Sermons

Third Sunday before Lent
Sunday 19th February at 10am

Lesley Ashton
Readings: John 1: 1-14

We have just heard the prologue to St John's gospel; for me, it is one of those passages from scripture that is truly awesome. It holds in tension simple clarity and deep mystery, revealing to us the eternal origins of Christ and his divine nature. John is setting the scene for his gospel message, preparing us for its grandeur, its symbolism, its profound meditation.

The gospel is written for a particular community, possibly Ephesus, that was subject to the various influences of Greek philosophy, of Gnosticism and of Judaism. These influences impacting upon a community of Christian Jews at a distinct time, result in a gospel that is a theological reflection on the life and ministry of Christ. It is a gospel written for a time when there was much religious questioning and experiment and it is written for a particular community of people who are trying to make sense of the significance of Christ in the midst of the stress and conflict of their lives. St John's gospel resonates with all these factors but at the centre of the symbolism and the conflict is the figure of Christ. This witness to Jesus so simple and so powerful begins in the prologue and has spoken to Christians through the ages to the present day.

These words from John remind us that Christ was with God from the beginning and that he came into the world to bring life and this life was the light for all people. It is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has never overcome it. It is this symbolism of light and darkness, this dualism so symbolic in the time that this gospel was written that I want us to think about this morning.

If the number and range of candles on sale in the shops is anything to go by we appear to be a people who find something comforting and symbolic about light. Candles abound, they are still used on special occasions or to mark a significant event and are also now used in the ordinary routines of life. Often beautiful, they soften the atmosphere or shine a welcome to the visitor. There is something about light which draws and fascinates most people. However for Christians the symbolism of light is particularly important and significant. John's gospel reminds us that Christ is the light of the world, the light that shines in the darkness, the light towards which we can choose to turn towards in order to receive life.

Light is part of the symbolism of our faith. When we come to Church each Sunday, we light the candles on the altar to remind us that we are gathering together to worship God. They serve to remind us that we are using this time to turn our thoughts and minds towards God and that we wait together to receive life from Him. At Baptism and Funeral services we also light the Easter candle to help us remember that Christ is the light that death could not extinguish, it serves as a reminder of our resurrection faith, a faith that supports us through life and our reassurance that death and darkness has been conquered, that we are assured of eternal life in this world and the next.

Candles are also used as a sign and a symbol in the prayer and healing corners, lighting a candle can provide a focus for our prayer, it reminds us of those who have shone as light in the world, it remains lit, reassuring us that Jesus intercedes for us even when leave a particular place.

Light is also something that we make the choice to deliberately turn towards, it is about action, turning from darkness, seeking the light of Christ to inform our lives.
Reading and studying scripture help us to know more about God, to gain a deeper understanding of how God wants us to live our lives. Scripture helps to shed light on the nature of God experienced by His people throughout the centuries. People who wrote about and carried the light for one generation to another. Make time to read God's word, study it with others, prayerfully explore and debate, listen to each other, be willing to be enlightened by another's perspective. House groups, study groups, Lent groups all provide an opportunity for this to happen.

In each Eucharistic service we bring to God our very selves, in need of renewal and refreshment, we receive bread and wine and in these we find the presence of Christ as we turn to Him the source of all light and life. In this service too we make our confession, we bring those sins of action and of neglect, those things that lead us into darkness and we offer them to God for forgiveness. The confession enables us to acknowledge the darkness in our lives and to seek forgiveness for those times when we have failed to show the light of Christ within the world. Within the confession we also ask God to lead us from darkness into the light and life of Christ. Next week, on Ash Wednesday we will be invited to receive the sign of the Cross in ash upon our foreheads, this is a symbolic act in which we are invited to repent of our sin and turn to Christ. We are marked by the Cross with which we were marked at Baptism and we carry this smudged sign of Christ's redeeming act, in remembrance and recognition of our need to turn from darkness towards the light of Christ. A public act of witness of our choice to turn towards the light of the world.

This morning I have put out a leaflet at the back of church that explains a little about the healing ministry we are developing here at St Edmunds. Healing is about seeking the presence of Christ within the dark places of our lives. It is about opening up to God those parts of our body, mind or spirit that are in need of healing, deliverance, reconciliation or forgiveness. It is about bringing to God those situations, places, memories or relationships where we experience or witness suffering . It is about allowing Christ to bring His light into our places of darkness and trusting Him to meet us at our point of need. Those things that we hide from even within ourselves, those aspects of our lives that we dare not name, those prayers we hesitate to ask. Seeking healing is that step of faith even within the darkness, towards light.

Then finally, there is the light that we are within the world. The light that is imprinted upon us through our relationship with Christ. This is the light we bear, as witnesses to our faith, the light we become as we spend more and more time with the one who is the LIGHT. As light bearers we bring to others the presence of Christ, sometimes by action or by word, often by listening and simply being. Like John we are not the light but we bear witness to the light. When we are turned towards the light of Christ we simply reflect his Light and the glory of His Father.

So through our symbolism, our actions and our being, may we turn away from darkness to the light of Christ. May we seek the light of Christ within the deep places of our beings and in doing this find healing and renewal. May we join together in the unfolding of the Word, in prayer, and in the breaking of bread and cause the light of Christ to be shed abroad in all of our hearts.
Now and always Amen

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay