This Little Light

Rev. Charissa Clark Howe

Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Isaiah 58

Matthew 5:13–20

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Welcome, Announcements, Joys, and Concerns

Passing of the Peace

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou are mighty, hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me til I want no more, feed me til I want no more.

Preparing our Hearts

Call to Worship

Leader: People of God, join me in praising the Creator. All: We praise you, we worship you, we adore you. Leader: You hold the heavens in your hand; all stars rejoice in your glory. You come in the sunrise and the song of morn and bless the splendor of the noonday. All: We praise you, we worship you, we adore you. Leader: The stars in their courses magnify you; day and night tell of your glory. Your peace blows over the earth, and the breath of your mouth fills all space. All: We praise you, we worship you, we adore you. Leader: Your voice comes in the thunder of the storm; the song of the wind whispers of your majesty. You satisfy all things living with your abundance, and our hearts bow at your presence. All: We praise you, we worship you, we adore you. Leader: Accept us, your children, eternal Father, and hear our prayer. All: Bend over us, eternal Love, and bless us. Amen.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun your daily stage of duty run. Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise to pay your morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to you renew. Disperse my sins as morning dew. Guard my first springs of thought and will, and with yourself my spirit fill.

*Hymn #gtg663 ph456 Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun

Direct, control, suggest, this day, all I design or do or say. That all my powers, with all their might, in your sole glory may unite.

*Call to Confession

Leader: For the times we are too timid to shout out in reply to your Word: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For the times we look busy at worship and reading the Bible, but bicker and fight behind the scenes: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For the times our humility and piety are just a show, put together to look good in front of others: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For participating in unjust systems, allowing the exploitation of others, ignoring the oppressed, turning a blind eye to those drowning in debt: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For failing to share food with the hungry, walking past the homeless, owning two coats when another owns none, and being too busy even for our own families: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For when we have blamed victims, gossiped about the sins of others: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For not always taking the holiness of worship seriously, All: Lord, forgive us.

*Corporate Prayer of Confession (Followed by silent prayers of confession)

Adapted from Leader: For the times we are too timid to shout out in reply to your Word: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For the times we look busy at worship and reading the Bible, but bicker and fight behind the scenes: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For the times our humility and piety are just a show, put together to look good in front of others: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For participating in unjust systems, allowing the exploitation of others, ignoring the oppressed, turning a blind eye to those drowning in debt: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For failing to share food with the hungry, walking past the homeless, owning two coats when another owns none, and being too busy even for our own families: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For when we have blamed victims, gossiped about the sins of others: All: Lord, forgive us. Leader: For not always taking the holiness of worship seriously, All: Lord, forgive us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever shall be: world without end. Amen, Amen.

*Gloria Patri #581

Witnessing God's Work

Musical Meditation (EUPC ONLY)

Proclamation

Witnessing God's Work

Prayer for Illumiation

Hebrew Scripture Gospel Reading

Sermon “This Little Light. . .”

Response

*Hymn #gtg314 (insert at SAUPC) Longing for Lights, We Wait in Darkness

*Declaration of Faith

Apostles' Creed

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Yes

Sharing of our Tithes and Offerings

*Doxology #606

*Prayer of Thanksgiving

Sending

*Hymn #gtg733 PH435 We All are One in Mission

*Charge and Benediction

Sending Song #600 “Amen” (sing three times)

Alternate: Amen

Postlude

FOR EMSWORTH: As you depart, please share signs of Christ’s peace with one another.

*Those who are able may stand in spirit and in body

Isaiah 58:1–12 ESV

1 “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. 3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. 4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Matthew 5:13–20 ESV

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. . .

This Little Light

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. . .

This is a song so familiar, it’s probably going to be stuck in most of our heads for the better part of a day or longer after the sermon this morning. Almost as familiar as the song is the passage from Matthew that it is taken from.

Unlike some of the metaphors and analogies and visuals that Jesus uses, salt and light are things we still use and need today. This still resonates in a real way. Sheep and shepherds and mustard seeds are hard to fathom in our setting. Yes, Pennsylvania is a largely agricultural state, but we sitting here this morning are not from the cornfields of PA. We’re from the city and the suburbs. And even those of us with experience in American farm country of 2020 struggle to understand the rural middle easter world of 2000 years ago.

But salt! That we know! It’s hard for us today to understand how valuable a commodity salt was in Jesus’ day, but we understand the importance of it, at least. I would have loved to see some salt on my icy brick ally this morning.

It’s interesting that this passage came up during a dark, icy time of year in Pittsburgh. We’re all sliding around on the roads and suffering vitamin D deficiency because it’s so gloomy and dark. Salt and light. We know what it means to need salt and light in the world.

Both Jesus and Isaiah connect being light to the way we interact with the world around us. When we struggle to see how to let our light shine, it’s because our faith is disconnected from our actions. And both Isaiah and Jesus are talking to their own people. They are not yelling at the powers that be or talking about “sticking it to the man” as their plan for justice and reconciliation. They are both clear: worry about your own actions - get off your pious high horse yourself and go do justice.

Isaiah tells us how to let the light shine.

Jesus didn’t come to abolish God’s law - he came to fulfill it. And God’s law was not a bunch of arbitrary rules - think back to the 10 commandments if you were here this summer when we explored those. The law wasn’t about personal piety or salvation - it was about shalom - wholeness - and the redemption of the whole community.

Didn’t get closer to God after announcing your

p84 of “preaching transforming justice”: “This means being consciously unpretentious in character and grateful for the opportunity to contribute toward and socially just society.”

Hide it under a bushel - NO - I’m gonna let it shine. . .

From Connections: Epiphany actually PREDATES Christmas in the Christian tradition.

Isaiah is calling out his own people about justice.

Hide it under a bushel - NO - I’m gonna let it shine. . .

These “fasts” we go on, the ones Isaiah says annoy God - these are the baskets we’re hiding our light under. People can’t see the light because we’ve hidden it under our own self-satisfied religion and tradition.

There are different brands of this in every church, but we all have some sort of idolatrous fast that we hold on to as if it’s the one end all be all for how to be church.

From “a colleague”:

A colleague this week said this in a conversation:

“. . .if we aren’t careful, I fear that our church buildings will replace fasting as an external expression of piety that blinds us from seeing the real needs present in our communities. What I mean by this is that we will become so preoccupied with maintaining our buildings- whatever the cost- that we will miss opportunities to participate in God’s ongoing ministry in our communities.”

A commentator I listen to online said that they see this all the time. The church is so focussed on all sorts of idols that bring comfort - things like buildings, worship style, etc - that serving Jesus and bringing God’s light to the world around us is way down on the priority list. We let our obsession with those idols blow out the light. Hasatan - the Adversary is great at the art of distraction.

But think about it.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Pastoral Perspective

Isaiah is concerned that the obsession with right worship distracts the people from what really determines the future of the community—its effort to fulfill the ethical obligations of justice.

The last congregation I served worshipped in a building built on a slag heap like so many buildings in that part of Pennsylvania are. Because of this, It was slowly sinking. There were some cracks in the brick, but the building was still structurally ok. Just to be safe, we brought in a few experts to take a look at it. The quotes and answers ranged from, “Eventually, it might be a problem, but you’re fine for now.” to “You’re going to have to rebuild and reenforce that whole side of the building for big bucks right now or the whole thing’s going to collapse.” We did not, for the record, have big bucks. But, the general concensus was that there was no reason to hurry, the building was fine for now. Keep an eye on it and call the experts back in if it got significantly worse. Of course, this still caused panic.

People asked me, “But what if the whole church falls into a sinkhole?” And my answer was, “We have a large lawn. As long as we make sure to get the people out in time, the whole church did not actually fall into a sinkhole. Just the bricks we use to keep the wind out did.” That was not a terribly popular answer, for the record.

They were obsessed for months with this possible problem with the building that was a decade or more down the road at the earliest and they spent those months worth of energy fussing about that wall when that energy could havre been put into mission and outreach and evangelism. The building was a bushel basket they were hiding their light under.

The building was a bushel basket they were hiding their light under. They were obsessed for months with this possible problem with the building that was a decade or more down the road at the earliest and they spent those months worth of energy fussing about that wall when that energy could havre been put into mission and outreach and evangelism.

To their credit, not long after that discussion ended, we started having monthly worship on the front lawn instead of inside and it was delightful.

Won’t let Satan Pshhh it out. . . I’m gonna let it shine. . .

I used to work - believe it or not - at a mega church. I sang in the choir. The music was a blend of gospel music and the sort of thing you hear on K-Love. The music director who was there when I started in the choir was a great guy, but a little flashier in style than the one who replaced him when he took another position in another church. The new guy was great too! I really liked him and still keep in touch with both of them. But not everyone liked the new guy’s more laid back style. He also pulled in more global music and style and even in that “contemporary” mega church. . . the tiniest change in worship style sent some people through the ROOF. They were not worshiping Jesus during the worship music, it turns out. They were worshipping that particular brand of worship music.

For the record, God invented music: ALL MUSIC - yes, even that genre you hate. (For me it’s country music that I struggle to see anyone, let alone God, enjoying.) Through human creativity modeled in the image of God and God’s creativity, God created classical music and showtunes and rap and heavy metal and bluegrass and classic rock and K-pop and Kidz Bop and yes. . . even. . . gulp. . . country.

Throughout the centuries, the church has fought about the right kind of worship or fast. Instruments or no instruments? Debts and debtors or trespasses and trespassers? Art work or no art work? Robes and stoles or jeans and t-shirts? When should Easter be celebrated? Communion every week, once a month, or once a quarter?

For the record, God invented music: ALL MUSIC - yes, even that genre you hate. (For me it’s country music that I struggle to see anyone, let alone God, enjoy.) Through human creativity modeled in the image of God and God’s creativity, God created classical music and showtunes and rap and heavy metal and bluegrass and classic rock and K-pop and Kidz Bop and yes. . . even. . . gulp. . . country.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Pastoral Perspective

Isaiah’s people too are looking back to figure out what went wrong that led to their demise. They too have to rethink what it means to worship the God of Israel in a “post” world: posttemple, postexile, postDavidic monarchy. Worship for them has become a proxy for all of the change that must occur if the covenant community is going to avoid the mistakes of the past and secure a new future.

Worship style and practice are not what pleases or offends God, according to Isaiah. Worship style and practice are not to blame for the exilic decline of the community. They are not the measuring sticks by which the people of God will be judged. They will not restore or preserve a relationship with God in and of themselves. This is a curious thing to say to a community reconstituting itself following a return from exile. It is a frustrating thing to say to a church trying to reinvent itself, beginning with the practice of worship. Worship is the most important thing we do together. It is the place that forms us into the people of God. It is the place where we inhale God’s love and grace, so that we can be sent forth to exhale God’s love and grace in a broken world in need of redemption.

We cannot let our light be blown out because of our fixations on certain words or styles or images. If a word is changed or an instrument added and that “ruins” worship for you. . . what are you worshiping? Isaiah is direct in calling this sort of petty piety out and telling us that if our worship doesn’t spill out into the rest of our actions and cause us to act with kindness and justice and compassion to the people around us, it’s just empty nonsense and God doesn’t care about it anyway. If we aren’t making a difference in the community around us, this (Sunday worship) is all for show. God will not acknowledge that sort of worship because it is empty.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Pastoral Perspective

Isaiah is concerned that the obsession with right worship distracts the people from what really determines the future of the community—its effort to fulfill the ethical obligations of justice.

For the poor and hungry folks, I’m gonna let it shine. . .

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, Volume 1 Pastoral Perspective

One year during Holy Week, a few Christians from well-endowed congregations in a major metropolitan area spent a night with homeless friends on the street. They were looking for the suffering Christ in the lives of those who spend their days and nights suffering from hunger, disease, and rejection. It was a chilly night, and rain rolled in close to midnight. Looking for shelter, the handful of travelers felt fortunate to come upon a church holding an all-night prayer vigil. The leader of the group was a pastor of one of the most respected churches in the city. As she stepped through the outer doors of the church, a security guard stopped her. She explained that she and the rest of their group were Christians. They had no place to stay and were wet and miserable, and would like to rest and pray. Enticed by the lighted warmth of the sanctuary, she had forgotten that her wet, matted hair and disheveled clothing left her looking like just another homeless person from the street. The security guard was friendly, but explained in brutal honesty, “I was hired to keep homeless people like you out.” As the dejected group made their way back into the misery of the night, they knew they had found their suffering Christ, locked out of the church.

As we think about welcome this year, I want us to disconnect that idea from the walls of this building. Yes, we should be welcoming when people join us on Sunday morning for worship. But think about how we make the community feel welcomed by God. How do we communicate welcome into God’s Kingdom and God’s work to the people outside these walls? How do we say to the people around us, “God loves you. We love you. We’re here for you.” ?

Where are the bonds of wickedness and the yokes of oppression? Let’s go out and help break them.

Let’s share bread with the hungry - feeding people now with meals and food banks - but also feeding them later by helping empower people who are trapped in systems of poverty and injustice.

Give shelter to the homeless - immediately and long term.

Don’t cut yourself off emotionally or physically from family - that includes our family in Christ, brothers and sisters all over the world who are joined to us - united to Christ just as we are. What’s happening around the world matters as much as what’s happening in our backyard.

We’re going to be praying today for the future of these two partnered congregations. I imagine that most of you, like I am, are praying that “ancient ruins shall be rebuilt.” Wouldn’t it be amazing if this time in the life of these congregations was a time that is looked back on 50 years from now as the rising up of the new foundations? That you all would be called repairers of the breach and restorers of streets?

Isaiah 58:12 ESV

12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. . .

Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to you. Make us your own, your holy people, light for the world to see.