Shining in the Darkness
Stories
Contents
“Shining in the Darkness” by Peter Andrew Smith
“Growing Richer Love” by Keith Wagner
“Possibilities Unlimited” by Keith Wagner
Shining in the Darkness
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 1:68-79
Joan pulled the collar of her coat tighter against the night air. She tried to remember the details of the email the chairperson had sent. Something about how important it was for them to meet and deal with something before it became an issue. She shook her head. Honestly there always seemed to be some crisis or problem happening at the church. She had dealt with them when she was teaching Sunday school, in the choir, and in the women’s group. She was tired and wondered why she had ever agreed to sit on the board in the first place. With each step she walked, she became more certain that this was going to be her last meeting.
“Hey, Miss Joan,” Clarence called out as she passed him on the street. “Where are you going in such a hurry on this fine night?”
“Just to church. There’s another board meeting.” She took a few steps back to where he was waiting next to a bucket on the sidewalk. “I didn’t know you were doing charity work.”
Clarence smiled broadly and rang the bell in his hand. “I’m here because they do great work in the community.”
Joan smiled and dug into her purse. “I do know they were there when the Kellars had that fire.”
“And when Pauley got ill they were there for his family too.”
Joan reached back into her purse and pulled out more money to put into the bucket. “I hope this makes a difference.”
“Thanks. Every bit helps and heaven knows the world needs all the help it can get.”
“I hear you. There are days that I wonder if things are getting worse. I mean in my day we figured that we had things like racism, sexism, and poverty on the run.” She threw up her hands. “But now...”
Clarence nodded. “Yeah, sometimes my Gran reminds me that while some things are better there is still a lot more to do.”
“Your Gran is a wise woman.”
“So are you Miss Joan,” Clarence said. “I still remember the things you taught us in Sunday school. That’s why I’m here.”
Joan tilted her head. “What do you mean, Clarence?”
“You talked to us when those bad things were happening in the city. You remember when the streets weren’t safe and it looked like things were getting worse?”
“I remember those days.” She shivered. “I wish they had never happened.”
“Me, too.” Clarence paused. “You told us that when it’s the darkest that is when we have to be ready to shine the brightest. You said that when the world is at its worst we need to be at our best.”
“That was over ten years ago.” Joan looked at him for a moment. “You still remember that?”
“I sure do and I’ve seen how true those words are. Every time I wonder why I bother I think of you telling us that Zechariah burst out in praise when John was born and told everyone that God had sent a prophet to light the way.”
“Now that I remember.” Joan laughed. “That’s when you said that there was no way a baby could do anything but cry and sleep and mess his diaper like your baby brother.”
“I did. That’s when you reminded me that John told it like it was and got the people ready to receive Jesus,” Clarence said. “And that we need to be like John and have faith, keep talking about Jesus, and do what God asks no matter what.”
Joan shook her head. “I don’t know how I ever had the words to answer you.”
“I expect the same way Zechariah did. You kept your heart open and let the Holy Spirit give you what you need.”
Joan leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Clarence you give my best to your Gran and keep shining in the darkness.”
“I will Miss Joan. Now I’ve kept you long enough and I’ve got some bell ringing to do so this charity can do great things.”
Joan waved at him and continued on her way to church thinking about Clarence and the conversation. She considered how John’s words and actions prepared the people for Jesus. With each step closer to the church, she realized that she wasn’t going to quit the church board. No, she was going to speak loudly at the meeting and encourage them all to keep praying, praising, and going into the community to tell people about the good news of Jesus Christ.
* * *
Growing Richer Love
by Keith Wagner
Philippians 1:3-11
“And this is my prayer, that your love may grow ever richer and richer in knowledge and insight of every kind.”
One morning I received a phone call from my wife who was driving to a speaking engagement across county roads. She said she had hit a deer. There was a time earlier in our marriage when the first words out of my mouth would have been, “Is the car damaged?” Fortunately I had been studying and teaching empathy to my students in a counseling course at a local community college. On this day my first words were, “Are you okay?” What my wife needed in that situation was empathy. She said she was okay, but was very shaken by the event. Then I said, “You must be a bundle of nerves!” Almost magically she settled down and after a few minutes continued to drive to her appointment.
When she arrived at her workplace she called to tell me that her speaking engagement had been cancelled but no one told her. Immediately I said, “If you had known that before you left earlier than usual in the morning you wouldn’t have hit that deer!”
Often times our reaction to adversity is to find someone to blame. When we are empathic we don’t blame or judge. Empathetic people listen, acknowledge the feelings of those who are wounded and try to imagine what it would be like to be in that person’s shoes.
One time there was a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk in school. All of a sudden there was a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants were all wet. He thought his heart would stop. This had never happened before and he knew that when the boys found out he would never hear the end of it. And when the girls found out, they would never speak to him again. The boy believed his heart was going to stop; he put his head down and prayed this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”
A minute later he looked up from his prayer and there came the teacher with a look in her eyes that said he had been discovered.
As the teacher was walking toward him, a classmate named Susie was carrying a goldfish bowl that was filled with water. Susie tripped in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumped the bowl of water in the boy’s lap. The boy pretended to be angry, but all the while he was saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy was the object of sympathy. The teacher rushed him downstairs and gave him gym shorts to put on while his pants dried out. Meanwhile the children were on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. Their sympathy was wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else -- Susie. She tried to help, but they told her to get out. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they were waiting for the bus, the boy walked over to Susie and whispered, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispered back, “I wet my pants once too.”
Susie understood the meaning of empathy.
* * *
Possibilities Unlimited
by Keith Wagner
Luke 3:1-6
My wife once had a co-worker who was really excited about Christmas. During that Advent season she was absolutely giddy. Her colleagues thought she was living in some sort of fantasy world. She was just too optimistic, most likely in denial of reality. But perhaps the rest of us are just plain jealous. Maybe she has been touched by the magic of the season. She was after all a very religious person, extremely involved in the life of her church. Could it be that her positive outlook on life at the time has something to do with the intervening spirit of God?
During that particular Advent season we received a program schedule of all the Christmas television specials that occurred during the four week period. I kept it on the end table next to my recliner. But none of them got my attention and I didn’t watch any of them in their entirety. For some reason I keep flipping over to CNN to see if the nation has decided who was the next president. It was the year 2000 and all the votes had not been officially counted. Looking back I think that all the political meandering in the background was keeping the Christmas spirit from intervening.
Ironically, Luke’s message is also backdropped by politics. The society at that time was structured around those who were in political power; Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, who were Roman leaders and Annas, the High Priest. These religious and political leaders were in total control, taking advantage of the masses, especially the poor and disenfranchised. Things seemed very hopeless for the community of faith.
Do we really believe times are much different today than they were two thousand years ago? We live in an age when partisan politics is deadlocked in Washington. Special interest groups dominate our legislators. And that particular presidential election raised many questions about the validity of the voting process. We were in the season of Advent, anticipating a time of great expectation, joy and peace but many were skeptical and some are losing faith.
John the Baptist, however did not let the political cloud that dominated his people prevent him from giving a message of hope. John was proclaiming a possibility of a “new age,” one that is realized with a commitment to change. “Prepare the way of the Lord,” he said, “Make his paths straight.” We can’t keep going down the same old crooked roads. There needs to be some fine tuning; smoothing out the rough edges, filling in the potholes, removing the obstacles that get in the way.
During that Advent season of 2000 they were adding two new lanes to Interstate 75 between Dayton and Piqua. They were removing hills, filling in valleys and straightening curves. The project took about two years to complete. Unfortunately the road was lined with orange barrels and driving was tedious.
To endure that change meant we had to slow down, drive cautiously and tolerate slow-moving truck traffic. It tested our patience and sometimes meant we had to take alternative routes. The good news is that the project was eventually completed and now the roads are much smoother, wider and safer.
If I learned anything in that Advent season it was the fact that our nation needed to make some changes in the way we vote for president. Fortunately many changes have been made, such as electronic voting and early voting, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps each of us needs to make some changes in our lives as well by making improvements.
My wife’s co-worker could easily have been labeled a “Pollyanna.” The good news, however, was that at the very least, she was expectant. In other words, she was open to the possibility that God would intervene with God’s grace and infinite love.
The way is not always visible to us. But our task is not to work miracles. Our responsibility is to prepare the way, committing every ounce of energy we have to the possibility of the transforming power of God.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 9, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. 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., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Shining in the Darkness” by Peter Andrew Smith
“Growing Richer Love” by Keith Wagner
“Possibilities Unlimited” by Keith Wagner
Shining in the Darkness
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 1:68-79
Joan pulled the collar of her coat tighter against the night air. She tried to remember the details of the email the chairperson had sent. Something about how important it was for them to meet and deal with something before it became an issue. She shook her head. Honestly there always seemed to be some crisis or problem happening at the church. She had dealt with them when she was teaching Sunday school, in the choir, and in the women’s group. She was tired and wondered why she had ever agreed to sit on the board in the first place. With each step she walked, she became more certain that this was going to be her last meeting.
“Hey, Miss Joan,” Clarence called out as she passed him on the street. “Where are you going in such a hurry on this fine night?”
“Just to church. There’s another board meeting.” She took a few steps back to where he was waiting next to a bucket on the sidewalk. “I didn’t know you were doing charity work.”
Clarence smiled broadly and rang the bell in his hand. “I’m here because they do great work in the community.”
Joan smiled and dug into her purse. “I do know they were there when the Kellars had that fire.”
“And when Pauley got ill they were there for his family too.”
Joan reached back into her purse and pulled out more money to put into the bucket. “I hope this makes a difference.”
“Thanks. Every bit helps and heaven knows the world needs all the help it can get.”
“I hear you. There are days that I wonder if things are getting worse. I mean in my day we figured that we had things like racism, sexism, and poverty on the run.” She threw up her hands. “But now...”
Clarence nodded. “Yeah, sometimes my Gran reminds me that while some things are better there is still a lot more to do.”
“Your Gran is a wise woman.”
“So are you Miss Joan,” Clarence said. “I still remember the things you taught us in Sunday school. That’s why I’m here.”
Joan tilted her head. “What do you mean, Clarence?”
“You talked to us when those bad things were happening in the city. You remember when the streets weren’t safe and it looked like things were getting worse?”
“I remember those days.” She shivered. “I wish they had never happened.”
“Me, too.” Clarence paused. “You told us that when it’s the darkest that is when we have to be ready to shine the brightest. You said that when the world is at its worst we need to be at our best.”
“That was over ten years ago.” Joan looked at him for a moment. “You still remember that?”
“I sure do and I’ve seen how true those words are. Every time I wonder why I bother I think of you telling us that Zechariah burst out in praise when John was born and told everyone that God had sent a prophet to light the way.”
“Now that I remember.” Joan laughed. “That’s when you said that there was no way a baby could do anything but cry and sleep and mess his diaper like your baby brother.”
“I did. That’s when you reminded me that John told it like it was and got the people ready to receive Jesus,” Clarence said. “And that we need to be like John and have faith, keep talking about Jesus, and do what God asks no matter what.”
Joan shook her head. “I don’t know how I ever had the words to answer you.”
“I expect the same way Zechariah did. You kept your heart open and let the Holy Spirit give you what you need.”
Joan leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Clarence you give my best to your Gran and keep shining in the darkness.”
“I will Miss Joan. Now I’ve kept you long enough and I’ve got some bell ringing to do so this charity can do great things.”
Joan waved at him and continued on her way to church thinking about Clarence and the conversation. She considered how John’s words and actions prepared the people for Jesus. With each step closer to the church, she realized that she wasn’t going to quit the church board. No, she was going to speak loudly at the meeting and encourage them all to keep praying, praising, and going into the community to tell people about the good news of Jesus Christ.
* * *
Growing Richer Love
by Keith Wagner
Philippians 1:3-11
“And this is my prayer, that your love may grow ever richer and richer in knowledge and insight of every kind.”
One morning I received a phone call from my wife who was driving to a speaking engagement across county roads. She said she had hit a deer. There was a time earlier in our marriage when the first words out of my mouth would have been, “Is the car damaged?” Fortunately I had been studying and teaching empathy to my students in a counseling course at a local community college. On this day my first words were, “Are you okay?” What my wife needed in that situation was empathy. She said she was okay, but was very shaken by the event. Then I said, “You must be a bundle of nerves!” Almost magically she settled down and after a few minutes continued to drive to her appointment.
When she arrived at her workplace she called to tell me that her speaking engagement had been cancelled but no one told her. Immediately I said, “If you had known that before you left earlier than usual in the morning you wouldn’t have hit that deer!”
Often times our reaction to adversity is to find someone to blame. When we are empathic we don’t blame or judge. Empathetic people listen, acknowledge the feelings of those who are wounded and try to imagine what it would be like to be in that person’s shoes.
One time there was a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk in school. All of a sudden there was a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants were all wet. He thought his heart would stop. This had never happened before and he knew that when the boys found out he would never hear the end of it. And when the girls found out, they would never speak to him again. The boy believed his heart was going to stop; he put his head down and prayed this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”
A minute later he looked up from his prayer and there came the teacher with a look in her eyes that said he had been discovered.
As the teacher was walking toward him, a classmate named Susie was carrying a goldfish bowl that was filled with water. Susie tripped in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumped the bowl of water in the boy’s lap. The boy pretended to be angry, but all the while he was saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy was the object of sympathy. The teacher rushed him downstairs and gave him gym shorts to put on while his pants dried out. Meanwhile the children were on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. Their sympathy was wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else -- Susie. She tried to help, but they told her to get out. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they were waiting for the bus, the boy walked over to Susie and whispered, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispered back, “I wet my pants once too.”
Susie understood the meaning of empathy.
* * *
Possibilities Unlimited
by Keith Wagner
Luke 3:1-6
My wife once had a co-worker who was really excited about Christmas. During that Advent season she was absolutely giddy. Her colleagues thought she was living in some sort of fantasy world. She was just too optimistic, most likely in denial of reality. But perhaps the rest of us are just plain jealous. Maybe she has been touched by the magic of the season. She was after all a very religious person, extremely involved in the life of her church. Could it be that her positive outlook on life at the time has something to do with the intervening spirit of God?
During that particular Advent season we received a program schedule of all the Christmas television specials that occurred during the four week period. I kept it on the end table next to my recliner. But none of them got my attention and I didn’t watch any of them in their entirety. For some reason I keep flipping over to CNN to see if the nation has decided who was the next president. It was the year 2000 and all the votes had not been officially counted. Looking back I think that all the political meandering in the background was keeping the Christmas spirit from intervening.
Ironically, Luke’s message is also backdropped by politics. The society at that time was structured around those who were in political power; Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, who were Roman leaders and Annas, the High Priest. These religious and political leaders were in total control, taking advantage of the masses, especially the poor and disenfranchised. Things seemed very hopeless for the community of faith.
Do we really believe times are much different today than they were two thousand years ago? We live in an age when partisan politics is deadlocked in Washington. Special interest groups dominate our legislators. And that particular presidential election raised many questions about the validity of the voting process. We were in the season of Advent, anticipating a time of great expectation, joy and peace but many were skeptical and some are losing faith.
John the Baptist, however did not let the political cloud that dominated his people prevent him from giving a message of hope. John was proclaiming a possibility of a “new age,” one that is realized with a commitment to change. “Prepare the way of the Lord,” he said, “Make his paths straight.” We can’t keep going down the same old crooked roads. There needs to be some fine tuning; smoothing out the rough edges, filling in the potholes, removing the obstacles that get in the way.
During that Advent season of 2000 they were adding two new lanes to Interstate 75 between Dayton and Piqua. They were removing hills, filling in valleys and straightening curves. The project took about two years to complete. Unfortunately the road was lined with orange barrels and driving was tedious.
To endure that change meant we had to slow down, drive cautiously and tolerate slow-moving truck traffic. It tested our patience and sometimes meant we had to take alternative routes. The good news is that the project was eventually completed and now the roads are much smoother, wider and safer.
If I learned anything in that Advent season it was the fact that our nation needed to make some changes in the way we vote for president. Fortunately many changes have been made, such as electronic voting and early voting, but we still have a long way to go. Perhaps each of us needs to make some changes in our lives as well by making improvements.
My wife’s co-worker could easily have been labeled a “Pollyanna.” The good news, however, was that at the very least, she was expectant. In other words, she was open to the possibility that God would intervene with God’s grace and infinite love.
The way is not always visible to us. But our task is not to work miracles. Our responsibility is to prepare the way, committing every ounce of energy we have to the possibility of the transforming power of God.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 9, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. 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., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
