FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Luke 2:1-14
Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion
Monday, December 24, 2007 -- 6 pm
Pastor Londia

            Terrorism. War. Pain. Sickness. Death. Crime. Evil. Sin. We live in a dark world. Darkness is more than the absence of light; more than a massive power outage.  Darkness is the enemy of God and humanity.  Genesis chapter 1, verses 1-5 of the creation story says, “…darkness covered the face of the deep…. Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” The first act of creation was God bringing light into the world.

            Now picture yourself in The Holy Land about 20 centuries ago. You live under the oppression of a cruel government that boasts of being the great peacemaker of the world. You've been conquered, defeated and you live in exile. You live defeated by a powerful army, and you struggle daily just to survive. Religious leaders who should have been your advocates, have formed an alliance with the Roman government, which does not care if you live or die. But you have a long, rich history--an eternal covenant relationship with God. Prophets have declared God's intentions to save you. You are tempted to doubt God's word. It's been so long. And life is so difficult. Then .... in the midst of gloom and despair, just as you are ready to give up--a teeny, tiny, spark, not a full blown flame, just a glimmer of light pierces the darkness, captured by the picture on the front of our bulletin. What is it? This glimmer of hope that is powerful enough to invade darkness? Isaiah 9:2, 6 says, “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…. For unto us a child has been born….” The Messiah, The Anointed, the Holy One. Baby God from the womb of a brave, humble and obedient virgin from the blood line of King David, named Mary. This is Christmas, church, Christ for the masses.

            Now. Right here and right now. We also live in a dark world. Only now we have more than candles, sunlight, moonlight, stars and fire to brighten our way. We have electricity and gas, most of the time. But our world is still a dark place. And we get to choose physically: Darkness or Light. We also get to choose spiritually: Goodness vs. Evil. Radical Hospitality or a Social Club Mentality. Passionate Worship or Meaningless Ritual. Intentional Faith Development or Spiritual Immaturity. Risk-Taking Mission & Service or Apathy. Extravagant Generosity or Selfishness.  These are the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Bishop Robert Schnase.

            I pray for Waynesville United Methodist Church to be the “light of the world…like a city built on a hill…letting our light shine so that others see our good works and give glory to God in heaven” proclaimed in Matthew 5:14. Which do you prefer on this Christmas Eve? Let us choose the One praised in 1 Peter 2:9 “who calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” John 1:4-5 describes God’s breaking into the world as “life that is the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” In Acts 26:18 Jesus told Paul he was being sent to “open the eyes of the Gentiles so we can turn from darkness to light, from Satan to God, from sin to forgiveness….”  Ephesians 5:8 says, “For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light….” Choose Jesus, the Light of the World. Amen.