Looking to the Stars

January 5, 2025 Isaiah 60:1-6 Year C Looking to the Stars Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Children of God, we enter the new year as we ended the last: gathered together for worship! We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. The prophet Isaiah calls to us from deep in the past: “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. The magi followed a star to find a small child who is the Light of the world. We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light. So, let us receive the call of Isaiah and follow the example of the magi as we begin this new year turning our faces to God whose glory shows up among us as a vulnerable child, a poor carpenter, and a foot-washing servant who is the salvation of the world. We gather to seek, find, and follow the Light today and every day. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024. Opening Prayer With joy, Loving God, we tune our hearts and minds to praise, for you have carried us through the past year, and now open to us the whole of 2025. You bring light into the world. You bless us and our children. You fill us with food and rejoice in all who hope in your steadfast love. Accept our joyful offering of thanksgiving! AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Song We Three Kings UMH254 A Sermon for all Ages How many of you are afraid of the dark? (Let them answer.) Are you afraid to sleep with the light off? Don’t be embarrassed to admit it! It will be our little secret, just between you and me. What is it that scares you about the dark? (Let them answer.) Maybe it’s the way an ordinary thing in your room like a basketball hoop or a lamp or a large doll can look like a scary monster in the shadows of your vivid imaginations. Maybe it’s the way you lie in the dark and think about something scary you saw on television or in a movie. Maybe it’s the way your house or apartment is quiet when it is dark, which means that you can hear every little noise at night. Maybe you just don’t feel safe because you can’t see, and that is what makes the dark so scary. Well, most people stop being afraid of the dark as they get older, but there is another kind of darkness which scares even grown-ups. I am talking about moral darkness, the darkness of wrong and evil. There is a lot of that darkness in the world, and it is scary because it keeps us from God. Young and old alike, we all must struggle to know and do what is right, to see and follow the light of good amid the darkness of what is bad. Today we celebrate Epiphany and talk about how the light of God appeared in the world when Christ was born and made known to the world. The three wise men who visited the baby Jesus were among the first to see this light, but people had talked about it many centuries before. In fact, an ancient Hebrew prophet named Isaiah had written, "Arise, shine, for your light has come." Elsewhere, he had written, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined" (9:2). For all people who were lost in darkness and couldn’t find their way to God, Jesus has come to be their light and show us the way. When you wake up from a bad dream in the middle of the night, think of how happy you are when your mother comes into your room and turns on the light. Then, after you have calmed down, she leaves the light on, and you aren’t scared any more. That’s sort of how we all feel now that Jesus is in the world. The light of goodness and salvation has been turned on in our souls, and we who were walking in darkness have seen the light. We aren’t scared anymore. Whenever you are tempted to do or say something you know is wrong, you are getting ready to enter this moral darkness I am talking about. It isn’t a darkness you can see, like the night is dark; instead, it is a darkness inside which tries to take you away from God. But now we have Jesus Christ to be our light. Whenever we wonder what is the right or wrong thing to do, we have the example of Jesus to show us the right. Learn the stories of His life. Learn the stories He told and the lessons He taught; talk to your parents about Him. The thick darkness which has covered the peoples no longer is quite so thick or scary, because now that Jesus Christ is in the world, we see that our light has come. Amen. CSS Publishing Co., Inc., More Urgent Season, A, by Erskine White Boys and girls, I have a globe with me. What is a globe? That's right. It's a small representation of our earth. Suppose I shine this flashlight on the globe. What would the flashlight represent? That's right. The sun. Throughout history, when people have talked about the world having problems, they have referred to it as a dark world. The Bible calls it that. But the Bible also says that there is light for this dark world. It is a light that came from outside this world, not from inside. It is the light of God's love which shines through Jesus Christ. When all the world lets the light of Jesus shine in, then the darkness of all the problems of hate, war, etc., will disappear. What happens to darkness when you turn on a light? That's right, the darkness disappears. As we start this New Year, let's give thanks for Jesus who is the Light of the World. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Affirmation of Faith “In Jesus of Nazareth, true humanity was realized once for all. Jesus, a Palestinian Jew, lived among his own people and shared their needs, temptations, joys, and sorrows. He expressed the love of God in word and deed and became a brother to all kinds of sinful men and women. But his complete obedience led him into conflict with his people. His life and teaching judged their goodness, religious aspirations, and national hopes. Many rejected him and demanded his death. In giving himself freely for them, he took upon himself the judgment under which everyone stands convicted. God raised him from the dead, vindicating him as Messiah and Lord. The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all.” (Presbyterian Outlook, Inclusive Language Text of the Confession of 1967) John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer UMH 607 Scripture Isaiah 60:1-6 Sermon Looking to the Stars When we are in need, where does we look for help? Where does our help come from. The bible encourages us to look up look up to the hills, to look up to the sky – because our help comes from God. In times of need, if we look up – we will find God in some of the strangest places. In order to appreciate the task that Isaiah had in rousing the exiles to trust that God was still in their history, imagine what the rabbis have to do for the Jewish people today after the holocaust. It is one thing to know that generally people should be horrified at the inhumanity that took place with the slaughter of six million Jews. All people should be revolted at that horrible moment of history. Certainly there are segments of the Hebrew population who react to the holocaust only on its humanitarian and political levels. However, the rabbis have to interpret this dreadful catastrophe in the light of their own tradition. A remarkable collection of what some rabbis did teach in response to the Holocaust has been published under the title I Will be Sanctified. One rabbi noted that the question, “Where was God during the Holocaust?” is the question of those who would justify giving up on the faith of their tradition. Some would ask the question in pain, some ask out of sincere doubt, and still others ask insolently and skeptically. However, the one who questions out of faith is like the one who asked his young nephew, a survivor of the Holocaust, if he had seen the smoke coming from the chimneys. But then he also asked, “And did you see God there next to the chimneys?” Faith not only recognizes the judgment of God upon the world, but also recognizes the willingness of God to save and redeem out of the worst of circumstances. That is what the Prophet Isaiah was able to see and what he was able to share with his people in exile. He could tell them that they would be restored as a people and that other nations would recognize them. The prophet could picture this in the most assuring ways. Not only would they be reestablished as a people, but also they would find a prominent and enviable place among the family of nations. The epiphany season is our reminder to look up to look up all the way to the stars for God. Last night as I was looking up at the sky – all four visible planets were out in plain view – this must be a special time indeed. In times of darkness, the first thing we do is look for the light. What's the first thing you do when you awaken from a scary dream? Exactly! Most of us reach for the light. Our rational minds tell us that it was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. However, our bodies aren't convinced. We want to put our pillows over our heads and bury ourselves beneath all the blankets. But, it won't work. Our hearts are pumping and thumping. Arteries are stretched to the limit by blood racing to our feet and hands. Lungs strain to take in as much oxygen as possible. Adrenal glands work arduously to prepare us to flee or to fight unknown demons of the night. Reach for the light, now, before it's too late! Since the beginning of time humans have sought the light around campfires, candles and torches at the approach of darkness. Light promises hope and warmth, safety and security. Deep within the human heart the onset of darkness stirs up unknown fears of forces of evil beyond our control. Darkness and light call forth contrasts of despair and joy; evil and good; weakness and strength; sin and salvation; shame and glory. Reach for the light, tonight, before it's too late! It is interesting that every culture has some type of light festival. The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you" (v. 2). Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen. It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives tonight. We are reminded that christ is our light that has been sent into the world. God sent Christ, to remind us that God has not forgotten about us and will always send us some type of light. Our scripture reminds us to look up and to look for the light. If you go back to chapter 59 – it is about the darkness in the world. It reminds us that sometimes the world can seem to be a dark place, because of our sin. We can become mired into a life of sin. We forget that we are God’s people. The first words of chapter 60 – are Arise and shine for your light has come. A woman is lying face down on the floor – and God tells her to arise and look up. Even in the darkness, the light has come – sometimes we just don’t see it. I tried so hard not to tell the following joke, but it simply would not keep itself off the computer screen. For those of you who have heard it often, forgive me. It's the story of the man who went into the hardware store in need of a chain saw. He was finally sold on one after being told he could cut up 10 cords of wood a day with it. Excited and eager to get started he took it home and got to work. After several days, however, the man was really discouraged. The best he could do was half a cord a day, and even doing that was an utterly exhausting experience. Discouraged, disappointed, and not a little angry, he went back to the hardware store with his chain saw, plopping it up on the counter. "So, how's it going, Frank?" the store owner said. "Look, my good friend, you told me I could cut 10 cords of wood a day with this [expletive deleted] thing. The best I can do is half a cord and even at that it's incredibly hard work. I want my money back!" "Well, Frank, let's just take a look." With that he adjusted the proper switches and gave a yank on the cord. The saw sprang to life, frightening Frank out of his wits. "Hey," he yelled, jumping back in fear, "what's that awful noise?" My friends, am I wrong in saying that many people have been living by what they call the Christian faith all their lives, yet have never known more than committee work and fund raising, and wonder why the faith means so little to them? Am I wrong in saying that there are those who wonder why they have to get involved in prayer and Bible study and service to the hurting of the world and then wonder why their life is still empty, even when they go to church? This week keep in your mind's eye the picture of that man, rubbing that chain saw back and forth across a tree trunk, with a silent motor, scratching and rubbing and sweating and cursing. And then picture the millions of people who have a general belief in a general God who gives us general hints about general situations and invites us to live a generally good life following some general rules from a generally all-around-good-guy, Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, or so. Where does our help come from – our help comes from God, sometimes we are just not connected to the source. The power is not inside of us – it is inside of God. The prophet instructs us to arise and shine. Sort of like the command ready, aim fire. We don’t just fire. Before we fire, we have to prepare ourselves, we have to make a plan, then we take action. The command for us is to arise then shine. In other words, first we pray, then we look up, then we shine – we let our actions and life be a reflection of God’s actions. It may be dark outside, today is a pretty gloomy day – but God is here – we just have to look and find God. We can find the light all around us – even in the people around us. Light festivals are common for people to look for the light. Light is an important part of our faith – light is a part of Christmas and Easter. Christ is the light in the midst of the darkness. The most moving part of Christmas Eve is the candlelighting, where we turn off the lights, lights candles and stand together in community. Today is not so dramatic, but it is touching none the less. Today we will gather as a community, to celebrate communion. Each person here is a candle lit by God. Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We gather without distinction, at the same level, with the same needs, to eat the same food: young and old, men and women, gay and straight, rich and poor, weak and strong, of every tribe and nation. We look into the faces of our fellow Christians and we see the light of Christ. In such a eucharistic fellowship we are able to truly discern the vision of Isaiah: Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the seas shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (vv. 5-6). This brings us to the final thing we need to say. Each time we bring light into someone else’s life we hasten the day when the entire world will walk in the glorious light of God’s presence. That has always been God’s will for his world and God will not be defeated! There will be a day when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in this world in the lives of His people. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. Christ is the light that calls us all together. Christ is the light of the world – a light that all can see. A light that touches us all. A light that brings us all together, and scatters us all. How will you spread the light of christ this year? 2025 – is a good year to be alive, in the holy spirit. This year may you see the light, find the miracles of God in the strangest of places and marvel at the difference the light makes. Arise, Shine, your light has come. Let us pray……. Song Star Child TFWS 2095 Prayer for Times of Change (At the Threshold) God is creating new paths and possibilities, as we prepare for where we are going. Christ is freeing us with newfound love and grace, as we learn from where we have been. The Spirit is revealing new dreams to guide us, as we start our journey home on a new path. We take courage in the assurance that God goes with us; we affirm our call to go where Christ leads; and we trust the Spirit to guide us through the challenging space between, where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Surely, we are not alone. Thanks be to God.—adapted from Prayer for Times of Change, The United Church of Canada Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment After all the flurry of gift-giving and gift-receiving throughout the month of December and the many appeals for “end of year giving”, on this first Sunday of a new year, do you feel exhausted by the requests for support? If so, I invite you to bring to mind both the story of the magi who travelled miles to bring gifts to Jesus, and the text in Ephesians 1, which lifts up the ways in which God has destined us for adoption as his children. Because of Jesus Christ, we’ve been given an inheritance! Because we’re claimed by God as God’s own beloved children, we have already received the promised Holy Spirit as a promise of the full inheritance we are to receive. When we stop to realize what God gives us: not only Jesus as our Lord, life-leader, and teacher, and the Holy Spirit to inspire us day by day, but adoption as God’s own beloved ones (!) our response becomes profound gratitude! Let’s begin 2025 with a recognition of being claimed and named by God, which prompts us to generosity. With delight, let’s start this new year with a financial gift of support for this congregation and for the ministries we share every year, including (name one or two ___________________). You can make your gift (list the ways people can give). Prayer of Thanksgiving As adopted children of every age, we offer you our thanks, Holy God. You’ve claimed us, named us, and called us into relationship with you. Thank you! Now we ask you to accept these gifts of gratitude, multiply them for service, and help us use them to strengthen your Realm here on earth. AMEN Star Words New Year’s Communion Christ invites to this table all who are ready to move beyond the limitations of the past, all who are eager to move into the “new thing” that God is doing in our midst, all who are willing to let go of the pain that’s gone. [sung by all] This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that’s gone… And so this is an open invitation to come and receive the bread that will sustain us as we embark on this new calendar year. All are invited to receive the sweetness of the cup as a sign of God’s promise of abundant possibilities. All are invited to this meal, for all are forgiven their past regrets and invited into God’s grace-filled future! Praise to the Living God! The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts in this new day. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. Presider: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Creator and Renewer of all life. Time and again you seek us out, breathing again the breath of life into the deflated places our lives. And so, we come to your table again to praise you and taste yet again what your steadfast love can do… Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He healed the sick, fed the hungry and ate with those others considered unworthy. Through him, faith and hope were born again for so many… On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks for you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” And so, as we remember these words and acts of Jesus, we offer our own lives, leaving behind what we do not need, seeking new paths full of risen life in you. As followers of Christ, we proclaim and live out this holy mystery: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, so that we may be for the world the body of Christ, breaking ourselves open to your future. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever! Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Children of God, go forth into the world and join God’s work. May the God of all times and places continue to guide you here and now; may the Holy Spirit that swept over the waters of creation continue to give you strength; and may the light of Christ, through who all things came into being, continue to shine through each of you until we are all gathered together again. Go in peace. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tommy Carrico) Community Time – Joys and concerns Benediction Beloved, go from this place carrying the blessing of the Light who has come among so that the love of the Christ child may shine within you, casting rays of good news wherever you go. Amen. Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024. Additional Illustrations I tried so hard not to tell the following joke, but it simply would not keep itself off the computer screen. For those of you who have heard it often, forgive me. It's the story of the man who went into the hardware store in need of a chain saw. He was finally sold on one after being told he could cut up 10 cords of wood a day with it. Excited and eager to get started he took it home and got to work. After several days, however, the man was really discouraged. The best he could do was half a cord a day, and even doing that was an utterly exhausting experience. Discouraged, disappointed, and not a little angry, he went back to the hardware store with his chain saw, plopping it up on the counter. "So, how's it going, Frank?" the store owner said. "Look, my good friend, you told me I could cut 10 cords of wood a day with this [expletive deleted] thing. The best I can do is half a cord and even at that it's incredibly hard work. I want my money back!" "Well, Frank, let's just take a look." With that he adjusted the proper switches and gave a yank on the cord. The saw sprang to life, frightening Frank out of his wits. "Hey," he yelled, jumping back in fear, "what's that awful noise?" My friends, am I wrong in saying that many people have been living by what they call the Christian faith all their lives, yet have never known more than committee work and fund raising, and wonder why the faith means so little to them? Am I wrong in saying that there are those who wonder why they have to get involved in prayer and Bible study and service to the hurting of the world and then wonder why their life is still empty, even when they go to church? This week keep in your mind's eye the picture of that man, rubbing that chain saw back and forth across a tree trunk, with a silent motor, scratching and rubbing and sweating and cursing. And then picture the millions of people who have a general belief in a general God who gives us general hints about general situations and invites us to live a generally good life following some general rules from a generally all-around-good-guy, Jesus, who lived 2,000 years ago, or so. Thomas H. Troeger once said this: "To undomesticate God, to see God in places where we are convinced God would never be, is to be able to hope and believe again." Isaiah saw into the future when it would dawn on the nations how great was the God of the Hebrews. And when it dawned on them, they would not keep themselves from pouring out their praise and presents in adoration and worship. The wise men knew that this was the King of kings when Jesus was born, and they could not but search for him, crossing a dangerous desert to find him and worship him. It dawned on them, and they responded. Has it dawned on us yet? Dr. Leonard Sweet, president of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, mentions in his book Quantum Spirituality something that sports journalist George Plimpton had written. Mr. Plimpton had written about a "mysterious component" in an athlete's life. He said that when this component is added to an athlete's natural ability, it gives a player "a kind of boost, like an afterburner kicking in, a psychic energy that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts." He called it the "X Factor" and called it a combination of "adrenaline, intelligence, confidence, concentration, and discipline." The "X Factor." Dr. Sweet then went on himself to say this:For Christians the difference between an ordinary community and an extraordinary, life-producing organism is one word: Christ. Christ is the "X Factor," the "Inner Power" that transforms an assemblage of individuals into a synergic [sic] community of healing and love. (From Quantum Spirituality, p. 137) A synergetic community of healing and love is one in which everyone is working together cooperatively with God and with one another. This happens through the Spirit of Christ revealed to us by our loving God. In order to appreciate the task that Isaiah had in rousing the exiles to trust that God was still in their history, imagine what the rabbis have to do for the Jewish people today after the holocaust. It is one thing to know that generally people should be horrified at the inhumanity that took place with the slaughter of six million Jews. All people should be revolted at that horrible moment of history. Certainly there are segments of the Hebrew population who react to the holocaust only on its humanitarian and political levels. However, the rabbis have to interpret this dreadful catastrophe in the light of their own tradition. A remarkable collection of what some rabbis did teach in response to the Holocaust has been published under the title I Will be Sanctified. One rabbi noted that the question, “Where was God during the Holocaust?” is the question of those who would justify giving up on the faith of their tradition. Some would ask the question in pain, some ask out of sincere doubt, and still others ask insolently and skeptically. However, the one who questions out of faith is like the one who asked his young nephew, a survivor of the Holocaust, if he had seen the smoke coming from the chimneys. But then he also asked, “And did you see God there next to the chimneys?” Faith not only recognizes the judgment of God upon the world, but also recognizes the willingness of God to save and redeem out of the worst of circumstances. That is what the Prophet Isaiah was able to see and what he was able to share with his people in exile. He could tell them that they would be restored as a people and that other nations would recognize them. The prophet could picture this in the most assuring ways. Not only would they be reestablished as a people, but also they would find a prominent and enviable place among the family of nations. Darkness is never easily dispelled. The Israelites could have said, "We've heard that before!" At another place and another time they had heard: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them has light shined" (Isaiah 9:2). That promise seemed like a quick fix before the darkness returned; and we know the feeling. We have heard these promises at Advent and Christmas, year after year. Does anything really change? We must ask, have we ever really listened to the promises? It says you must "lift up your eyes and look around" (v. 4a) All the light in the world is no help if you don't lift up your eyes and take a look around. It is a matter of vision, of discernment. What Isaiah saw was a glorious restoration for Jerusalem, a great homecoming for the Jews, a great ingathering of the Gentiles. But the reality did not always seem to match the promise. Nowhere is the truth of Epiphany more evident than in the Eucharist. We gather around the Lord's table as members of the same body of Christ, heirs together of the promises of the gospel. We gather without distinction, at the same level, with the same needs, to eat the same food: young and old, men and women, gay and straight, rich and poor, weak and strong, of every tribe and nation. We look into the faces of our fellow Christians and we see the light of Christ. In such a eucharistic fellowship we are able to truly discern the vision of Isaiah: Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the seas shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (vv. 5-6). In Isaiah's view, God's good rule has been made flesh in the weakest of human creation, a baby. It is his birth and his Kingdom we celebrate on this eve of Christmas. The story is told of an aspiring young author who was given the opportunity to read a fiction story he had written before a famous author. The plot of the young aspiring writer's story involved the only son of a poor widow who lived in a little cabin in Pennsylvania. The story went something like this: One day the son decided to go to New York to make his way in life. As he got ready to leave, his mother hugged him and said to him: "Son, if you ever get into trouble, come home, and as you come over the hill, look toward home. You will always find a light burning in the window, and I will be waiting to welcome you." The young writer described what happened to the young man with words that produced images of the dark side of humanity. The young man went to prison, and upon his release decided to head home. The boy hitchhiked his way back to Pennsylvania. As he climbed the final hill and started toward home, he saw the outline of a small cottage in the distance. He was filled with hope. But something was wrong, there was no light burning in the window! At this point, the renowned author jumped to his feet and shouted at the aspiring author, "You young upstart! Put that light back."1 The "light" which Isaiah wrote about has not and will not ever go out. For it is the light of God's glory, revealed in Jesus Christ. It is this "light" that we celebrate tonight! He is Isaiah's first light and our "Everlasting Light." Amen! What's the first thing you do when you awaken from a scary dream? Exactly! Most of us reach for the light. Our rational minds tell us that it was nothing but a dream. It wasn't real. However, our bodies aren't convinced. We want to put our pillows over our heads and bury ourselves beneath all the blankets. But, it won't work. Our hearts are pumping and thumping. Arteries are stretched to the limit by blood racing to our feet and hands. Lungs strain to take in as much oxygen as possible. Adrenal glands work arduously to prepare us to flee or to fight unknown demons of the night. Reach for the light, now, before it's too late! Since the beginning of time humans have sought the light around campfires, candles and torches at the approach of darkness. Light promises hope and warmth, safety and security. Deep within the human heart the onset of darkness stirs up unknown fears of forces of evil beyond our control. Darkness and light call forth contrasts of despair and joy; evil and good; weakness and strength; sin and salvation; shame and glory. Reach for the light, tonight, before it's too late! The festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord is a celebration that has reminded Christians since the second century that the light has already reached us. The light has already come in Jesus Christ. His light has vanquished the dark nightmares in our souls. "Arise, shine;" declares Isaiah, "for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (v. 1). Nightmares exist. Evil lurks around darkened corners of our lives, "but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will appear over you" (v. 2). Did you catch the language of both Christmas and Easter here? The Light has come. The Glory of the Lord has risen. It is no coincidence that early Christians selected this text to be read on Epiphany Day, the day on which the appearance of the Light of Christ is celebrated. The Light, born in Bethlehem, rises and shines brilliantly from the empty tomb outside Jerusalem. Epiphany, the Day of Light, connects birth, passion, and resurrection in the Church year. The Light has reached us. The Light shines in our lives tonight. In today's lesson Isaiah pictures Jerusalem (Zion) as a woman prostrate on the ground at the beginning of the New Year covenant renewal celebration. Zion is bidden to rise and see what the Lord is doing and will do in her midst. Perhaps this is the Lord's word for us as well. Arise, wake up from the nightmares in the world around us. The demons in our own darkness will not prevail. With the Magi from the East, look for the brilliant star. "Lift up your eyes and see" (v. 4). Let the true Light overcome our midnight anxiety. But, we have to look up for the Light. We can't discover the Light by hiding beneath the covers of self-protection and fear. The Magi looked up, saw the light, and followed it to a manger, the birthplace of a king. It wasn't an easy journey. They faced all the hazards of a long journey across the wilderness. They faced the evil of treacherous King Herod. Yet they persisted, in faith, proceeding onward, following wherever the light might lead them. This brings us to the final thing we need to say. Each time we bring light into someone else’s life we hasten the day when the entire world will walk in the glorious light of God’s presence. That has always been God’s will for his world and God will not be defeated! There will be a day when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will come a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. God is at work in this world in the lives of His people. I like a story Dr. Eugene Brice once told that comes from a time when radio was our dominant form of mass media. A sheepherder in Montana wrote the NBC Symphony in New York, telling of a problem he had. He was an amateur musician, a violinist. He listened to the symphony each Sunday on his radio. But his violin had gotten badly out of tune, and in his isolation, he had no way to tune it. He needed a big favor. And so on Sunday afternoon, June 18, 1938, at the beginning of the program of the NBC symphony, a loud and clear note was sent out across the air. It was a beautiful and clear A note and from that A note a sheepherder in Montana got his violin in tune. Christ, of course, is God’s A note for this discordant world. And we are those whom he has called to sound that note in our time. We do that by modeling in our lives the unconditional love of God for all people. It matters not where they come from or what mistakes they may have made. All people are God’s children and are in need of God’s wondrous and complete love. It is like a children’s story that author James Thurber once wrote titled, “The White Deer.” “The White Deer” is about a beautiful princess who had been transformed by a witch into a white deer. A king named King Clode and his three sons (Thag and Gallow, the hunters, and Jorn, the poet) are out hunting game and they come upon this white deer and they raise their bows to slay it. Just before they shoot, however, the deer is changed back into the princess. King Clode and his sons take this beautiful princess home with them but she is unable to remember anything about her past including who she is. It is finally discovered that the only thing that will cause the princess to regain her memory is the unconditional love of a young man. In order to determine who this young man will be--Thag, Gallow and Jorn are each given perilous tasks to perform. It is Jorn the poet who ultimately wins the princess’ hand. He gives her the kind of love that allows her to remember where she came from and who she is. (3) My friends, is this not what God has called us to do for a fallen world? By His grace we are to show the world the unfailing love of God at work in our lives so that the world may truly see where it came from and why it exists. All people are God’s children. God is no respecter of persons. God, however, does select individual persons and groups of persons for particular tasks. That does not mean that God loves us more than He loves anyone else. It means simply that we are fortunate enough to be participants in the greatest adventure in this world. Our calling is to show the world the love of Jesus Christ in such a way that persons are drawn to him and find light for their lives. Professor Harold DeWolf, in his book The Religious Revolt Against Reason, tells of an experience he had as a young man. He went swimming at midnight one night with a friend in the Atlantic Ocean at Massachusetts Bay. He said the water was full of phosphorescent light. Every dip of his hand in the water produced something like “a circle of flashing gems and every breaker looked like a cascade of fireworks.” To ride the waves they went out some distance from the shore. Then turning toward land DeWolf was gripped by a strange fear. The lights from the shore no longer shone. So he looked up to the sky to get his bearings. But the sky was like the water--full of the spectacular confusion of the northern lights. “No star was visible. Then panic overtook him, for in all that glittering display there was no fixed reality. He could not tell the way to shore. He started back with a helpless terror engulfing him.” (4) He learned that, with no fixed star to guide him, it was almost impossible to chart out his course. Thank God we have a star to follow. It is the same star that guided the magi long ago. It is the light of Christ. Christ, who is a dependable guide, whose love never fails. Perhaps you’ve heard of the passenger sitting relaxed on an airplane. A man appeared with a parachute. The man asked the passenger, “Would you like to join me?” “No, thank you,” said the passenger, “I’m very happy where I am.” The reply came back from the man with the parachute, “Do as you like, but I should tell you, I’m the pilot.” I don’t know about you, but if I saw a man on a plane carrying a parachute who invited me to go with him who turned out to be the pilot, I believe I would take that as a sign that I need to move. In 1992 California educator Dr. Norvel Young took his family to the Olympics in Spain. It was exciting for them to see the best athletes from the nations of the world compete in gymnastics, diving, water polo, and track and field. Most of all, Dr. Young was thrilled to see the love and goodwill exhibited between outstanding representatives of the many nations. It's a small world after all, says Dr. Young, and the Olympics are an example of goodwill and hard work. As they entered the stadium for the closing ceremonies, Dr. Young and his family were given a packet of items, including a flashlight. After a thrilling program, including the best of Spain in every area, such as music by Placido Domingo, all the lights were extinguished. A hush moved over the vast audience; then a shout of "Ah!" The entire stadium was lighted as thousands of spectators turned on their individual flashlights. From darkness to light not because one person flipped a switch on some giant stadium floodlights, but because each member of the audience did their part by turning on their tiny, individual lights. It was a poignant and powerful moment one Dr. Young says he will never forget. He compares it to Neil Diamond concerts he has attended, when Diamond begins to sing in his gravelly voice, "Turn on your heart lights." And one by one, people in the audience turn on different kinds of small lights whatever they have with them flashlights, candles, lighters. By the end of the song, the darkness in the auditorium has been dispelled, and light is glowing warmly everywhere. (4) And that is our purpose in the new year. As Jesus said to us, "No one lights a candle and puts in under a bushel, but on a lampstand . . ." (Matthew 5:15) We are to move boldly into this new year, because the light of Christ floods our hearts, giving us hope and wholeness. And then we are to shine our light so that others may know that the light of Christ still shines into our world. The darkness has not overcome it. A student was crossing the campus of a college on a cold, rainy day, raining cats and dogs. He saw the college president walking across the campus. The student asked the president what he was doing out so early on a rainy Sunday morning. The president said, "I'm going to church." The student asked, "What made you decide to go to a church on a day like this?" The president said, "I didn't decide to go to church today. I made the decision many years ago." What discipline means is that you will do those things that you should do even if you don't feel like doing them. People say you ought to be honest about your feelings. I believe that. Your feelings are a part of you, and you ought to take your feelings seriously. But there is more to you than your feelings. There are also your hopes, your aspirations, your dreams, your visions, your responsibilities and your obligations, and there is now, because of the gospel proclaimed to you, a new life that is being offered to you. That is a part of your life, too. You ought to be as honest about those things as you are about your feelings. It is like John Wesley, who went to Peter Bohler and complained he couldn't preach grace because he said he had never experienced it. Bohler told him, "Preach it until you do experience it." There's a story about a man who had experienced a seven-year series of setbacks in business and in his love life. Every decision that he made, every relationship that he had, seemed to end in failure. One evening as he was walking home he saw a bright spotlight on the porch of a previously abandoned home. As he approached the house, he noticed that the light was illuminating a sign advertising the presence of a fortune-teller. "Fantastic futures forecast inside," he read. So, thinking that nothing else seemed to offer any hope, he walked through the door. The fortune-teller placed her hands on the crystal ball on the table between them. As she did so, a frown spread across her face as she predicted, "The next seven years will be just like the past seven ... filled with despair, unhappiness, and disappointment." "Oh, no," said the young man. Still clinging to a tiny spark of hope, he asked timidly, "Then what?" "You'll get used to it," responded the fortune-teller. Her porch light was on, all right! But there was no hope in that home. Isaiah's message, God's Epiphany message, to all God's children, shines brightly tonight. The good news here is that God's true light of everlasting hope has already come into our midst. The light of Christ has arisen upon us. The glory of the Lord has appeared to us and shines upon us this very Epiphany day. This is the light that led the wise men to the Bethlehem manger. This is the light that inspired them to bring gifts of gold and frankincense to God's baby, God's own Son. This is the light that "proclaims the praise of the Lord" to all the world, to you and me (Isaiah 60:6). This is the light that shines from the cross and ascends from the empty tomb. So what? What can we do to overcome the darkness that is descending on our darkening world? Wrong question, folks! The right question — the Epiphany question — is what has God already done, is doing and has promised to continue doing to overcome that darkness? And the answer — God's Epiphany answer — is, "Here is Jesus, my Son, my very self, my forever and promised light of love." So what? So that "you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice" (Isaiah 60:5). So that in and through God's Epiphany light shining above and within you "nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:3). God's light shining above and within is contagious. That light that guides our journey through darkness will gather others along the way.