Sermon December 26, 2004 John 1:1-18

This Little Light of Mine

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. John 1: 9

That’s what Christmas is all about celebrating the birthday of the “true light” – Jesus Christ. The church doesn’t go to all the trouble each year – just to decorate, buy flowers, and have a party. This is all about the best gift every single person from that time to today is given.

It is the “light” that overcame darkness and death. It is the “light” that frees us from sin and evil. It is the “light” that saves us.

And all we have to do is say “yes”. Yes, the first time we decide to choose Christ as our Savior and Lord. Yes, each morning when we wake up. Yes, each time our hearts turn from the light.

I work with lots of other senior citizens and just like me they sometimes forget things. They have turned to me in sadness, because they can’t remember all the prayers they love. So it occurred to me several years ago. That there only really are two things we need to say to God. Thank you and I’m sorry. Nothing more and nothing less.

Thank you God for

loving me so much you sent us Jesus.

Thank you God for

loving me so much you forgive me.

Thank you God for

loving me so much you place millions of opportunities in my life to show and share your love.

Thank you God for

loving me so much you gave me people to love.

I’m sorry God that

I fall into sin each day.

I’m sorry God that

I don’t always see and understand the evil that comes into my life.

I’m sorry God that

I turn from you in thought, word, and deed each day.

I don’t know about you, but I sit in such a comfortable place. I have more of every single thing then I could ever need. The only thing, I have ever had just one of is God.

*For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

With today’s gospel, we quickly turn from the story of a baby in a manager to the story as a whole. This gospel starts right out explaining for us the mystery of the person of Jesus – God incarnate. God like us – human and starting as a baby.

Over time, I have learned that I SEE WORDS LITERALLY. It takes a lot of reading and work for me to see “the meaning” behind the words or the theology. This reading made my head spin. I have to address it like a puzzle breaking down the words. So in preparing for this sermon, I wrote an actual crossword puzzle from the gospel. So the answers are in John. If you want a copy, they are in the back. Also, I made a visual display, a circular explanation called “Who is He?”

For me, I see life as a circle. And the circle I now understand begins and ends with God.

The John reading said, He was in the beginning with God. Let me show you the circle.

WORD

with was

GOD HE

was was

GOD

The Word is a puzzle. That’s why we need to be here in church. Lots of people say, “I can pray anywhere. I can be with God on the golf course or on the soccer field or in the mall.” But, the truth is God is with us everywhere and all the time. But, that doesn’t establish a relationship with God. If we only yell out when things are bad or when we need God. He may not hear in the way we want. In order for us to have a profound relationship with God, it has to be nurtured. We each need to come to church, we need to read the Word our Bible, we need to study the Word, we need to pray all the time, we need to sit silently so God can speak to us in our hearts, in our minds, and even in our visions, and we have to do what God wants us to do. We are told God wants two things from us. To love Him with all our hearts and all our mind and to love our neighbor as our ourselves – no matter who our neighbor is. Let God be the judge of others – you just put fourth the love. The truth is for those of us who really try to do this – our lives aren’t perfect and we are far from perfect people. But the more we work at our relationship with God and the more we love and the more we give, the more we get back.

For God loved us so much that He sent a baby Jesus to bring the “light” into the world. Now it’s up to us to turn that light on in ourselves and to let it shine in our lives and our world.

[The Deacon asks the congregation to join her and again sing, from Lift Every Voice and Sing II, number 221 This Little Light of Mine.

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Every where I go, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Jesus gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Amen.]

The 10:30 service starts here. The children help put together the words of the circle. The Deacon uses the prop of the baby Jesus under the alter and the star lit in the window. We have a choice. We can decide to “let out light shine every where we go.”

Deacon Barbara A.D. Jensen

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church