Dr. David D. Young
September 9, 2007 – Homecoming Sunday
Isaiah 60: 1-2
Matthew 5: 14-16
"Let Your Light Shine"

Homecoming!

Homecoming!

What a wonderful and reassuring feeling that word can produce. And what a joy it is to gather here as the family of the church on this Homecoming Sunday!

For the pews are all packed
and our church school is back.
We hear from our preachers
and commission our teachers.
And we kick-off the year
in our church home so dear.

Today is a day of celebration and true homecoming!

Just to give you a warning the entire church school with all of the children and teachers will be coming into the sanctuary during the closing hymn.

There’s a wonderful story about a little girl who was to speak one line in her Sunday school program, "I am the light of the world." Unfortunately when the big moment came, the little girl froze up and forgot her line. Her frantic mother on the front row mouthed the words, "I am the light of the world." Suddenly the little girl relaxed. A smile appeared on her little face as she delivered her much expected line. Said she: "My mother is the light of the world."

Parents are important lights for their children – and children are often special lights for their parents. How often have you said or heard someone say – when referring to a child he/she is the light of my life?

But in this morning’s context we need to remember it was Jesus himself who said, "I am the light of the world." That is one of the deepest realities of our faith – to affirm Jesus as light. What if we were to rise each morning and say from the depths of our being and with a radiance on our face – that Jesus is the light of our world. Jesus is the light of my life.

Jesus, after saying, "I am the light of the world," said something even more amazing – and we find it right here in our text from Matthew when he said,

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

Recognizing that the source is Christ, we want his light to illuminate our lives and so emanate out that others will be drawn to a closer relationship with God and a deepening of their faith. We cannot make this happen for others. Our responsibility is to share the light, to share the faith and invite others to the light.

Some people want a mega-God, sort of like a super-store with lots of things to get. They want a God who will give them everything they want – never mind what they need. We, on the other hand, know ourselves as blessed already – no matter what our circumstances – and so, we share a God who asks us to share and give – for that is when we truly live.

The Jewish Rabbi, Abraham Heschel, observed,

"There is hardly a soul that can radiate more light than it receives."

We need to stop worrying about what we don’t have and share what we do have. That’s true in terms of our material stuff, it’s true in terms of our love, it’s true in terms of our intellect, and it’s true in terms of our skills.

Few of us can give away more of any of those things than we have ever received. But one thing is sure – the more we share of all those things, the more we are sharing a light of faith which provides others a way of seeing.

Sharing begets sharing and hoarding begets hoarding. And we are called to let our light shine to its broadest sharing reach. You all – each and every one of you – have been given a measure of light. But there are times when – if we are really honest – each of us hides it, or covers it up, or withholds it.

I know I have. There have been times when I could have and should have offered a word of encouragement – but I didn’t. There have been times when someone needed a listening ear and to see a light of caring in my eyes – and I said I was too busy. There have been times when a situation called for energy, enthusiasm and real effort – and I held back due to laziness or lack of interest. There have been times when a conversation turned negative or to criticizing or talking badly about another person – and I could have stopped it or said something positive – but I didn’t.

Friends, there have been times when I have covered or withheld the goodness and light of my faith. And I believe Jesus was talking to you and me when he said,

"Don’t hide the light you’ve been given – but let it shine."

I believe that is equally true for our church as well. As a church family, we need to do all we can to keep the light out in front – giving light and sight to all who enter our household of faith.

Such sharing is not just the staff’s job – it is everyone’s! And I know the Membership Committee is really struggling with this – the nametags that everyone is wearing is part of that effort, "To Let Our Light Shine." But they need the help of everyone in the congregation to provide hospitality and to let our light shine.

"You are the light of the world," said Jesus. "No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

The issue here is one of responsibility. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as a German Lutheran pastor took his responsibility – as part of the underground resistance to Hitler. He was caught in his efforts and put in a concentration camp where he lived for some time. He was executed just days before his camp was liberated at the end of World War II. Fortunately, we still have some of his papers and letters he wrote from his time of confinement. In one he wrote,

"The ultimate question the person of responsibility asks is not, how can I extricate myself heroically from the affair? But, how is the coming generation to live?"

And that is a God perspective question. Because if it is true that God cares about us and our lives – then it is equally true God will care about the next generation and how they live.

Bonhoeffer, who knew the difficulty and cost of discipleship as his faith led him to act – also penned this line,

"The sin of respectable people is running from responsibility."

"Don’t hide your light for whatever reason," said Jesus, "but let it shine!" As I said before, each and every one of us has been given a measure of light.

Each one of you is unique, distinctive and wondrously personal. Each endowed with unique and different gifts. Each of our lives, if you will, takes the light and refracts it at a slightly different angle. Think of your light that way – a unique positioning in the world. The light of God and Christ comes into your life and refracts at a particular angle. That is a part of your life.

Each of us has this inner beauty – this wonderful something that only we can offer to the world - that radiance of faith. So let it shine – won’t you let it shine? And you know, when we do it together as the body of Christ something even more beautiful takes place. You see, for each of our lives is beautiful in and of itself but when we bring those lives together – the sum of the parts is more than all of that - simply added together.

It is so beautiful – these different gifts are all part of one body. When we truly share our gifts and let our light shine – it is amazing – I mean it’s amazing what God can do through us. It’s kind of like the stained glass windows – each little pane is beautiful, has a beautiful color, special refraction of the light. But you put them all together and WOW – it’s transforming.

Today at the picnic we have a special opportunity to participate in the making of a stained glass window. The Parish Life Committee has been hard at work these past weeks preparing for today and they have put a lot of work into today. It’s going to be a wonderful afternoon following worship.

One of the things that each and every one of us gets to do – is to take a little piece of plastic – 4"x 4" – and we each get to take permanent color markers and draw some expression of our faith. Something of what our church or the love of God in our lives means to us. It can be a symbol or it can be anything you want to do creatively to put on that. They are going to be put next to each other and placed on to panels.

You might have noticed that one of the stained glass windows has been removed in the back of the church – I can see the people back there quite well this morning – usually you’re all in the dark – no, not really. But when the smaller panels come out, later this year, those panels that we’re actually making today – instead of having plastic covering as the big ones have in the back they will actually go into the windows as an expression of our church family. And I think that is a beautiful thing – I think it such a neat way of expressing ourselves and this idea of different lives and the beauty in life as we reflect - coming together for something more beautiful. And I think we will see that in the coming months – it’s just a wonderful thing.

And you probably noticed on the cover of the bulletin – this semblance of something that looks like a stained glass window and you notice there’s one piece that needs to be tucked in a little bit more and that of course is you. We need you to participate – we need you to let your light shine and be part of this wonderful, wonderful process.

I have to say a quick word about our stained glass window project – I’m not really here to pitch it in a big way, but I do want to say that it’s theme is "Let the Light Shine." Very similar to let your light shine only its called "Let the Light Shine." I know we received some gifts already – many people have not taken the opportunity to respond – some of the feedback I’ve gotten is that "It’s not that big a deal." And my gift doesn’t make a difference. Well, the light of our windows is a profound symbol of the light of our faith and we need to share it.

This project – renovating our windows is really a gift we will be giving to generations to come. These windows were done before many of us were part of the church – I know some were part of the process of installing and paying for these windows but many of us have simply received them as beneficiaries of the legacy of the past. So, we are all encouraged to make a gift to this project – no one has to give of course – neither does anyone have to let their light shine. But we are called through faith and in Jesus Christ our Lord to let our light shine.

The prophet Isaiah said it in our text,

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you."

It’s so great to have the choir in full voice this morning to sing that text. For it’s all about rising and shining as we let our light shine.

So, a closing thought for how we can let the light shine,

I will do more than only belong – I will participate.
I will do more than care – I will help.
I will do more than believe – I will practice.
I will do more than be fair – I will be kind.
I will do more than forgive – I will love.
I will do more than earn – I will enrich.
I will do more than teach – I will serve.
I will do more than live – I will grow.
I will do more than be friendly – I will be a friend.

I will do more than receive the light – I will let the light shine.

Friends, today and in the coming days – as individuals and as a church family – "Let Your Light Shine!"

Amen!