See The Light, Live The Light, Shine The Light
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
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Worship
In a world riven by divisions of many kinds, it seems more imperative than ever for us to find what binds us together rather than focusing on the ways we separate ourselves from one another. As team member Beth Herrinton-Hodge observes in the next installment of The Immediate Word, we base our perception of other people and the world on a series of dichotomies -- with the inevitable result that we think of opposing tribes of “us” and “them,” with a sense of judgmentalism about those who differ from us. So how can we go about bridging the divide? Beth notes that this week’s Ephesians text offers a solution by evoking the dichotomy of light and darkness. Rather than trying to eliminate or “fix” the things that separate us, we should focus on bringing light through the living example of our lives, rather than remaining in the comfort zone of darkness. When we live in ways that are pleasing to the Lord, that upends our dichotomies -- something that Jesus specializes in, as memorably depicted in this week’s gospel text.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the gospel text, seeing a common thread in the story of the blind man’s restoration of sight and those of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In each case, Mary observes, there are echoes of the bringing of light in John’s creation story -- and Nicodemus, the woman, and the blind man all become new creations following their encounter with Christ. Still, the metaphor of spiritual blindness is a powerful element in the story -- not only with the blind man prior to his healing representing our state of spiritual blindness before accepting Jesus, but also the spiritual blindness embodied by the various people (neighbors, Pharisees, parents) who question the man’s healing. Mary asks us to consider whether, after becoming children of the light, we will be able to see as clearly as the formerly blind man does following his meeting with Jesus.
See the Light, Live the Light, Shine the Light
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
John 9:1-41; Ephesians 5:8-14
In the News
We are not strangers to polarities. The world seems easier to get our head around as we construct dichotomies:
male and female
black and white
old and young
haves and have-nots
red states and blue states
voters and non-voters
rich and poor
educated and uneducated
good and bad
insured and uninsured
for and against
legal and illegal
saved and not saved
left and right
rural and urban
There is no shortage of examples in the media and in our daily lives that illustrate our tendencies to choose one side to live and support. We readily align ourselves with one side or another. We find kinship among those who are on “our” side.
There are benefits and challenges that come when society aligns itself on one side or another. There is strength in numbers. Where people find solidarity, their courage is strengthened so they are more likely to speak up or speak out, to do what is right or do what is wrong. People’s viewpoints can also become limited when they surround themselves with one particular voice. Those who seek to influence opinions and actions in a particular direction need only to appeal to like-minded groups with targeted messages.
A frustrating reality that we find ourselves in these days is the national polarity that is fed by our news sources. A Harvard University study on the way the right-wing news media ecosystem affects the broader media agenda illustrates the influence of media on our polarization.
A study of more than 1.25 million stories published online between April 1, 2015 and Election Day 2016 showed that political polarization is more common among conservatives than liberals -- and that the exaggerations and falsehoods emanating from right-wing media outlets such as Breitbart News have infected mainstream discourse.
The Harvard study showed pro-Clinton audiences were highly attentive to traditional media outlets along with more left-oriented online sites, while pro-Trump audiences paid a majority of their attention to right-leaning outlets such as Breitbart, Fox News, and InfoWars, with less crossover to traditional media. There is asymmetry in the polarization. Various media outlets continue to feed the growing divide in our nation to press specific agendas and to influence large groups of people.
While taking sides is not a sin -- some may even call it human nature -- it can limit people’s willingness or ability to come together as a united people and can feed mistrust of “the other.”
In the Scriptures
In the Ephesians text this week, the dichotomy of light and darkness are presented. The author builds on the human reality of aligning with like-minded and like-acting people. A specific side is lifted above the other: “Once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light” (v. 8).
I am reminded of a favorite Call to Worship litany built on 1 Peter 2:10:
Leader: Once you were not a people.
People: Now we are God’s people.
Leader: Once you had not received mercy.
People: Now we have received mercy.
Unison: Let us live as children of God.
What implications do these dichotomies have for God’s people, for Christ’s followers, for us?
The writer of Ephesians comes down on the side of light over darkness. Live as children of light. Fully embrace it. Let the light that is yours in Christ shine -- try to find what is pleasing to God, what is good and right and true.
We can align ourselves on one side. We find kinship among those who are on the side of light. We are strengthened to live fully as children of light, to expose unfruitful works of darkness, and to let Christ’s light shine through us.
See the Light, live the Light, shine the Light.
The central message in the Ephesians letter is about discipleship. The light/dark imagery is held out to a unified church that finds itself having to stand and resist the threats posed by the darker powers of the world. The letter depicts the Christian life as a battle against worldly powers (6:10-18). The message is: Jesus has overcome the darker forces in the world; his light now rules the cosmos.
Christ’s followers are called to leave behind practices of alienation and hostility taught by the world. We are to embody Christ’s vision of reconciliation, peace, and human unity, and to show forth Christ’s comprehensive reign in heaven and on earth.
We assume that the man born blind in John’s gospel had never seen light. Yet once he is cleansed and his sight is restored, he sees Jesus. He knows Jesus as a prophet. He sees the light of the Lord.
Our gospel text is filled with light and darkness, though these are not labeled as such.
* In darkness, the disciples question Jesus about the sinfulness that caused the man’s blindness.
* In light, Jesus restores the sight of the man born blind.
* In light, the man follows Jesus’ instructions for cleansing himself and returns with his sight restored.
* In darkness, the Pharisees investigate the healing.
* In darkness, the people bring the formerly blind man to the Pharisees, revealing that Jesus healed the man on a sabbath day.
* In light, the formerly blind man tells about the process of his healing and acknowledges Jesus as a prophet.
* In darkness, the elite Jews didn’t believe the blind man had received his sight.
* In darkness, the blind man’s parents step away from admitting how their son’s sight was restored.
* In light, the man bears witness to the astonishing thing he has experienced. He knows that the one who healed him is from God.
* In darkness, the Pharisees drive out the man who can now see.
* In light, the man confesses his belief in Jesus as Lord and worships him.
* In darkness, the Pharisees doubt their own blindness.
It seems that the one born without sight is the only one in the text who sees the light that is in Jesus. It is in this seeing that the man is able to confess Jesus as Lord and live in Jesus’ light.
Jesus said, “I came into the world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind” (John 9:39).
Here is one who came to shake up our dichotomies, exposing the blindness of the Pharisees, the Jewish elite, and the blind man’s parents who were unable to see or discern Jesus’ identity. We see how the blind man is transformed with a growing understanding of Jesus’ identity. Initially, the man is a passive recipient of Jesus’ actions -- receiving a spread of mud on his eyes, then going to wash in a pool as Jesus instructed him. As his sight is restored, he proclaims Jesus as a prophet -- then confesses his belief in Jesus and worships him.
In the Sermon
In response to all of this, how do we see the light?
How do we open our eyes? How do we shed light on the darkness we recognize? How do we shine Christ’s light in the world around us?
All in all, most of us live in some sort of darkness -- this is the reality of our human predicament. Sometimes we’re just as happy in our safe little corner of the dark, thank you very much!
As with the man born blind, Jesus doesn’t leave us in our darkness. As we receive and respond to Jesus’ instructions and actions with and for us, like the blind man we too are transformed. We see the Christ, we worship him; we live as believers.
Living as children of the light calls us to move beyond our darkness, paying less attention to judging those living in darkness. Instead, we are called to pay attention to our own living in the light. Let light expose what is dark.
Daryl Davis is one man who lives in the light. His living exposes darkness: “He is an accomplished musician, a piano player who has played all over the world with legends like Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry. He also has an unusual and controversial hobby: Daryl likes to meet and befriend members of the [Ku Klux Klan], many of whom have never met a black person. When some of these same people decide to leave the Klan, Daryl keeps their robes and hoods -- building his collection piece by piece, story by story, person by person.”
In a clip from the documentary Accidental Courtesy, Daryl says while holding up KKK memorabilia: “People say to me, ‘Daryl, how can you hold on to that stuff? Why don’t you burn it?’ And I tell them: As shameful as it is, it’s part of history. You don’t burn a part of our history. Regardless. The good, the bad and the ugly. The KKK is American as baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet.” For the last two decades, Davis has reached out to Klan members and even formed lasting friendships along the way, exposing darkness by just getting to know people and letting people get to know him.
Our epistle text for the Fourth Sunday in Lent presents images of light and darkness, contrasting living in darkness and living in light. “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).
It’s a pretty clear call:
* Try to find what is pleasing to God: that which is good, right, and true.
* Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness -- expose them. Everything exposed by light becomes visible; everything that is visible is light.
There’s a dichotomy to fruitful, faithful living:
* Living in Christ’s light, showing others what “light living” really looks like.
* Exposing darkness, shining the light of Christ on that which is bad, wrong, false.
Our texts don’t call us to eliminate or “fix” the polarities that separate people. Instead, Christ’s followers are called see the light, live the light, shine the light. We are to live the way of discipleship, following the life and teachings of Jesus, so that what we show and live are so compelling that others will see and want to follow Jesus too. As with Daryl Davis, our living in the light can expose choices and actions that stem from darkness. The ways that we worship and follow Jesus unite us and strengthen us to hold fast to our faith in the face of hostile and corrupting powers. With our lives and our commitments, we embody Christ’s vision of reconciliation, peace, and human unity and show forth Christ’s comprehensive reign in heaven and on earth.
Live the side of light, Christ’s light.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
John 9:1-41
The lectionary readings from John’s gospel, chosen for Lent, bring us a parade of vivid characters. Nicodemus, slipping in to see Jesus at night, is so attached to his current life that he’s puzzled about what it means to be born from above, or born anew. The Samaritan woman at the well is hiding in plain sight in the heat of the day so that she can come to the well alone. This week we meet a man who was born blind, and his surrounding entourage of evasive parents, doubting neighbors, and the religious rulers.
In each of these stories Jesus is evoking the creation story, and each person comes away from their meeting with Jesus as a new creation. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he has to be re-created, drawn more deeply in the image of God. With the woman at the well, Jesus demonstrates that he has power over the water, just as God does at creation. For her too, new life comes from water. In this case, Jesus is the giver of living water, and the woman is re-created into a new life as an ambassador for Jesus. The story ends with her connected back to her community of neighbors -- a kind of reverse Eden. The outcast is restored in the presence of Jesus.
In this story, Jesus uses spit and the earth to re-create the man’s life. Like God, making humankind in the divine image, Jesus uses his own essence -- the spit -- to aid in the man’s re-creation. Like God shaping the earth to form the adam, the man, in Genesis, Jesus uses mud to restore the man’s sight. In creation, God says “let there be light,” and Jesus echoes those words as he restores the man’s sight. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus proclaims, bringing the light to this man’s life.
This man is so changed by his encounter with Jesus that the neighbors who have known him all his life have to debate whether or not he is actually the same man. Amusingly, the man can overhear them talking, and tries to answer their question. He keeps telling them that he’s the man they’ve always known, but it’s hard for them to believe.
As with many of us, his rebirth happens in steps. He first declares that Jesus is a prophet, and then in the next round of questioning has the courage to stand up to his interrogators. He protests against the idea that Jesus is a sinner, arguing that Jesus must be sent from God. Risking the ire of the religious leaders, he gives a spirited defense of Jesus. Finally, in a last encounter with Jesus, he worships him. Our rebirth in faith takes similar forms, growing step by step as we learn more and then live differently.
The timing of our re-creation by God may not be ours, either. This man doesn’t approach Jesus for healing, or ask for his life to be changed. Imagine his surprise when he feels Jesus’ wet, muddy hands on his face.
Even if we have the gift of physical sight, there are different places where we may find ourselves in this story. We may be like the man’s parents, reluctant to get involved or to offer any challenge to ignorance and spiritual blindness. Or we may be like the religious leaders, so convinced we’re right that we can’t see anything outside our own realm of certainty. We choose to remain blind to what God is doing. Or we may be like the unobservant neighbors, missing what God is doing because we fail to see beyond what we expect to see. In our inattention, we miss the present moment of God’s work.
Or, by grace, we may be like the man who was once blind, and now sees more clearly than all the people around him. Part of being re-created in an encounter with Jesus is a change of purpose for this man, along with Nicodemus and the woman at the well. The man is directed to the pool at Siloam, which means “sent,” and we have the feeling that the rest of his life will involve testifying to what Jesus did for him. He is born anew, into a whole new life. Jesus offers us the same invitation -- to be born from above, to serve as his emissary, and to spread the light of the world. May it be that we answer his invitation as fully as this man does, and may we see as clearly as he does.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Chris Keating:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Have No Regard for His Appearance...
Robert Kelly is a distinguished professor of political science, and an expert on east Asia. With his crisp haircut and tailored suit, he certainly looks the part.
But like David, appearances can be deceiving. It turns out that Professor Kelly is like all working parents -- just trying to stay a step ahead of his children. Kelly was being interviewed on live television by the BBC recently when his young children came bursting into his home office. When his wife noticed what was going on, she burst into the room sideways in an effort to restore decorum.
No such luck. It was a reminder that even the brightest and most talented among us are nothing compared to the power of a toddler.
*****
Psalm 23
The High Cost of Being Protected
While most often heard at funerals, Psalm 23 reminds us of God’s presence and providential protection throughout our entire life. The psalm offers a poignant opportunity to explore how it is that we trust in God’s provision, as well as what it means to find our security in God.
For example, while the psalmist affirms “I lack nothing” (Common English Bible), many Americans are driven by a need to acquire more. Yet with the acquisition of material goods comes a constant fear of danger. But security is costly. We spend billions protecting our possessions. In 2011, Americans spent nearly $21 billion on home security systems. That number is projected to rise to more than $34 billion this year. This is more than Fido, too -- typical home security systems involve multi-year contracts, installation of monitoring equipment, and the anxiety of trying to remember the security phrase when you accidentally trip the alarm at 1 a.m. The average cost to homeowners for a security system is around $850.
Of course, that’s far less than the cost of protecting, say, the president of the United States. While estimates on the cost of protecting Donald Trump and his extended family vary, it remains a daunting task. Based on estimates of previous administrations, making sure that the president and his family are well-protected over the next four years will balloon into the hundreds of millions. So far, the cost of escorting the president to Mar-a-Lago alone has likely totaled more than $10 million.
*****
John 9:1-41
A Moment of Revelation
Pablo Larrain’s 2016 film Jackie offers a dramatized glimpse at First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s grief following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Wracked by nerve-shattering pain, Jackie (portrayed by Natalie Portman) reaches out to a priest (John Hurt) for spiritual consolation. The story blends fiction and history into a portrait of a grieving wife, mother, and first lady struggling with raw questions of spirituality and faith. She tells the priest that “God is cruel.” He says, “God is love and is everywhere.” She wonders if God was present in the bullet that killed her husband, to which the priest simply says “Yes.” In their next conversation, the priest retells the story of the man born blind, whom Jesus says was born “so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” The priest wonders if perhaps this is the role God intends for Mrs. Kennedy; perhaps she too is blind to what God is doing.
Commentator Ed McNulty calls the made-up priest “a wonderful addition enrichening the portrait of a strong woman confronting the darkness with her anguished doubts.” McNulty continues:
It is also a good example of an honest person of faith, a Roman Catholic priest no less, admitting that there are no “answers” to tragedy. He does not offer the platitudes or bromides we too often hear beside a casket or an open grave. What he does offer is what we also can offer to those wracked by grief -- our loving presence, and the belief that is summed up in “Nevertheless...”
***************
From team member Ron Love:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
It has taken 22 years, but a woman is finally at the mike for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, colloquially known as “March Madness.” Debbie Antonelli had been broadcasting basketball games for 29 years when she became the second woman invited to be an announcer for the NCAA playoff games. In response to her invitation, Antonelli, a wife and mother of three boys, said: “To me, gender is not that big a deal. A pick-and-roll is a pick-and-roll. There are plenty of people qualified to call the game, and plenty of them are women.”
Application: God looks only at one’s inner ability and spirituality.
*****
1 Samuel 16:1-13
President Donald Trump’s dismissal of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara evoked memories of a parallel from nearly half a century ago. Robert Morgenthau, now 97, was forced to resign as U.S. Attorney by President Richard Nixon. But Morgenthau did not resign without a long protest. According to Morgenthau, the reason for his public outcry was this: “To put it into a nutshell, I thought they were going to make it a highly political office. I wanted to establish that it was not highly political, that it was not a matter of ‘to the victim go the spoils.’ ”
Application: We are taught in Samuel to be people of integrity.
*****
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Painted on the president’s chair at the Constitutional Convention at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia was a sun. Though George Washington distinguished the chair by his presence, during the dull moments of the legislative sessions the delegates would amuse themselves by debating if the sun was rising or setting, for the orange cast lent itself to either persuasion. The discussion of the sun ceased on the day the document was signed on September 17, 1787, when Benjamin Franklin declared: “I have often and often in the course of the session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun.”
Application: With the selection of David, the people of Israel could see a rising sun.
*****
Psalm 23
Heroin addiction has reached epidemic proportions across the nation. Most people associate the drug with the inner city, but rural America has been equally affected. To highlight this, the New York Times published an article on the Roger Winemiller family, who has a 3,400-acre farm outside of Cincinnati. Two of his children have died of heroin overdoses, and a third son is in rehab. Roger would like his son to one day work the farm, but Winemiller said: “Would I like to have one of my kids working the farm, side by side, carrying my load when I can’t? Yes. But I’m a realist.”
Application: Many people are suffering and need the protection and guidance of the Good Shepherd.
*****
Psalm 23
Heroin addiction has reached epidemic proportions across the nation. Most people associate the drug with the inner city, but rural America has been equally affected. To highlight this, the New York Times published an article on the Roger Winemiller family, who has a 3,400-acre farm outside of Cincinnati. Two of his children have died of heroin overdoses, and a third son is in rehab. The article notes that drug dealers come to rural Ohio from Cincinnati, where they rent rooms -- known as “trap houses” -- for the day in motels, apartments, and trailers. Roger Winemiller is trying to get state legislatures to pass laws making this more difficult.
Application: Many people are suffering and need the protection and guidance of the Good Shepherd.
*****
Psalm 23
With the discord associated with the Trump administration, people are now viewing liberal news stations in record numbers. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, and Rachel Maddow are seeing rating increases as never before. The reason for this, according to Martin Kaplin, the director for the Norman Lear Center for media and society at the University of Southern California, is television: “It is a place where we congregate. We gather around the hearth to know what’s going on out there, and be comforted by the people who come on our screens to say, things will be all right.”
Application: In the midst of life’s many problems, we do need to be comforted by others.
*****
Ephesians 5:8-14
With the discord associated with the Trump administration, advertising agencies, once used to promoting products, are now promoting being civil-minded. Major advertising firms have increased the number of hours and dollars devoted to pro bono work for non-profit organizations, in part to help defend them against changes in the law proposed by the White House. Kirsten Flanik, president of BBDO New York, said: “Through communication, you can change the way people think, the way people feel.”
Application: We are told as Christians we are to be the people of the light.
*****
Ephesians 5:8-14
Six years after an earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, containment of radiation from the facility has not been achieved -- and the radiation may never be contained. In order to cool the reactor, the plant produces 400 tons of contaminated water each day. There are 3.5 billion gallons of contaminated soil that must be disposed of. There are 200,400 cubic meters of contaminated rubble that must be disposed. And these are just a few of the statistics. The reason for the problem is poor engineering and the improper location of the nuclear power plant.
Application: We are instructed in Ephesians to be a light onto the world, which also means we are to be good stewards of the land.
*****
John 9:1-41
Because of the internet, children are experiencing what psychologists call “age compression.” That is, they are getting older younger. Because of this the Disney Channel has been losing subscribers. In order to reclaim its audience, Disney is presenting programs that are more mature. The signature program in this effort is Andi Mack, which tells the story of a teenager who becomes pregnant and returns home for guidance. The show, which is focused on recurring characters rather than a story line, is Disney’s attempt to compete with Netflix.
Application: As we are witnesses for the Lord, we must be aware of our audiences.
*****
John 9:1-41
In their effort to appeal to a more mature audience, executives at the Disney Channel are aware that it must become more relevant -- but without compromising its family values persona. Gary Marsh, the channel’s president, said: “If the brand is a circle, put your pivot foot in the center of the circle, take your other foot and stretch it as far as you can go. As long as you don’t let go of your pivot foot, you will be safe.”
Application: As we are witnesses for the Lord, we must be aware of our audiences and adjust our messages accordingly.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Chris Keating
Call to Worship
One: The Lord’s protection is near us;
All: We do not lack anything when we are with God!
One: God leads us to places of rest!
All: The Lord guides us through times of danger.
One: Come, live as children of light!
OR
One: Open our eyes, Lord, so that we may see!
All: In the light of your love, we shall never want.
One: God restores our lives, and guides us through darkness.
All: In the light of your love, we shall never be afraid.
One: Surely God’s goodness will be with us,
All: And we will live in God’s house forever.
Prayer of the Day
God of light, you open the eyes of the blind and help all to see your grace. Bring us the assurance that with you our lives are complete, so that we may rest safely in your pastures and dwell in your house forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer of Confession
God of mercy, we see only what is visible, but you look upon our hearts. You have given us more than we could ever imagine, but our hearts are greedy and restless. You bless us with light, but we prefer to remain in the darkness. Open our eyes, O Lord, so that we may see the beauty of your promises. Teach us to be disciples of Jesus, whose works reveal your power and whose grace forgives us our sin. Hear these prayers in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Loving God, you look beyond outward appearances and see what is in our hearts. We are thankful for your renewing grace that sustains and protects us. You have guided us away from places of danger and helped us to find quiet places of rest. As we journey with Jesus in these days of Lent, help us to be thankful for your gifts of peace, and for opening our eyes to behold Jesus’ incomprehensible gift. We are amazed at the gifts of your creation, and thank you for the ordinary blessings we so often take for granted. Help us to live with gratitude and grace, trusting in your healing presence and living as faithful children of light.
We offer to you the concerns of our hearts, and offer you our worries, fears, and anxieties. Help us to dwell secure in your hope. Open us to new possibilities, and encourage us to respond to your invitation to follow with faithfulness and dedication. Let the light of your grace flood our lives so that your truth would reveal the transforming mercy of your Son, Jesus. May those who walk through the darkest valleys of life know your hope and protection, especially those we name before you now (here concerns may be raised). We remember those whose hearts have been broken by grief and anger. Encourage us to walk as children of light, so that our lives would produce the fruit which consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth. May those who live in the darkness of despair and inconsolable pain know your peace, and may we be empowered to reach toward them in love. Help us to let go of our sins so that we may live as children of light whose trust is always in you, for it is in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Hymn Suggestions
Traditional:
“Christ, Be Our Light”
“Amazing Grace”
“Open My Eyes, That I May See”
“Shepherd Me, O God”
“He Leadeth Me”
“The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
“All the Way My Savior Leads Me”
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
“You Are Mine” (“I Will Come to You in the Silence”)
“I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath”
“O Christ the Healer”
“Be Thou My Vision”
Taizé/Global/Contemporary:
“Nothing Can Trouble” (“Nada Te Turbe”)
“Stay With Me”
“Jesus, Remember Me”
“In God Alone My Soul Can Find Rest and Peace”
“We Are Marching in the Light of God” (“Siyahamba”)
“Send Me Jesus” (“Thuma Mina”)
“You Never Let Go” (Redman)
“Here I Am to Worship” (Craig & Dean)
“Holy Ground”
Children’s Sermon Starter
Holy Mud!
Have some fun with John 9:1-41 as you introduce this to the children. Jesus assures us that while he is in the world, he remains the light of the world. He then backs up that claim by spitting on the ground (this will go over well with older kids) and making a mud wrap for a blind man’s eyes.
Many believe that the minerals and salts in Israel’s Dead Sea give its mud a healing property. Enlist the help of an adult volunteer to make a bit of mud in a wash pan or small bucket. (Here are a few “muddy” ideas.) Ask the children what would happen if they made a “mud mask” on their eyes (aside from making their parents upset!). Would they be able to see? Jesus healed the man, and once the mud was removed he was able to see. What might God want us to see today? How can God help us see things better?
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Robin Lostetter
Ephesians 5:8-14
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light -- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (vv. 8-11).
“Living as children of the light calls us to move beyond our darkness, paying less attention to judging those living in darkness. Instead, we are called to pay attention to our own living in the light. Let light expose what is dark.” (from Beth Herrinton-Hodge’s article “See the Light, Live the Light, Shine the Light” above)
You’ll need: a flashlight
I have here a flashlight. Can you tell me what it’s good for? (You’re likely to get various answers... what you’re looking for is that it lights up darkness.)
In the Bible, we’re taught that Jesus is the Light of the World, and that we as Christians are “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). So we are able to do what this flashlight does. We can light up darkness. (Beware, until a certain age, saying that we are “like a flashlight” won’t mean a thing to a child who thinks very literally. That is why I suggest saying “we are able to do what a flashlight does.”)
I don’t mean that we glow in the dark, but that we can “lighten” a dark or sad situation, or “de-light” people by being good, kind, loving Christians. Have you ever heard a grownup say “How delightful!”? (Wait for an answer -- it may have to come from an adult!) Well, at times you can be the one to bring a smile, and bring light into a feeling of darkness or sadness... to delight someone who wasn’t feeling very loved or happy.
But there’s something more that being a Child of Light can do. Think about that flashlight again. If you carry it into the dark, its job is to spot things that might be dangerous so you can avoid them -- so you don’t step on something sharp, or brush against a prickly bush, for instance. The flashlight shows things that aren’t good for us.
And you, as a Child of Light, just by being yourself, will be an example of what is good. And that can help show, by example, behaviors that aren’t good, and help them change. For example, if you were to sit at lunch with someone who looked lonely, maybe others would realize what a nice thing that was and join you the next day. If you were to throw your juice or water bottle in the recycling and not the trash, maybe someone else would see you do that and it would give them the idea to do it too.
Can you think of other ways you can be a good example without ever having to say anything or brag about it or criticize anyone -- just by being a Child of Light? (Wait for answers. It may be tough.)
Let’s say a prayer to Jesus, the Light of the World.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for being the Light of the World, for setting an example for how to live. Help us to be strong Children of Light. We pray in your name, Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 26, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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 or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the gospel text, seeing a common thread in the story of the blind man’s restoration of sight and those of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In each case, Mary observes, there are echoes of the bringing of light in John’s creation story -- and Nicodemus, the woman, and the blind man all become new creations following their encounter with Christ. Still, the metaphor of spiritual blindness is a powerful element in the story -- not only with the blind man prior to his healing representing our state of spiritual blindness before accepting Jesus, but also the spiritual blindness embodied by the various people (neighbors, Pharisees, parents) who question the man’s healing. Mary asks us to consider whether, after becoming children of the light, we will be able to see as clearly as the formerly blind man does following his meeting with Jesus.
See the Light, Live the Light, Shine the Light
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
John 9:1-41; Ephesians 5:8-14
In the News
We are not strangers to polarities. The world seems easier to get our head around as we construct dichotomies:
male and female
black and white
old and young
haves and have-nots
red states and blue states
voters and non-voters
rich and poor
educated and uneducated
good and bad
insured and uninsured
for and against
legal and illegal
saved and not saved
left and right
rural and urban
There is no shortage of examples in the media and in our daily lives that illustrate our tendencies to choose one side to live and support. We readily align ourselves with one side or another. We find kinship among those who are on “our” side.
There are benefits and challenges that come when society aligns itself on one side or another. There is strength in numbers. Where people find solidarity, their courage is strengthened so they are more likely to speak up or speak out, to do what is right or do what is wrong. People’s viewpoints can also become limited when they surround themselves with one particular voice. Those who seek to influence opinions and actions in a particular direction need only to appeal to like-minded groups with targeted messages.
A frustrating reality that we find ourselves in these days is the national polarity that is fed by our news sources. A Harvard University study on the way the right-wing news media ecosystem affects the broader media agenda illustrates the influence of media on our polarization.
A study of more than 1.25 million stories published online between April 1, 2015 and Election Day 2016 showed that political polarization is more common among conservatives than liberals -- and that the exaggerations and falsehoods emanating from right-wing media outlets such as Breitbart News have infected mainstream discourse.
The Harvard study showed pro-Clinton audiences were highly attentive to traditional media outlets along with more left-oriented online sites, while pro-Trump audiences paid a majority of their attention to right-leaning outlets such as Breitbart, Fox News, and InfoWars, with less crossover to traditional media. There is asymmetry in the polarization. Various media outlets continue to feed the growing divide in our nation to press specific agendas and to influence large groups of people.
While taking sides is not a sin -- some may even call it human nature -- it can limit people’s willingness or ability to come together as a united people and can feed mistrust of “the other.”
In the Scriptures
In the Ephesians text this week, the dichotomy of light and darkness are presented. The author builds on the human reality of aligning with like-minded and like-acting people. A specific side is lifted above the other: “Once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light” (v. 8).
I am reminded of a favorite Call to Worship litany built on 1 Peter 2:10:
Leader: Once you were not a people.
People: Now we are God’s people.
Leader: Once you had not received mercy.
People: Now we have received mercy.
Unison: Let us live as children of God.
What implications do these dichotomies have for God’s people, for Christ’s followers, for us?
The writer of Ephesians comes down on the side of light over darkness. Live as children of light. Fully embrace it. Let the light that is yours in Christ shine -- try to find what is pleasing to God, what is good and right and true.
We can align ourselves on one side. We find kinship among those who are on the side of light. We are strengthened to live fully as children of light, to expose unfruitful works of darkness, and to let Christ’s light shine through us.
See the Light, live the Light, shine the Light.
The central message in the Ephesians letter is about discipleship. The light/dark imagery is held out to a unified church that finds itself having to stand and resist the threats posed by the darker powers of the world. The letter depicts the Christian life as a battle against worldly powers (6:10-18). The message is: Jesus has overcome the darker forces in the world; his light now rules the cosmos.
Christ’s followers are called to leave behind practices of alienation and hostility taught by the world. We are to embody Christ’s vision of reconciliation, peace, and human unity, and to show forth Christ’s comprehensive reign in heaven and on earth.
We assume that the man born blind in John’s gospel had never seen light. Yet once he is cleansed and his sight is restored, he sees Jesus. He knows Jesus as a prophet. He sees the light of the Lord.
Our gospel text is filled with light and darkness, though these are not labeled as such.
* In darkness, the disciples question Jesus about the sinfulness that caused the man’s blindness.
* In light, Jesus restores the sight of the man born blind.
* In light, the man follows Jesus’ instructions for cleansing himself and returns with his sight restored.
* In darkness, the Pharisees investigate the healing.
* In darkness, the people bring the formerly blind man to the Pharisees, revealing that Jesus healed the man on a sabbath day.
* In light, the formerly blind man tells about the process of his healing and acknowledges Jesus as a prophet.
* In darkness, the elite Jews didn’t believe the blind man had received his sight.
* In darkness, the blind man’s parents step away from admitting how their son’s sight was restored.
* In light, the man bears witness to the astonishing thing he has experienced. He knows that the one who healed him is from God.
* In darkness, the Pharisees drive out the man who can now see.
* In light, the man confesses his belief in Jesus as Lord and worships him.
* In darkness, the Pharisees doubt their own blindness.
It seems that the one born without sight is the only one in the text who sees the light that is in Jesus. It is in this seeing that the man is able to confess Jesus as Lord and live in Jesus’ light.
Jesus said, “I came into the world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind” (John 9:39).
Here is one who came to shake up our dichotomies, exposing the blindness of the Pharisees, the Jewish elite, and the blind man’s parents who were unable to see or discern Jesus’ identity. We see how the blind man is transformed with a growing understanding of Jesus’ identity. Initially, the man is a passive recipient of Jesus’ actions -- receiving a spread of mud on his eyes, then going to wash in a pool as Jesus instructed him. As his sight is restored, he proclaims Jesus as a prophet -- then confesses his belief in Jesus and worships him.
In the Sermon
In response to all of this, how do we see the light?
How do we open our eyes? How do we shed light on the darkness we recognize? How do we shine Christ’s light in the world around us?
All in all, most of us live in some sort of darkness -- this is the reality of our human predicament. Sometimes we’re just as happy in our safe little corner of the dark, thank you very much!
As with the man born blind, Jesus doesn’t leave us in our darkness. As we receive and respond to Jesus’ instructions and actions with and for us, like the blind man we too are transformed. We see the Christ, we worship him; we live as believers.
Living as children of the light calls us to move beyond our darkness, paying less attention to judging those living in darkness. Instead, we are called to pay attention to our own living in the light. Let light expose what is dark.
Daryl Davis is one man who lives in the light. His living exposes darkness: “He is an accomplished musician, a piano player who has played all over the world with legends like Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry. He also has an unusual and controversial hobby: Daryl likes to meet and befriend members of the [Ku Klux Klan], many of whom have never met a black person. When some of these same people decide to leave the Klan, Daryl keeps their robes and hoods -- building his collection piece by piece, story by story, person by person.”
In a clip from the documentary Accidental Courtesy, Daryl says while holding up KKK memorabilia: “People say to me, ‘Daryl, how can you hold on to that stuff? Why don’t you burn it?’ And I tell them: As shameful as it is, it’s part of history. You don’t burn a part of our history. Regardless. The good, the bad and the ugly. The KKK is American as baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet.” For the last two decades, Davis has reached out to Klan members and even formed lasting friendships along the way, exposing darkness by just getting to know people and letting people get to know him.
Our epistle text for the Fourth Sunday in Lent presents images of light and darkness, contrasting living in darkness and living in light. “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).
It’s a pretty clear call:
* Try to find what is pleasing to God: that which is good, right, and true.
* Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness -- expose them. Everything exposed by light becomes visible; everything that is visible is light.
There’s a dichotomy to fruitful, faithful living:
* Living in Christ’s light, showing others what “light living” really looks like.
* Exposing darkness, shining the light of Christ on that which is bad, wrong, false.
Our texts don’t call us to eliminate or “fix” the polarities that separate people. Instead, Christ’s followers are called see the light, live the light, shine the light. We are to live the way of discipleship, following the life and teachings of Jesus, so that what we show and live are so compelling that others will see and want to follow Jesus too. As with Daryl Davis, our living in the light can expose choices and actions that stem from darkness. The ways that we worship and follow Jesus unite us and strengthen us to hold fast to our faith in the face of hostile and corrupting powers. With our lives and our commitments, we embody Christ’s vision of reconciliation, peace, and human unity and show forth Christ’s comprehensive reign in heaven and on earth.
Live the side of light, Christ’s light.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
John 9:1-41
The lectionary readings from John’s gospel, chosen for Lent, bring us a parade of vivid characters. Nicodemus, slipping in to see Jesus at night, is so attached to his current life that he’s puzzled about what it means to be born from above, or born anew. The Samaritan woman at the well is hiding in plain sight in the heat of the day so that she can come to the well alone. This week we meet a man who was born blind, and his surrounding entourage of evasive parents, doubting neighbors, and the religious rulers.
In each of these stories Jesus is evoking the creation story, and each person comes away from their meeting with Jesus as a new creation. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he has to be re-created, drawn more deeply in the image of God. With the woman at the well, Jesus demonstrates that he has power over the water, just as God does at creation. For her too, new life comes from water. In this case, Jesus is the giver of living water, and the woman is re-created into a new life as an ambassador for Jesus. The story ends with her connected back to her community of neighbors -- a kind of reverse Eden. The outcast is restored in the presence of Jesus.
In this story, Jesus uses spit and the earth to re-create the man’s life. Like God, making humankind in the divine image, Jesus uses his own essence -- the spit -- to aid in the man’s re-creation. Like God shaping the earth to form the adam, the man, in Genesis, Jesus uses mud to restore the man’s sight. In creation, God says “let there be light,” and Jesus echoes those words as he restores the man’s sight. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus proclaims, bringing the light to this man’s life.
This man is so changed by his encounter with Jesus that the neighbors who have known him all his life have to debate whether or not he is actually the same man. Amusingly, the man can overhear them talking, and tries to answer their question. He keeps telling them that he’s the man they’ve always known, but it’s hard for them to believe.
As with many of us, his rebirth happens in steps. He first declares that Jesus is a prophet, and then in the next round of questioning has the courage to stand up to his interrogators. He protests against the idea that Jesus is a sinner, arguing that Jesus must be sent from God. Risking the ire of the religious leaders, he gives a spirited defense of Jesus. Finally, in a last encounter with Jesus, he worships him. Our rebirth in faith takes similar forms, growing step by step as we learn more and then live differently.
The timing of our re-creation by God may not be ours, either. This man doesn’t approach Jesus for healing, or ask for his life to be changed. Imagine his surprise when he feels Jesus’ wet, muddy hands on his face.
Even if we have the gift of physical sight, there are different places where we may find ourselves in this story. We may be like the man’s parents, reluctant to get involved or to offer any challenge to ignorance and spiritual blindness. Or we may be like the religious leaders, so convinced we’re right that we can’t see anything outside our own realm of certainty. We choose to remain blind to what God is doing. Or we may be like the unobservant neighbors, missing what God is doing because we fail to see beyond what we expect to see. In our inattention, we miss the present moment of God’s work.
Or, by grace, we may be like the man who was once blind, and now sees more clearly than all the people around him. Part of being re-created in an encounter with Jesus is a change of purpose for this man, along with Nicodemus and the woman at the well. The man is directed to the pool at Siloam, which means “sent,” and we have the feeling that the rest of his life will involve testifying to what Jesus did for him. He is born anew, into a whole new life. Jesus offers us the same invitation -- to be born from above, to serve as his emissary, and to spread the light of the world. May it be that we answer his invitation as fully as this man does, and may we see as clearly as he does.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Chris Keating:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Have No Regard for His Appearance...
Robert Kelly is a distinguished professor of political science, and an expert on east Asia. With his crisp haircut and tailored suit, he certainly looks the part.
But like David, appearances can be deceiving. It turns out that Professor Kelly is like all working parents -- just trying to stay a step ahead of his children. Kelly was being interviewed on live television by the BBC recently when his young children came bursting into his home office. When his wife noticed what was going on, she burst into the room sideways in an effort to restore decorum.
No such luck. It was a reminder that even the brightest and most talented among us are nothing compared to the power of a toddler.
*****
Psalm 23
The High Cost of Being Protected
While most often heard at funerals, Psalm 23 reminds us of God’s presence and providential protection throughout our entire life. The psalm offers a poignant opportunity to explore how it is that we trust in God’s provision, as well as what it means to find our security in God.
For example, while the psalmist affirms “I lack nothing” (Common English Bible), many Americans are driven by a need to acquire more. Yet with the acquisition of material goods comes a constant fear of danger. But security is costly. We spend billions protecting our possessions. In 2011, Americans spent nearly $21 billion on home security systems. That number is projected to rise to more than $34 billion this year. This is more than Fido, too -- typical home security systems involve multi-year contracts, installation of monitoring equipment, and the anxiety of trying to remember the security phrase when you accidentally trip the alarm at 1 a.m. The average cost to homeowners for a security system is around $850.
Of course, that’s far less than the cost of protecting, say, the president of the United States. While estimates on the cost of protecting Donald Trump and his extended family vary, it remains a daunting task. Based on estimates of previous administrations, making sure that the president and his family are well-protected over the next four years will balloon into the hundreds of millions. So far, the cost of escorting the president to Mar-a-Lago alone has likely totaled more than $10 million.
*****
John 9:1-41
A Moment of Revelation
Pablo Larrain’s 2016 film Jackie offers a dramatized glimpse at First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s grief following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Wracked by nerve-shattering pain, Jackie (portrayed by Natalie Portman) reaches out to a priest (John Hurt) for spiritual consolation. The story blends fiction and history into a portrait of a grieving wife, mother, and first lady struggling with raw questions of spirituality and faith. She tells the priest that “God is cruel.” He says, “God is love and is everywhere.” She wonders if God was present in the bullet that killed her husband, to which the priest simply says “Yes.” In their next conversation, the priest retells the story of the man born blind, whom Jesus says was born “so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” The priest wonders if perhaps this is the role God intends for Mrs. Kennedy; perhaps she too is blind to what God is doing.
Commentator Ed McNulty calls the made-up priest “a wonderful addition enrichening the portrait of a strong woman confronting the darkness with her anguished doubts.” McNulty continues:
It is also a good example of an honest person of faith, a Roman Catholic priest no less, admitting that there are no “answers” to tragedy. He does not offer the platitudes or bromides we too often hear beside a casket or an open grave. What he does offer is what we also can offer to those wracked by grief -- our loving presence, and the belief that is summed up in “Nevertheless...”
***************
From team member Ron Love:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
It has taken 22 years, but a woman is finally at the mike for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, colloquially known as “March Madness.” Debbie Antonelli had been broadcasting basketball games for 29 years when she became the second woman invited to be an announcer for the NCAA playoff games. In response to her invitation, Antonelli, a wife and mother of three boys, said: “To me, gender is not that big a deal. A pick-and-roll is a pick-and-roll. There are plenty of people qualified to call the game, and plenty of them are women.”
Application: God looks only at one’s inner ability and spirituality.
*****
1 Samuel 16:1-13
President Donald Trump’s dismissal of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara evoked memories of a parallel from nearly half a century ago. Robert Morgenthau, now 97, was forced to resign as U.S. Attorney by President Richard Nixon. But Morgenthau did not resign without a long protest. According to Morgenthau, the reason for his public outcry was this: “To put it into a nutshell, I thought they were going to make it a highly political office. I wanted to establish that it was not highly political, that it was not a matter of ‘to the victim go the spoils.’ ”
Application: We are taught in Samuel to be people of integrity.
*****
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Painted on the president’s chair at the Constitutional Convention at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia was a sun. Though George Washington distinguished the chair by his presence, during the dull moments of the legislative sessions the delegates would amuse themselves by debating if the sun was rising or setting, for the orange cast lent itself to either persuasion. The discussion of the sun ceased on the day the document was signed on September 17, 1787, when Benjamin Franklin declared: “I have often and often in the course of the session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun.”
Application: With the selection of David, the people of Israel could see a rising sun.
*****
Psalm 23
Heroin addiction has reached epidemic proportions across the nation. Most people associate the drug with the inner city, but rural America has been equally affected. To highlight this, the New York Times published an article on the Roger Winemiller family, who has a 3,400-acre farm outside of Cincinnati. Two of his children have died of heroin overdoses, and a third son is in rehab. Roger would like his son to one day work the farm, but Winemiller said: “Would I like to have one of my kids working the farm, side by side, carrying my load when I can’t? Yes. But I’m a realist.”
Application: Many people are suffering and need the protection and guidance of the Good Shepherd.
*****
Psalm 23
Heroin addiction has reached epidemic proportions across the nation. Most people associate the drug with the inner city, but rural America has been equally affected. To highlight this, the New York Times published an article on the Roger Winemiller family, who has a 3,400-acre farm outside of Cincinnati. Two of his children have died of heroin overdoses, and a third son is in rehab. The article notes that drug dealers come to rural Ohio from Cincinnati, where they rent rooms -- known as “trap houses” -- for the day in motels, apartments, and trailers. Roger Winemiller is trying to get state legislatures to pass laws making this more difficult.
Application: Many people are suffering and need the protection and guidance of the Good Shepherd.
*****
Psalm 23
With the discord associated with the Trump administration, people are now viewing liberal news stations in record numbers. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, and Rachel Maddow are seeing rating increases as never before. The reason for this, according to Martin Kaplin, the director for the Norman Lear Center for media and society at the University of Southern California, is television: “It is a place where we congregate. We gather around the hearth to know what’s going on out there, and be comforted by the people who come on our screens to say, things will be all right.”
Application: In the midst of life’s many problems, we do need to be comforted by others.
*****
Ephesians 5:8-14
With the discord associated with the Trump administration, advertising agencies, once used to promoting products, are now promoting being civil-minded. Major advertising firms have increased the number of hours and dollars devoted to pro bono work for non-profit organizations, in part to help defend them against changes in the law proposed by the White House. Kirsten Flanik, president of BBDO New York, said: “Through communication, you can change the way people think, the way people feel.”
Application: We are told as Christians we are to be the people of the light.
*****
Ephesians 5:8-14
Six years after an earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, containment of radiation from the facility has not been achieved -- and the radiation may never be contained. In order to cool the reactor, the plant produces 400 tons of contaminated water each day. There are 3.5 billion gallons of contaminated soil that must be disposed of. There are 200,400 cubic meters of contaminated rubble that must be disposed. And these are just a few of the statistics. The reason for the problem is poor engineering and the improper location of the nuclear power plant.
Application: We are instructed in Ephesians to be a light onto the world, which also means we are to be good stewards of the land.
*****
John 9:1-41
Because of the internet, children are experiencing what psychologists call “age compression.” That is, they are getting older younger. Because of this the Disney Channel has been losing subscribers. In order to reclaim its audience, Disney is presenting programs that are more mature. The signature program in this effort is Andi Mack, which tells the story of a teenager who becomes pregnant and returns home for guidance. The show, which is focused on recurring characters rather than a story line, is Disney’s attempt to compete with Netflix.
Application: As we are witnesses for the Lord, we must be aware of our audiences.
*****
John 9:1-41
In their effort to appeal to a more mature audience, executives at the Disney Channel are aware that it must become more relevant -- but without compromising its family values persona. Gary Marsh, the channel’s president, said: “If the brand is a circle, put your pivot foot in the center of the circle, take your other foot and stretch it as far as you can go. As long as you don’t let go of your pivot foot, you will be safe.”
Application: As we are witnesses for the Lord, we must be aware of our audiences and adjust our messages accordingly.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Chris Keating
Call to Worship
One: The Lord’s protection is near us;
All: We do not lack anything when we are with God!
One: God leads us to places of rest!
All: The Lord guides us through times of danger.
One: Come, live as children of light!
OR
One: Open our eyes, Lord, so that we may see!
All: In the light of your love, we shall never want.
One: God restores our lives, and guides us through darkness.
All: In the light of your love, we shall never be afraid.
One: Surely God’s goodness will be with us,
All: And we will live in God’s house forever.
Prayer of the Day
God of light, you open the eyes of the blind and help all to see your grace. Bring us the assurance that with you our lives are complete, so that we may rest safely in your pastures and dwell in your house forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer of Confession
God of mercy, we see only what is visible, but you look upon our hearts. You have given us more than we could ever imagine, but our hearts are greedy and restless. You bless us with light, but we prefer to remain in the darkness. Open our eyes, O Lord, so that we may see the beauty of your promises. Teach us to be disciples of Jesus, whose works reveal your power and whose grace forgives us our sin. Hear these prayers in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Loving God, you look beyond outward appearances and see what is in our hearts. We are thankful for your renewing grace that sustains and protects us. You have guided us away from places of danger and helped us to find quiet places of rest. As we journey with Jesus in these days of Lent, help us to be thankful for your gifts of peace, and for opening our eyes to behold Jesus’ incomprehensible gift. We are amazed at the gifts of your creation, and thank you for the ordinary blessings we so often take for granted. Help us to live with gratitude and grace, trusting in your healing presence and living as faithful children of light.
We offer to you the concerns of our hearts, and offer you our worries, fears, and anxieties. Help us to dwell secure in your hope. Open us to new possibilities, and encourage us to respond to your invitation to follow with faithfulness and dedication. Let the light of your grace flood our lives so that your truth would reveal the transforming mercy of your Son, Jesus. May those who walk through the darkest valleys of life know your hope and protection, especially those we name before you now (here concerns may be raised). We remember those whose hearts have been broken by grief and anger. Encourage us to walk as children of light, so that our lives would produce the fruit which consists of every sort of goodness, justice, and truth. May those who live in the darkness of despair and inconsolable pain know your peace, and may we be empowered to reach toward them in love. Help us to let go of our sins so that we may live as children of light whose trust is always in you, for it is in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Hymn Suggestions
Traditional:
“Christ, Be Our Light”
“Amazing Grace”
“Open My Eyes, That I May See”
“Shepherd Me, O God”
“He Leadeth Me”
“The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
“All the Way My Savior Leads Me”
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
“You Are Mine” (“I Will Come to You in the Silence”)
“I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath”
“O Christ the Healer”
“Be Thou My Vision”
Taizé/Global/Contemporary:
“Nothing Can Trouble” (“Nada Te Turbe”)
“Stay With Me”
“Jesus, Remember Me”
“In God Alone My Soul Can Find Rest and Peace”
“We Are Marching in the Light of God” (“Siyahamba”)
“Send Me Jesus” (“Thuma Mina”)
“You Never Let Go” (Redman)
“Here I Am to Worship” (Craig & Dean)
“Holy Ground”
Children’s Sermon Starter
Holy Mud!
Have some fun with John 9:1-41 as you introduce this to the children. Jesus assures us that while he is in the world, he remains the light of the world. He then backs up that claim by spitting on the ground (this will go over well with older kids) and making a mud wrap for a blind man’s eyes.
Many believe that the minerals and salts in Israel’s Dead Sea give its mud a healing property. Enlist the help of an adult volunteer to make a bit of mud in a wash pan or small bucket. (Here are a few “muddy” ideas.) Ask the children what would happen if they made a “mud mask” on their eyes (aside from making their parents upset!). Would they be able to see? Jesus healed the man, and once the mud was removed he was able to see. What might God want us to see today? How can God help us see things better?
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Robin Lostetter
Ephesians 5:8-14
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light -- for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (vv. 8-11).
“Living as children of the light calls us to move beyond our darkness, paying less attention to judging those living in darkness. Instead, we are called to pay attention to our own living in the light. Let light expose what is dark.” (from Beth Herrinton-Hodge’s article “See the Light, Live the Light, Shine the Light” above)
You’ll need: a flashlight
I have here a flashlight. Can you tell me what it’s good for? (You’re likely to get various answers... what you’re looking for is that it lights up darkness.)
In the Bible, we’re taught that Jesus is the Light of the World, and that we as Christians are “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). So we are able to do what this flashlight does. We can light up darkness. (Beware, until a certain age, saying that we are “like a flashlight” won’t mean a thing to a child who thinks very literally. That is why I suggest saying “we are able to do what a flashlight does.”)
I don’t mean that we glow in the dark, but that we can “lighten” a dark or sad situation, or “de-light” people by being good, kind, loving Christians. Have you ever heard a grownup say “How delightful!”? (Wait for an answer -- it may have to come from an adult!) Well, at times you can be the one to bring a smile, and bring light into a feeling of darkness or sadness... to delight someone who wasn’t feeling very loved or happy.
But there’s something more that being a Child of Light can do. Think about that flashlight again. If you carry it into the dark, its job is to spot things that might be dangerous so you can avoid them -- so you don’t step on something sharp, or brush against a prickly bush, for instance. The flashlight shows things that aren’t good for us.
And you, as a Child of Light, just by being yourself, will be an example of what is good. And that can help show, by example, behaviors that aren’t good, and help them change. For example, if you were to sit at lunch with someone who looked lonely, maybe others would realize what a nice thing that was and join you the next day. If you were to throw your juice or water bottle in the recycling and not the trash, maybe someone else would see you do that and it would give them the idea to do it too.
Can you think of other ways you can be a good example without ever having to say anything or brag about it or criticize anyone -- just by being a Child of Light? (Wait for answers. It may be tough.)
Let’s say a prayer to Jesus, the Light of the World.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for being the Light of the World, for setting an example for how to live. Help us to be strong Children of Light. We pray in your name, Amen.
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The Immediate Word, March 26, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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 or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
