58:8.. "Then, your light shall shine forth..." What blocks the light from our
lives? We think "There must be something IN Me" so we focus on ourselves and
attempt to FIX ourselves. We think that if we do worship just RIGHT, then the light will
dawn. We look to other cures: move this preacher, perfect this church, design the perfect
program, THEN.. the light will dawn. However in Isaiah we see a truth... Actions of love,
justice and mercy freely shared pull the chain that turns on the light! Actions alone are
not enough, but actions that live out our worship are light giving. If darkness seems to
loom, you might try giving yourself away.
God does not come to us and fill us with God's presence and gifts just for our own
benefit. Grace and blessings from God which stay within us just atrophy and rot. These
need to flow. When we share with others, the blessings which God bestows upon us, packed
in and running over, then God will again fill the container, us, with even greater
blessings. The fast we can do and are encouraged to do is one of fasting from hoarding and
greed. It is fasting from thinking we are lucky and they are not.
Another way of looking at the "fasting."
With Lent coming up, the true fasts we can do are those in which we do not just give up
something we want, but also we give up those things in our lives which hinder us in a deep
relationship with God. Like: [1] ideas that the world should be fair - fair describes the
weather, not life in this earth - Jesus' condemnation certainly was not fair, but he
complied; [2] ideas that we are better than others - Jesus carried his cross - we need to
carry ours; [3] idea that we are justified in remaining angry - if anyone was justified in
being angry at the people torturing him, it was Jesus and he was not; [4] victim status -
bad things happening is the nature of being human in this earth; [5] letting go of things
and people who for their benefit need to move on - "behold thy mother"
I preached last week (was that just yesterday?! Yikes!) on this week's gospel,
"You are the light of the world"... so I'm thinking today that I might follow it
up Isaiah. I haven't preached much from Isaiah, any contextual helps from someone who's
more familar? And what does it mean for "your light shall break forth" when
compared to the idea that "we are the light of the world"? When and how was
fasting used by Isaiah's audience, ritualistically? publically? I'll be looking forward to
some conversation about (and some "unpacking of") this passage. Thanks all.
RevAmy
Greetings
I am wondering about focusing here on the healing text in verse 8. In a sense much of
this pericope from Isaiah has to do with healing. We are commissioning a parish nurse this
Sunday to serve the people of our parish. I want to speak of how the parish has already
been a healing community in so many ways as people continue to reach out to each other to
help. What do you think? How are our churches healing communities that "break forth
the light like the dawn"? There is also the connection with the passage in Matthew
that we use in our baptismal liturgy - "Let your light shine before others, so that
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." I would like
to look at emphasizing the church's neglected ministry of healing, beyond preaching and
teaching. Also - what does it mean to commission a parish nurse in our midst - other
ministers (Sunday School teachers, etc.) are commissioned. What do we ask them to do?
Anyone want to dialogue on these things?
Tom in TO
I heard Bp. Leontine Kelley preach this passage years (many!) ago, and still remember
her powerful use of the refrain, "And he will make your bones strong!" Hers was
a sermon encouraging us to keep going with the ministries of compassion and justice that
so often don't bear much visible fruit; she reminded us of God's promises in vs. 8-12.
That one sermon probably carried me through at least 5 years of intense urban ministry.
Kay
To the anonymous first writer: Hooray for you, focusing on the "THEN" in the
passage. It is only when we begin living the gospel that our light can break forth. I
think we can link this to our gospel passage well, since Jesus calls us to be light and
salt to our world. We can only be light if we are ministering to others, as the prophet
proclaims.
RevAmy, I think this goes for your questions as well. Jesus knew his prophets. He was
raised in the tradition of isaiah, et al. We often hear echoes of the prophets in Jesus'
words. I plan to use both gospel and OT passage, but use the gospel to focus back on
Isaiah and our connection through the years to a ministry that really makes a difference,
that really allows God's light to shine.
Tom: A healing ministry is one fine example of doing justice, etc. We, too, have a
parish nurse ministry in our congregation. Our nurse has made such a difference in my
life. Commissioning yours, and making that ministry a ministry of the whole congregation
is surely wise.
Blessings to you all, Pam in San Bernadino
The only true light that we can shine forth is the reflected light of God in Christ.
Our lives must reflect Christ's, in faith-motivated actions of love and kindness. JRW in
Ohio
Regarding the contribution (unascribed) of 01 Feb 1999 @00:23:36
'Grace and blessings from God which stay within us just atrophy and rot." Sounds a
lot like the theme of the parable of the talents.
On a humorous note, I have long responded to my Catholic friends when they ask me what
I've given up for Lent, I reply "my new Year's resolutions."
In fact, what I try to give up is my well-developed selfishness. Sometimes, I succeed.
BillCMQ
With all the renewed focus on worship these days (contemporary and spirited) which is
renewing the Church, the Isaiah passage seems especially appropriate for me. I am thinking
about a theme "Self ending worship makes for dead end Church." I am sure that
the exiles needed comfort and consolation. What a temptation it must have been to turn
worship into one big therapy session.
When we are so singly focused on our needs and hurts, it is easy to ignore or even
justify all that goes on outside the sanctuary.
True worship,ie, worship with integrity, must be God-centered. True worship will
inevitably lead to the removal of chains, yokes, and tools of oppression. People will open
homes, and give food and clothes, not out of guilt, but out of real compassion as those
who love God.
I think the tack I am taking on the sermon is "your light will break forth like
the dawn." We live on the SC coast, and the sun rises slowly, giving you a chance to
adjust. I always hated someone coming into my bedroom and turning on the light. That
hurts! Maybe we are called to give the world a chance to get used to the in-breaking of
the Kingdom of God, rather than having it thrust upon us suddenly and painfully. It is
coming, as surely as the dawn. The question is will we help the transition take place. Don
Charleston, SC
"Being Church not Going to Church." A common thread weaving these texts into
a challenge to modern Christians is: Doing Begets Being! Sitting in the pew may often be
the substitute we prefer in being members of the church. These passages clearly show that
God's expectation is "Be doers of the word and not hearers only." We read not of
being "at the church" every time the doors are open. So much focus is on going
to the chapel to get my weekly entertainment fix. "Our light will rise up and shine
effectively in the watching world by our ministering to the widows, the hungry, the war
ravaged, the neighbor next door whose kids walk through our yard and whose dog gets into
our trashcan. It is what we do to our fellow people all around us that validates the
presence of God's Love." LWM VA Beach, VA.
One of the hardest things to do in worship is to give the worshippers an experience of
God. It is so easy to sit and tell them what they should be doing, why the kingdom isn't
evident among us, it is because we aren't doing enough - we aren't doing it right.
Luther's catechism says in explanation of the second petition of the Lord's prayer:
"In fact, God's kindom comes on its own without our prayer, but we ask in this
prayer that it may also come to us."
But the best news comes in the explanation of how this comes about:
"Whenever our Heavenly Father gives us his HOLY SPIRIT, so that through the Holy
Spirit's grace we believe God's Holy Word and live godly lives here in time and hereafter
in eternity."
The explanation begins with the action not of us, but of GOD. GOD gives us his Holy
Spirit that we may believe and live godly lives.
So give 'em "the Spirit" this Sunday! :)
Please, God?
Tigger in ND
I really responded positively to Don in Charleston SC's image of the light breaking
forth like the dawn. This idea of gradually letting the light of the gospel to shine forth
fits best with my congregants of acute psychiatric patients. Many of them have been
bombarded with "quick fix" cures for everyhing from their illness to their
spiritual angst. Too much light at a time does indeed hurt. Perhaps we need to lead our
followers with beams that they can identify with, that are not overpowering. Oh, and by
the way, I have a dear friend Don who happens to be a pastor in, yes, Charleston SC...and
as I recall he's a bit allergic to morning sun. Could it be one in the same? RevMera
Louisville KY
Thanks Charleston, SC....
We, as Christians, may offer only a dim light compared to the brilliance of God’s
light, but we’re easier to see…..easier to touch and hear…. Our lives and
the way we live them give non-Christians an opportunity to adjust to the light we allow to
shine through our lives.
"...The darkness shall turn to dawning. And the dawning to noonday bright and
Christ’s great kingdom shall come on Earth…the Kingdom of love and light."
He is the morningstar.
--Sharon Rose
- About fasting: "Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on
high." So does it means that fasting as it supposed to be will make our voice heard
on high? "Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?" Humility
infront of God is a good start but not that pleasing to God, and many times we stop there
at the heart, not digest and transform it to our action.
- "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into
your house": Note that it's not feed them at the soup kitchen (where we don't even
eat there), and it's not put them to a homeless shelter but invite them to the house. This
is hard! We often just want to help them, but don't want to SHARE our stuffs with them.
And the richer I am, the harder for me to share :-(
Oh Lord, help me to truly share my life with others, so that my light shall break forth
like the dawn, and my healing shall spring up quickly. You, the vindicator shall go before
me in my ministry, Your glory shall be my rear guard and protect me from enemy's attack.
Then I shall call on You, and You LORD will answer in such visibility; I shall cry for
help, and You will say, "Here I am".
I will remove the yoke from among our congregation, the pointing of the finger, the
speaking of evil. We will offer our food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the
afflicted, and our light shall rise in the darkness and our gloom be like the noonday.
You LORD will guide us continually, and satisfy our needs in parched places, and make
our bones strong; and we shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of living water.
Our ancient ruins, our church, shall be rebuilt; we shall raise up the foundations of
the next generations; we shall be called the repairer of the lives, and the restorer of a
biblical community church.
Oh Lord, your promise of return is way more than what you asked us to commit to. May
you strengthen me to follow your way.
Coho, Santa Ana
I love this passage that repentence is the turning from that which would harm us, and towards a life of loosening the bonds of injustice, and working towards a whole life for others. It means to get out of the arrogant thoughts that we are somehow the center of the universe, and that we should be actively working towards making life better for all those around us. What a novel idea to take seriously the life and teachings of Jesus, and let it be the reality in our own lives! Susan in Wa.
