends upon him.
In the darkness, Abram has a vision. "A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the pieces" of the butchered animals. As Abram receives this vision, he knows one thing for certain: The Lord has made covenant with him indeed.
Some parts of the Bible seem utterly foreign to us and, surely, this is one. It's hard for our twenty-first-century listeners to relate to this ancient rite of covenant-making. There is the promise of many descendants... the blood and gore of the butchered animals... the careful precision with which Abram arranges the carcasses, following a ritual older than history -- older, it seems, than time itself.
Maybe the only thing we (and our listeners) can relate to is the darkness -- and our fear of it.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The darkness is the entry-point into this text -- for we have all had experiences of darkness. Whether we call it out-and-out depression, "seasonal affective disorder," or simply "the blues," we've all known the feeling of being trapped by negative emotions.
Depression, of course, is increasingly being recognized as a common -- and medically treatable -- ailment. The old stigma connected with this form of mental illness (such as led former US Senator Tom Eagleton to drop out of the 1972 vice-presidential race in disgrace) is diminishing. The February 26th issue of Newsweek tells of Massachusetts state Senator Bob Antonioni, who not only publicly admitted his struggle with depression, but "was hailed as a hero, and inundated with cards and letters from constituents":
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17190411/site/newsweek/
The psychologists tell us depression is among the most common of mental disorders. The Newsweek article estimates that six million Americans will be diagnosed with it this year (and that number doesn't include the millions more who fail to seek medical help, choosing to tough it out on their own). Sometimes depression is situationally induced, brought on by experiences of grief or loss. Other times, it is chronic -- caused either by a chemical imbalance, or by some mysterious cause medical science can't identify.
Depression, in its mildest form, can be an inconvenience. In its most extreme form, it can be debilitating. Depression can lead its victims to sleep, night and day, or to withdraw themselves from interaction with others, taking shelter behind a barricade of silence.
A starting-point for the sermon could be to ask our listeners if they've ever been afraid of the dark, and to challenge them to recall that experience. Perhaps it was an experience in childhood: of fearing monsters under the bed, or needing a night light to go to sleep. Darkness is an archetypal symbol of fear and dread.
Then, the sermon could go on to tell the story of Abram's journey through darkness, with the Lord by his side. Note that the Lord does not vanquish the darkness, but rather leads Abram through it, one step at a time.
Depression happens to people of faith. At least one spiritual guide thinks it may happen especially to people of faith -- being, according to a certain way of thinking, the flip-side of faith: "In the midst of depression I once asked my spiritual director how I could be feeling such despair when not long before the depression hit I had been feeling so close to God? 'Simple,' she said. 'The closer you get to light, the closer you get to darkness.' The deepest things in life come not singly but in paradoxical pairs, where the light and the dark intermingle." (Parker Palmer, The Active Life: Wisdom for Work, Creativity, and Caring)
The preacher Peter Marshall once uttered this prayer: "Lord, when we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." Sometimes what we need most, in a time of darkness, is not instantaneous light, but perseverance. Just as dawn follows midnight, God's light can be counted upon to enter, in time, even the darkest, most seemingly God-forsaken corners of this human life of ours. What it takes, in such an hour, is a spirit that refuses to be cowed by darkness, that will not permit itself to be inundated by dark floodwaters, but instead decides to ride them to solid ground. Such a persevering human spirit will not hesitate to seek medical help -- for any successful treatment for depression must be holistic, embodying approaches as diverse as pharmaceutical medications, counseling, diet, exercise, and prayer.
The important thing is not to give up. "When you give up on yourself," a wise person has observed, "you've committed a crime, and it carries with it a life sentence." Abram didn't give up. He got up, and did what he had to do to leave his dark place behind. And, he trusted God to be there with him, on the journey to health and wholeness.
There's a well-known story about the nineteenth-century English hymn-writer, William Cowper, the author of "God Moves In A Mysterious Way." Cowper had reached the point, in his spiritual life, that is sometimes called "the dark night of the soul." He felt he had tried every avenue, turned to every understanding person he knew, vainly seeking to lift his depression. But nothing worked. No solution was in sight.
Finally, one foggy night, he called for a horse and driver. Cowper asked the driver to take him to London Bridge. He didn't tell the cabbie it was his plan to commit suicide by throwing himself off the bridge.
Not only was it a foggy night, it was one of those famous London fogs, so thick you could barely see your hand in front of your face. After driving around in the mist for over two hours, the cabbie admitted to his passenger that he was lost. He couldn't find London Bridge, not in that fog. Disgusted by the driver's incompetence, Cowper left the cab. He was sure he could find his way to the river on foot.
Walking but a short distance, Cowper discovered he was back at his own doorstep. He and the cabbie had been driving in circles, all night! It was then that William Cowper caught a vision that was brighter than his interior darkness. He recognized the hand of God at work. Re-entering his house, he turned to the Lord in prayer; and, wonder of wonders, the prayers he had felt bottled up inside him for so long came rushing out, at long last. After the prayers came the warming of his heart, and then the tears.
Cowper then took pen in hand and wrote a poem, that became the basis for this famous hymn:
"O God, in a mysterious way
Great wonders you perform;
You plant your footsteps in the sea,
And ride upon the storm....
O fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head."
Here are some links to websites containing helpful perspectives on faith and depression:
"The Soul in Depression," from the Speaking of Faith American Public Media radio program, 11/11/04:
"Melancholy Leaders," by L. Greg Jones, from The Christian Century, 2/21/06
"Fighting the Noonday Devil," by R. R. Reno, in First Things. August/September 2003:
ANOTHER VIEW
A Second Look -- Everybody Needs A Promise
Jim Killen
Abram left everything that was familiar and dependable and ventured out into the unknown, living day by day trusting God for the fulfillment of a promise that God had made. When he began to doubt that the promise would be fulfilled, he began to be discouraged. It seemed that his life had lost its meaning.
We all need some kind of a promise to give us a reason for getting out of bed in the morning to live another day of life. Depression is an extreme condition of loss of hope. Its causes are sometimes physical and sometimes psychological. It is a real problem for many people. But all of us have times when discouragement overtakes us. When we read the newspapers and learn that the wars are all still going on and that the hatred that generates terrorism is still at work in the world, when we have to keep coping with economic realities that make it more and more difficult to earn a good living for a family, when our careers don't blossom like we had hoped they would -- or when we have lost the career or the life partner -- that once gave life meaning, then discouragement can come, and it can be hard to get out of bed in the morning. Everyone needs a promise of some kind.
Abram was looking for the fulfillment of a very specific promise. We may not need a promise that is that specific. In fact, it may be a mistake to hang our hopes on accomplishing some specific goal, like winning a gold metal in the Olympics or becoming a millionaire by the time you are forty. Things like that can't happen for very many people. Less specific promises can meet the needs that most of us have, promises like the promise that life can be good, or the promise that you can make your life count in the service of some good purpose, or the promise that you do not have to face life alone because somebody cares. Broader promises like that can give us reason to get out of bed in the morning and do our best to make the most of life.
Where can we find a promise like that? Actually, that kind of promise comes with believing in God. The psalmist who gave us Psalm 27 makes that clear. The psalm is an affirmation of faith. The psalmist starts by affirming his belief that God is real and that God is his light and his salvation and his stronghold. He recognizes that his circumstances are sometimes hostile, as in a war or an all-encompassing conflict. He even recognizes that those whom he trusts the most, like his mother and father, could let him down. But he knows that there is another reality, a greater reality, an intangible reality that is more real than the tangible realities that crowd around him. And that reality is God who is for him and who is there to enable him. He ends by saying he believes he will see the goodness of the Lord in this life, in the land of the living. He reminds himself, and any who will listen, to "... be strong, let your heart take courage, and wait for the Lord. Anyone who really believes that life is a gift from a good and loving God has a promise to take hold of.
That promise can serve us in all kinds of difficult situations. Paul reminded the early Christians, who lived in a world whose culture was destructive to everything good, that they did not have to live according to that culture. They were not dependent on any promise it could make. They were citizens of another realm in which God is king and in which there is one who is at work to transform and to make things good (Philippians 3:17--4:1). And Jesus must certainly have been living in complete trust in that greater reality who is his Father and ours, when he went on with courage to fulfill his mission even when he knew it would cost him his life (Luke 13:31-35).
We all need a promise to give us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. The good news is that there is a promise for you. Trust it and live toward its fulfillment.
ILLUSTRATIONS
I remember taking one of those guided tours through Mammoth Cave near Kentucky. As you enter into the large opening, it seems safe enough. However, it doesn't take long for you to twist and turn around various shafts and tunnels to find yourself deep within the bowels of that enormous cave. Once the guide has everyone together, she turns out all the lights. It is so dark that you cannot even see your hand in front of your face. She then explains that in such darkness, the mind plays tricks on you. Within one hour, you will begin to see shapes that are not there. Within two hours, you will be screaming in the darkness. Within three hours you will lose your mind. As we all contemplated her last words, she then said, "Please do not wander off the tour and stay with the group." When she turned on the light, no one had any thoughts of wandering away. Why is it that Jesus said that we love the darkness and hate the light? The darkness only promises death, separation, fear and isolation. And yet, as we read the newspaper and listen to the news, we know his words are true.
* * *
A grandfather took a long walk through the woods with his grandson one day. As the day ended and the large trees cast long shadows, the grandfather decided to use this as a teaching opportunity for his grandson. He waited until the darkness was approaching and then asked his grandson who was enjoying himself throwing rocks and playing in the creek, "Son, do you know which way is the road?" "No," the young boy said. "Son, do you know what direction is the house?" "No." "Do you know how to get out of the woods safely?" The grandson looked up again and shrugged, "No." The grandfather stopped him and said, "Then you are lost, son." And the grandson smiled, took his grandfather's hand and said, "I can't be lost. I'm with you." Isn't that the trust God looks in us? Even when darkness closes in around us, if we remain close to him we can never be lost.
* * *
There is a rite of passage used by certain Native American tribes for young men. They would take this pre-adolescent deep into the woods to a place totally unfamiliar to him. There, the men would live him. His rite of passage would be to remain out in the woods, all alone and spend the night. All night long, the young boy would sit with his back against a large tree, knees pulled close to his chest, staring at the pitch darkness, jumping at every sound, longing for the break of day. And as the darkness slowly began to give way in the morning, he noticed a figure not to far away. Unsure of what this large thing was, he remained motionless and staring. As the daylight slowly came, he soon recognized the figure as his father who had been standing near him all night long with spear in hand making sure that nothing would happen to his son, not that night, not on his watch. Too often, the darkness seems so overwhelming that we feel totally alone. It is the promise of our heavenly Father that he is there, especially in the night, to guard and protect and see us safely through until morning.
* * *
"Saint John of the Cross says that two purifications occur in the dark night of the soul... the first involves stripping us of dependence upon exterior results. We find ourselves less and less impressed with the religion of the "big deal" -- big buildings, big budgets, big productions, big miracles. Not that there is anything wrong with big things, but they are no longer what impress us. Nor are we drawn toward praise and adulation. Not that there is anything wrong with kind and generous remarks, but they are no longer what move us... the final stripping of dependence upon exterior results comes as we become less in control of our destiny and more at the mercy of others. Saint John calls this the 'Passive Dark Night.' It is the condition of Peter, who once girded himself and went where he wanted, but in time found that others girded him and took him where he did not want to go (John 21:18-19).
"The second purifying of Saint John involves stripping us of dependence upon interior results. This is more disturbing and painful than the first purification because it threatens us at the root of all we believe in and have given ourselves to... Through all of this, paradoxically, God is purifying our faith by threatening to destroy it."
-- Richard Foster, Prayer
* * *
"This brings us to the issue of what we do during these times of abandonment. Is there any kind of prayer in which we can engage when we feel forsaken? Yes -- we begin by praying the Prayer of Complaint. This is a form of prayer that has been largely lost in our modern, sanitized religion, but the Bible abounds with it... the best way I know to relearn this time-honored approach to God is by praying that part of the Psalter traditionally known as the Lament Psalms."
-- Richard Foster, Prayer
* * *
God of the darkness
we are afraid
There are dangers and memories
that hurt us and harm us
We are scared of the dark.
God of the night
we are restless
There are snares and distractions
that lure us and trap us
We are wary of the night
God of the shadows
we are uncertain
There are questions and risks
in believing your promise
We are uneasy in the shadows
Come, God of the night
come in the sun that is rising
shine in the darkness and scatter the shadows
Come warm us with love and with light.
-- Ruth Burgess, Praying for the Dawn
* * *
"As the physician might say that there lives perhaps not one single [person] who is in perfect health, so one might say perhaps that there lives not one single [person] who after all is not to some extent in despair, in whose inmost parts there does not dwell a disquietude, a perturbation, a discord, an anxious dread of an unknown something... there has lived no one and there lives no one outside of [the Christian faith] who is not in despair."
-- Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, Princeton University Press, p. 155
* * *
Kierkegaard reminds us of the difference between God's understanding of what we as a human being should be, and our understanding of it. It is when we have come to the point where we are willing to submit ourselves to God in order to be radically transformed by the discipline of that relationship that we can begin to become what we are called to be.
-- Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, Princeton University Press, pp. 16-17
* * *
Bonhoeffer says that the temptation to despair comes when "Satan robs the believer of all joy in the Word of God, all experience of the good God; in place of which he fills the heart with the terrors of the past, of the present and of the future." Complete despair over our future with God can overwhelm our heart. We begin to feel that God was never with us, that God will never forgive us because our sin is so great that it cannot be forgiven.
" 'The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation' (2 Peter 2:9). So we pray, as Jesus Christ has taught us, to the Father in heaven, 'Lead us not into temptation' and we know that our prayer is heard, for all temptation is conquered in Jesus Christ for all time, unto the end."
-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Temptation, Macmillan, pp. 124, 128
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Call To Worship
Leader: How am I to know that God loves me
as God loved Abraham and Sarah?
People: At the center of the covenant
is God's promise, and honor.
Leader: How are you to know that if you cry out
God will listen to you?
People: At the center of our relationship with God
is love.
Leader: How are we to trust what people
like Paul and Jesus tell us is true?
People: At the center of scripture
is the God of mercy and grace.
Prayer Of The Day
Sheltering God:
when we are afraid,
you bring us into your heart;
when we have lost our way,
you give us gentle guides;
when we cry out to you,
you grace us with your presence.
Jesus Christ:
like a mother hen,
you gather up our doubts
and transform them into confidence;
you surround our fears
and transform them into faithfulness;
you pick up our brokenness
and transform us into your Body.
Holy Spirit:
you hold fast to us,
so we might stand firm in the Lord;
you are with us
in the long hours of the night,
so we might wait for the Lord;
you fill us with your gifts,
so we might bless the One
who comes in God's name.
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus teaches,
Our Father...
Call To Reconciliation
God's face is not hidden from us, but turns to us full of grace and mercy. God does not turn away from us in horror, but reaches out to gather us together as brothers and sisters. Let us trust such a God with our prayers of confession, saying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
Refuge of our hearts, we must speak of how we have not made you the center of our lives. We look for shelter in the false security of the world, not in your promises. Our fears are driven by our emotions and decisions, not by our trust in you. We look to the powerful, the beautiful, the athletic to be our role models, instead of the One who comes in your name.
Have mercy on us, our Light and our Hope, and touch us with your forgiving grace. Fill our hearts with your presence, so we might recognize the One who has come to gather us up and lead us into your kingdom, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: God does not give us up to the temptations
and ways of the world, but shelters us with
love, with hope, with grace.
People: We are forgiven people. Our songs of joy
are lifted to the One who forgives us and
saves us. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
People: It is right to give both thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you praise,
Star Maker.
From the depths of the terror of chaos,
you created all that is beautiful and good.
Our grandparents in the faith
could have contemplated the heavens,
but gazed instead
into the shadowed corners of the world,
choosing rebellion, sin, and death.
You sent prophets to call us back
into your glory and grace,
but we ignored their witness,
scoffing at their words.
Yet, you would not let us remain broken,
but sent the Bread which could make us whole.
Therefore we gladly join our voices
with the songs of your people
in heaven and on earth:
Sanctus
Holy are you, God of Grace, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Choosing to leave the shelter of heaven, he comes to gather us into your kingdom; sharing our life in every way, he knows our struggles and our doubts; taking the weight of sin on his shoulders, he carries us into the joy of your grace; broken and dying for our sake, he delivers us from sin and death, creating the new covenant of your heart.
As we remember his life, his death, his rising, we would proclaim that mystery we call faith:
Memorial Acclamation
God of mystery:
pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and on the bread we break
and the cup we share.
Make us one with the risen Christ,
and send us forth to be
sisters and brothers to the world.
Calm the worries and fears of our hearts,
so we might be bearers of your peace;
fill our emptiness with the Bread of Life,
so we might feed the hungry around us;
cool our thirst with the cup of grace,
so we might reach out to all
who travel through the desert of life;
walk with us through the streets of the kingdom,
until we reach our journey's end,
seated around the Table you have prepared
for the redeemed of every time and place.
Then we will merge our shouts of joy
with those who have modeled for us
trust and obedience in you,
singing our praise to you, God of the covenant,
through Jesus Christ, our joy and crown,
and in the oneness of the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
In whose name?
Object: Some business cards
Good morning! Let me show you these cards that I have with me today. Here is one from a man who represents an insurance company. Here's one from my barber and here's one from an appliance store. Now, all of these cards were given to me by someone. Why do you think they gave me their business cards? (let them answer) Yes, that's right. They would like me to use their services and this card tells who they are and what company they represent.
If I decide to use any of their products or services, I can look at this card and see who they are representing. I can know the name of their company and how to reach them; the card has their telephone number, address, and so forth.
Now, Jesus doesn't have a business card, but we know a lot about him and who he represents by all that he did for us while he was living in this world. What are some of the things he did? (let them answer) Yes, he did all that and a lot more! We know that he came in the name of the Lord and that he will come again in the name of the Lord. Anyone who comes in the name of the Lord is truly blessed.
Before Jesus went back up into heaven, he told the people that they would not see him again until the time comes when they say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." We, who believe in him, can say that right now. Let's say it together. (repeat with them) Because we believe in him, we know that he is with us even now as we talk together.
Dear Jesus: Blessed are you who come to us in the name of the Lord. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 4, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Carlos Wilton
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
THE WORLD
"As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him" (Genesis 15:1). We don't know, exactly, what the author means by "deep and terrifying darkness," but it's an image that evokes, to many minds, the experience of depression.
The cover story of the February 26 issue of Newsweek is called "Men and Depression: Facing Darkness." Recent news stories have focused on the mental health problems of various celebrities: Britney Spears, the late Anna Nicole Smith, astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak, to name a few. Certainly, we're all becoming aware of the fact that depression is a much more common ailment than we had hitherto believed.
The story of the rescued climbers from Mount Hood, who endured many hours at brutally cold temperatures, with only the body heat from one another and their dog to sustain them, is likewise one of surviving the darkness.
Abram's way out of the "deep and terrifying darkness" is to walk with God straight through it -- in an eerie covenant-renewal ceremony that is all but impenetrable to us, because it belongs to a culture so different from our own. This ancient story continues to witness powerfully to the truth that the Lord journeys with us, whether we find ourselves walking in darkness or in light.
THE WORD
Abram's "deep and terrifying darkness" descends on him suddenly, and without warning. It's strange that he should feel so frightened, because, as this passage opens, he's just heard the greatest news of his life.
"Look toward heaven and count the stars," the Lord has promised, "if you are able to count them. So shall your descendants be." That's just the sort of pledge a near-eastern nomadic chieftain like Abram would have cherished above all others: a multitude of descendants.
More than that, the Lord has just instructed Abram in the first step of an ancient covenant-making ceremony. The Lord has directed him to bring in the sacrificial animals: a cow, a goat, a ram, and a couple of birds. Abram doesn't need to be told what to do next. He cuts each animal in two, laying the bloody halves across from each other -- forming a grisly gauntlet for the covenant partners to walk.
In the usual order of things, two people making covenant would then walk between the halves of the butchered animals -- thereby witnessing to the general public that, if either one were ever to break that covenant, may it go with them as with the poor, unfortunate beasts. "Cross my heart, and hope to die," kids still say to one another, in making a solemn promise. This is the kind of thing the Lord and Abram are doing.
That's what Abram expects to happen, anyway. But what do you do when your covenant partner is the Lord? You sit down and wait for the Lord to come.
Abram waits a very long time. As the animal-carcasses lie rotting in the hot sun, he continues to wait. He waits so long, he has to run over to the sacrificial site, waving his arms like a madman and shouting (how else to frighten the vultures away?). Still, the Lord does not arrive to seal the bargain.
This is when Abram becomes afraid: afraid of the dark. The sun has gone down, and he falls asleep -- or is it a trance? The "deep and terrifying darkness" descends upon him.
In the darkness, Abram has a vision. "A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the pieces" of the butchered animals. As Abram receives this vision, he knows one thing for certain: The Lord has made covenant with him indeed.
Some parts of the Bible seem utterly foreign to us and, surely, this is one. It's hard for our twenty-first-century listeners to relate to this ancient rite of covenant-making. There is the promise of many descendants... the blood and gore of the butchered animals... the careful precision with which Abram arranges the carcasses, following a ritual older than history -- older, it seems, than time itself.
Maybe the only thing we (and our listeners) can relate to is the darkness -- and our fear of it.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The darkness is the entry-point into this text -- for we have all had experiences of darkness. Whether we call it out-and-out depression, "seasonal affective disorder," or simply "the blues," we've all known the feeling of being trapped by negative emotions.
Depression, of course, is increasingly being recognized as a common -- and medically treatable -- ailment. The old stigma connected with this form of mental illness (such as led former US Senator Tom Eagleton to drop out of the 1972 vice-presidential race in disgrace) is diminishing. The February 26th issue of Newsweek tells of Massachusetts state Senator Bob Antonioni, who not only publicly admitted his struggle with depression, but "was hailed as a hero, and inundated with cards and letters from constituents":
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17190411/site/newsweek/
The psychologists tell us depression is among the most common of mental disorders. The Newsweek article estimates that six million Americans will be diagnosed with it this year (and that number doesn't include the millions more who fail to seek medical help, choosing to tough it out on their own). Sometimes depression is situationally induced, brought on by experiences of grief or loss. Other times, it is chronic -- caused either by a chemical imbalance, or by some mysterious cause medical science can't identify.
Depression, in its mildest form, can be an inconvenience. In its most extreme form, it can be debilitating. Depression can lead its victims to sleep, night and day, or to withdraw themselves from interaction with others, taking shelter behind a barricade of silence.
A starting-point for the sermon could be to ask our listeners if they've ever been afraid of the dark, and to challenge them to recall that experience. Perhaps it was an experience in childhood: of fearing monsters under the bed, or needing a night light to go to sleep. Darkness is an archetypal symbol of fear and dread.
Then, the sermon could go on to tell the story of Abram's journey through darkness, with the Lord by his side. Note that the Lord does not vanquish the darkness, but rather leads Abram through it, one step at a time.
Depression happens to people of faith. At least one spiritual guide thinks it may happen especially to people of faith -- being, according to a certain way of thinking, the flip-side of faith: "In the midst of depression I once asked my spiritual director how I could be feeling such despair when not long before the depression hit I had been feeling so close to God? 'Simple,' she said. 'The closer you get to light, the closer you get to darkness.' The deepest things in life come not singly but in paradoxical pairs, where the light and the dark intermingle." (Parker Palmer, The Active Life: Wisdom for Work, Creativity, and Caring)
The preacher Peter Marshall once uttered this prayer: "Lord, when we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." Sometimes what we need most, in a time of darkness, is not instantaneous light, but perseverance. Just as dawn follows midnight, God's light can be counted upon to enter, in time, even the darkest, most seemingly God-forsaken corners of this human life of ours. What it takes, in such an hour, is a spirit that refuses to be cowed by darkness, that will not permit itself to be inundated by dark floodwaters, but instead decides to ride them to solid ground. Such a persevering human spirit will not hesitate to seek medical help -- for any successful treatment for depression must be holistic, embodying approaches as diverse as pharmaceutical medications, counseling, diet, exercise, and prayer.
The important thing is not to give up. "When you give up on yourself," a wise person has observed, "you've committed a crime, and it carries with it a life sentence." Abram didn't give up. He got up, and did what he had to do to leave his dark place behind. And, he trusted God to be there with him, on the journey to health and wholeness.
There's a well-known story about the nineteenth-century English hymn-writer, William Cowper, the author of "God Moves In A Mysterious Way." Cowper had reached the point, in his spiritual life, that is sometimes called "the dark night of the soul." He felt he had tried every avenue, turned to every understanding person he knew, vainly seeking to lift his depression. But nothing worked. No solution was in sight.
Finally, one foggy night, he called for a horse and driver. Cowper asked the driver to take him to London Bridge. He didn't tell the cabbie it was his plan to commit suicide by throwing himself off the bridge.
Not only was it a foggy night, it was one of those famous London fogs, so thick you could barely see your hand in front of your face. After driving around in the mist for over two hours, the cabbie admitted to his passenger that he was lost. He couldn't find London Bridge, not in that fog. Disgusted by the driver's incompetence, Cowper left the cab. He was sure he could find his way to the river on foot.
Walking but a short distance, Cowper discovered he was back at his own doorstep. He and the cabbie had been driving in circles, all night! It was then that William Cowper caught a vision that was brighter than his interior darkness. He recognized the hand of God at work. Re-entering his house, he turned to the Lord in prayer; and, wonder of wonders, the prayers he had felt bottled up inside him for so long came rushing out, at long last. After the prayers came the warming of his heart, and then the tears.
Cowper then took pen in hand and wrote a poem, that became the basis for this famous hymn:
"O God, in a mysterious way
Great wonders you perform;
You plant your footsteps in the sea,
And ride upon the storm....
O fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head."
Here are some links to websites containing helpful perspectives on faith and depression:
"The Soul in Depression," from the Speaking of Faith American Public Media radio program, 11/11/04:
"Melancholy Leaders," by L. Greg Jones, from The Christian Century, 2/21/06
"Fighting the Noonday Devil," by R. R. Reno, in First Things. August/September 2003:
ANOTHER VIEW
A Second Look -- Everybody Needs A Promise
Jim Killen
Abram left everything that was familiar and dependable and ventured out into the unknown, living day by day trusting God for the fulfillment of a promise that God had made. When he began to doubt that the promise would be fulfilled, he began to be discouraged. It seemed that his life had lost its meaning.
We all need some kind of a promise to give us a reason for getting out of bed in the morning to live another day of life. Depression is an extreme condition of loss of hope. Its causes are sometimes physical and sometimes psychological. It is a real problem for many people. But all of us have times when discouragement overtakes us. When we read the newspapers and learn that the wars are all still going on and that the hatred that generates terrorism is still at work in the world, when we have to keep coping with economic realities that make it more and more difficult to earn a good living for a family, when our careers don't blossom like we had hoped they would -- or when we have lost the career or the life partner -- that once gave life meaning, then discouragement can come, and it can be hard to get out of bed in the morning. Everyone needs a promise of some kind.
Abram was looking for the fulfillment of a very specific promise. We may not need a promise that is that specific. In fact, it may be a mistake to hang our hopes on accomplishing some specific goal, like winning a gold metal in the Olympics or becoming a millionaire by the time you are forty. Things like that can't happen for very many people. Less specific promises can meet the needs that most of us have, promises like the promise that life can be good, or the promise that you can make your life count in the service of some good purpose, or the promise that you do not have to face life alone because somebody cares. Broader promises like that can give us reason to get out of bed in the morning and do our best to make the most of life.
Where can we find a promise like that? Actually, that kind of promise comes with believing in God. The psalmist who gave us Psalm 27 makes that clear. The psalm is an affirmation of faith. The psalmist starts by affirming his belief that God is real and that God is his light and his salvation and his stronghold. He recognizes that his circumstances are sometimes hostile, as in a war or an all-encompassing conflict. He even recognizes that those whom he trusts the most, like his mother and father, could let him down. But he knows that there is another reality, a greater reality, an intangible reality that is more real than the tangible realities that crowd around him. And that reality is God who is for him and who is there to enable him. He ends by saying he believes he will see the goodness of the Lord in this life, in the land of the living. He reminds himself, and any who will listen, to "... be strong, let your heart take courage, and wait for the Lord. Anyone who really believes that life is a gift from a good and loving God has a promise to take hold of.
That promise can serve us in all kinds of difficult situations. Paul reminded the early Christians, who lived in a world whose culture was destructive to everything good, that they did not have to live according to that culture. They were not dependent on any promise it could make. They were citizens of another realm in which God is king and in which there is one who is at work to transform and to make things good (Philippians 3:17--4:1). And Jesus must certainly have been living in complete trust in that greater reality who is his Father and ours, when he went on with courage to fulfill his mission even when he knew it would cost him his life (Luke 13:31-35).
We all need a promise to give us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. The good news is that there is a promise for you. Trust it and live toward its fulfillment.
ILLUSTRATIONS
I remember taking one of those guided tours through Mammoth Cave near Kentucky. As you enter into the large opening, it seems safe enough. However, it doesn't take long for you to twist and turn around various shafts and tunnels to find yourself deep within the bowels of that enormous cave. Once the guide has everyone together, she turns out all the lights. It is so dark that you cannot even see your hand in front of your face. She then explains that in such darkness, the mind plays tricks on you. Within one hour, you will begin to see shapes that are not there. Within two hours, you will be screaming in the darkness. Within three hours you will lose your mind. As we all contemplated her last words, she then said, "Please do not wander off the tour and stay with the group." When she turned on the light, no one had any thoughts of wandering away. Why is it that Jesus said that we love the darkness and hate the light? The darkness only promises death, separation, fear and isolation. And yet, as we read the newspaper and listen to the news, we know his words are true.
* * *
A grandfather took a long walk through the woods with his grandson one day. As the day ended and the large trees cast long shadows, the grandfather decided to use this as a teaching opportunity for his grandson. He waited until the darkness was approaching and then asked his grandson who was enjoying himself throwing rocks and playing in the creek, "Son, do you know which way is the road?" "No," the young boy said. "Son, do you know what direction is the house?" "No." "Do you know how to get out of the woods safely?" The grandson looked up again and shrugged, "No." The grandfather stopped him and said, "Then you are lost, son." And the grandson smiled, took his grandfather's hand and said, "I can't be lost. I'm with you." Isn't that the trust God looks in us? Even when darkness closes in around us, if we remain close to him we can never be lost.
* * *
There is a rite of passage used by certain Native American tribes for young men. They would take this pre-adolescent deep into the woods to a place totally unfamiliar to him. There, the men would live him. His rite of passage would be to remain out in the woods, all alone and spend the night. All night long, the young boy would sit with his back against a large tree, knees pulled close to his chest, staring at the pitch darkness, jumping at every sound, longing for the break of day. And as the darkness slowly began to give way in the morning, he noticed a figure not to far away. Unsure of what this large thing was, he remained motionless and staring. As the daylight slowly came, he soon recognized the figure as his father who had been standing near him all night long with spear in hand making sure that nothing would happen to his son, not that night, not on his watch. Too often, the darkness seems so overwhelming that we feel totally alone. It is the promise of our heavenly Father that he is there, especially in the night, to guard and protect and see us safely through until morning.
* * *
"Saint John of the Cross says that two purifications occur in the dark night of the soul... the first involves stripping us of dependence upon exterior results. We find ourselves less and less impressed with the religion of the "big deal" -- big buildings, big budgets, big productions, big miracles. Not that there is anything wrong with big things, but they are no longer what impress us. Nor are we drawn toward praise and adulation. Not that there is anything wrong with kind and generous remarks, but they are no longer what move us... the final stripping of dependence upon exterior results comes as we become less in control of our destiny and more at the mercy of others. Saint John calls this the 'Passive Dark Night.' It is the condition of Peter, who once girded himself and went where he wanted, but in time found that others girded him and took him where he did not want to go (John 21:18-19).
"The second purifying of Saint John involves stripping us of dependence upon interior results. This is more disturbing and painful than the first purification because it threatens us at the root of all we believe in and have given ourselves to... Through all of this, paradoxically, God is purifying our faith by threatening to destroy it."
-- Richard Foster, Prayer
* * *
"This brings us to the issue of what we do during these times of abandonment. Is there any kind of prayer in which we can engage when we feel forsaken? Yes -- we begin by praying the Prayer of Complaint. This is a form of prayer that has been largely lost in our modern, sanitized religion, but the Bible abounds with it... the best way I know to relearn this time-honored approach to God is by praying that part of the Psalter traditionally known as the Lament Psalms."
-- Richard Foster, Prayer
* * *
God of the darkness
we are afraid
There are dangers and memories
that hurt us and harm us
We are scared of the dark.
God of the night
we are restless
There are snares and distractions
that lure us and trap us
We are wary of the night
God of the shadows
we are uncertain
There are questions and risks
in believing your promise
We are uneasy in the shadows
Come, God of the night
come in the sun that is rising
shine in the darkness and scatter the shadows
Come warm us with love and with light.
-- Ruth Burgess, Praying for the Dawn
* * *
"As the physician might say that there lives perhaps not one single [person] who is in perfect health, so one might say perhaps that there lives not one single [person] who after all is not to some extent in despair, in whose inmost parts there does not dwell a disquietude, a perturbation, a discord, an anxious dread of an unknown something... there has lived no one and there lives no one outside of [the Christian faith] who is not in despair."
-- Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, Princeton University Press, p. 155
* * *
Kierkegaard reminds us of the difference between God's understanding of what we as a human being should be, and our understanding of it. It is when we have come to the point where we are willing to submit ourselves to God in order to be radically transformed by the discipline of that relationship that we can begin to become what we are called to be.
-- Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, Princeton University Press, pp. 16-17
* * *
Bonhoeffer says that the temptation to despair comes when "Satan robs the believer of all joy in the Word of God, all experience of the good God; in place of which he fills the heart with the terrors of the past, of the present and of the future." Complete despair over our future with God can overwhelm our heart. We begin to feel that God was never with us, that God will never forgive us because our sin is so great that it cannot be forgiven.
" 'The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation' (2 Peter 2:9). So we pray, as Jesus Christ has taught us, to the Father in heaven, 'Lead us not into temptation' and we know that our prayer is heard, for all temptation is conquered in Jesus Christ for all time, unto the end."
-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Temptation, Macmillan, pp. 124, 128
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Call To Worship
Leader: How am I to know that God loves me
as God loved Abraham and Sarah?
People: At the center of the covenant
is God's promise, and honor.
Leader: How are you to know that if you cry out
God will listen to you?
People: At the center of our relationship with God
is love.
Leader: How are we to trust what people
like Paul and Jesus tell us is true?
People: At the center of scripture
is the God of mercy and grace.
Prayer Of The Day
Sheltering God:
when we are afraid,
you bring us into your heart;
when we have lost our way,
you give us gentle guides;
when we cry out to you,
you grace us with your presence.
Jesus Christ:
like a mother hen,
you gather up our doubts
and transform them into confidence;
you surround our fears
and transform them into faithfulness;
you pick up our brokenness
and transform us into your Body.
Holy Spirit:
you hold fast to us,
so we might stand firm in the Lord;
you are with us
in the long hours of the night,
so we might wait for the Lord;
you fill us with your gifts,
so we might bless the One
who comes in God's name.
God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus teaches,
Our Father...
Call To Reconciliation
God's face is not hidden from us, but turns to us full of grace and mercy. God does not turn away from us in horror, but reaches out to gather us together as brothers and sisters. Let us trust such a God with our prayers of confession, saying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
Refuge of our hearts, we must speak of how we have not made you the center of our lives. We look for shelter in the false security of the world, not in your promises. Our fears are driven by our emotions and decisions, not by our trust in you. We look to the powerful, the beautiful, the athletic to be our role models, instead of the One who comes in your name.
Have mercy on us, our Light and our Hope, and touch us with your forgiving grace. Fill our hearts with your presence, so we might recognize the One who has come to gather us up and lead us into your kingdom, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: God does not give us up to the temptations
and ways of the world, but shelters us with
love, with hope, with grace.
People: We are forgiven people. Our songs of joy
are lifted to the One who forgives us and
saves us. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
People: It is right to give both thanks and praise.
It is indeed right to give you praise,
Star Maker.
From the depths of the terror of chaos,
you created all that is beautiful and good.
Our grandparents in the faith
could have contemplated the heavens,
but gazed instead
into the shadowed corners of the world,
choosing rebellion, sin, and death.
You sent prophets to call us back
into your glory and grace,
but we ignored their witness,
scoffing at their words.
Yet, you would not let us remain broken,
but sent the Bread which could make us whole.
Therefore we gladly join our voices
with the songs of your people
in heaven and on earth:
Sanctus
Holy are you, God of Grace, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Choosing to leave the shelter of heaven, he comes to gather us into your kingdom; sharing our life in every way, he knows our struggles and our doubts; taking the weight of sin on his shoulders, he carries us into the joy of your grace; broken and dying for our sake, he delivers us from sin and death, creating the new covenant of your heart.
As we remember his life, his death, his rising, we would proclaim that mystery we call faith:
Memorial Acclamation
God of mystery:
pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and on the bread we break
and the cup we share.
Make us one with the risen Christ,
and send us forth to be
sisters and brothers to the world.
Calm the worries and fears of our hearts,
so we might be bearers of your peace;
fill our emptiness with the Bread of Life,
so we might feed the hungry around us;
cool our thirst with the cup of grace,
so we might reach out to all
who travel through the desert of life;
walk with us through the streets of the kingdom,
until we reach our journey's end,
seated around the Table you have prepared
for the redeemed of every time and place.
Then we will merge our shouts of joy
with those who have modeled for us
trust and obedience in you,
singing our praise to you, God of the covenant,
through Jesus Christ, our joy and crown,
and in the oneness of the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
In whose name?
Object: Some business cards
Good morning! Let me show you these cards that I have with me today. Here is one from a man who represents an insurance company. Here's one from my barber and here's one from an appliance store. Now, all of these cards were given to me by someone. Why do you think they gave me their business cards? (let them answer) Yes, that's right. They would like me to use their services and this card tells who they are and what company they represent.
If I decide to use any of their products or services, I can look at this card and see who they are representing. I can know the name of their company and how to reach them; the card has their telephone number, address, and so forth.
Now, Jesus doesn't have a business card, but we know a lot about him and who he represents by all that he did for us while he was living in this world. What are some of the things he did? (let them answer) Yes, he did all that and a lot more! We know that he came in the name of the Lord and that he will come again in the name of the Lord. Anyone who comes in the name of the Lord is truly blessed.
Before Jesus went back up into heaven, he told the people that they would not see him again until the time comes when they say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." We, who believe in him, can say that right now. Let's say it together. (repeat with them) Because we believe in him, we know that he is with us even now as we talk together.
Dear Jesus: Blessed are you who come to us in the name of the Lord. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 4, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
