Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Light


Sermon

The Light

Sunday, December 11, 2011

John 1:6-8, 19-28

In preparing for this sermon, I mentioned to my husband, Devin, that I planned to include a discussion of the rose candle that we traditionally light on the third Sunday in Advent. In his customary direct and, usually, very “right on” way he replied, “Why only the rose candle? Why not all of them? I don’t understand what any of them are about.”

Well, I don’t know if that’s true of everyone here – I am thinking that many of you know exactly what each of the Advent candles represent. Nevertheless, I took Devin’s comment to heart, remembering that the basis of our faith is communal worship – reading Scripture, praying and breaking bread together. Together being the instrumental word here. And, if we are to be together, it goes without saying, that we should share a common understanding of what we are “together” on.

Today, as we observe the lighting of the advent candles in our Advent wreath; as we offer prayers of praise, thanksgiving and repentance; as we await the birth of the baby Jesus in a Bethlehem manger, let us pray that together we can in some small way understand the true wonder of what it is that we are awaiting – the Good News.

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of our activities here at Grace in the Desert, and in other Christian communities throughout the world, during this Advent season is to prepare for the celebration of the arrival, or birth, of Jesus. We are preparing to celebrate the incarnation of God in the baby Jesus. We are preparing for the birth of a child through whom all of creation will be reconciled to God.

Scripture readings for Advent reflect on the gift that we are about to receive. They also alert us to our expected participation in receiving this gift through a life of repentance, faithfulness, stewardship, mission and the hope of eternal life.

Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians says:

Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the words of prophets, 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every form of evil. 23May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. (1 Thes. 5:16-24)

Advent is also the time for a reflective journey that helps us to focus our spiritual lives as members of the Grace in the Desert community. As we anticipate God’s arrival in the Incarnation, we take on the responsibility of understanding our role as a community commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself," remembering the prophet Isaiah’s incredibly powerful words:

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and to release the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance for our God; to comfort all who mourn in Zion – to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.”(Isaiah 61:1-4)



Advent is also a time to reflect on the amazing gift that we receive through the Incarnation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer offers a powerful image of this incredible birth story in one of his Advent reflections:

“What is going on here, where Mary becomes the mother of God, where God comes into the world in the lowliness of a manger? World judgment and world redemption – that is what is happening here. And it is the Christ child in the manger himself who holds world judgment and world redemption. He pushes back the high and mighty; he overturns the thrones of the powerful; he humbles the haughty; his arm exercises power over all the high and the mighty; he lifts what is lowly, and makes it great and glorious in his mercy. (Bonhoeffer, D., God is in the Manger; p. 42)


“This is about the birth of a child, not the astonishing work of a strong man, not the bold discovery of a wise man, not the pious work of a saint. It really is beyond all our understanding: the birth of a child shall bring about the great change, shall bring to all mankind salvation and deliverance.”(“The Government upon the Shoulders of a Child, Christmas 1940)

John’s Gospel also describes the arrival of Jesus into our lives just as powerfully, and makes clear that this child was sent from God, and that this child is God.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light…He said, ‘I am a voice crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.’” (John 1:6-8, 23)

John was sent by God to point people to Jesus; to point people to the light; to “Make straight the way of the Lord.”  Jesus is the Light. To see Jesus – to see the light - is to believe; to have faith; to be redeemed; to be reconciled to God.

In preparing for the birth of Jesus we must understand that like John the Baptist we are anointed through our baptismal vows to carry on the work of John; to point people to Jesus; to point people to the light.

I believe I have now arrived back where I started – or, at least I hope so. We are back to the candles – the light.

At the beginning of Advent we decorate the church with evergreen wreaths, boughs, or trees that help to symbolize the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus the Christ. The Advent wreath is a symbol of the beginning of the Church year. It is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center.

The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. The candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son.

The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ.

The colors of the candles vary with different traditions, but there are usually three purple or blue candles, corresponding to the sanctuary colors of Advent, and one pink or rose candle. One of the blue candles is lighted the first Sunday of Advent, and a prayer offered. On subsequent Sundays, previous candles are re-lighted with an additional one lighted. The pink candle is usually lighted on the third Sunday of Advent. The pink symbolizes relief from the long wait for the advent of the Christ child will soon be over. The joy of his birth will soon be upon us.

The center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world

The light of the candles itself becomes an important symbol of the season. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God's grace to others (Isa 42:6).

The progression in the lighting of the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lighted over the four week period, it also symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame of each new candle reminds us that something is happening, and that more is yet to come. Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ Candle is lighted at Christmas, and worshippers rejoice over the fact that the hope and promise of long ago have been realized.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light…He said, ‘I am a voice crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.’” (John 1:6-8, 25)

AMEN