Blog
Something awesome is happening at Hope this weekend. Now, I know what you are thinking: Pastor Shawn, isn’t something awesome happening every weekend at Hope? And you are right, but this weekend something really awesome is happening. We are going to worship in the dark. We received a notice from the Village of Arcade that this Sunday power will be temporarily disconnected to allow for some necessary repairs.
Now in some churches the lack of power would hardly be significant given we worship during the day, but at Hope no power matters. You see, our sanctuary does not have any exterior windows. At 10:30am yesterday morning I did a dress rehearsal to see just what we might encounter on Sunday, and let’s just say it’s darker than Alaska in December.
But that’s when it occurred to me: Who needs artificial light, anyways? When we gather on Sunday morning we will gather to worship Jesus the light of the world… the light no darkness can overcome (John 1:5). When we gather to worship on Sunday we will hear from God’s own holy word—the word we know to be a lamp for our feet and a light for our paths (Psalm 119:105).
It will be dark on Sunday, but we will light candles like it’s Christmas. Because, after all, it sort of is like Christmas. Jesus Christ will be coming to us bringing light into our dark places. And I’m not just talking about church anymore.
We live in a world that doesn’t need the power turned off to remind us that sometimes things can be dark. We live in a world where wars rage and terror reigns. Where extremists send violent messages leaving many dead and families grieving. We live in a world where no advances in modern medicine can stop the spreading of infectious disease. Where thousands of people right now are sick with Ebola and dying. We live in a world where darkness strikes in depression and anxiety that agonizes our souls. We live in a world where people die too soon, where friends fight too much, and where the poor struggle too often. We live in a world where sometimes things can get pretty dark.
And yet, we hope. We hope because we know that our God continues to do awesome things in the dark. We hope because we know that Jesus is the light of the world. We hope because we know there is no word too dark for God’s word to illuminate. We hope.
As we gather this Sunday in the midst of the darkness, light will come. It will come to us in the word proclaimed that is for us a lamp unto our feet. It will come to us in bread and wine as the light of the world strengthens and forgives us with his very presence. And as God’s light enlightens our darkness, it will come to us and send us out. It will send us out to bring that light into the dark places of this world. It will send us to those places where power has gone out in another’s life, in another’s home, and in another’s country.
Because through the saving grace of God, we too are the light of the world; a city on a hill. And we too will shine in the darkness, so that others may see the light and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). Amen.
