Rev. Linda B. Hirst

January 20, 2002

Isaiah 49:1-6

Years ago I remember reading in Newsweek about the top preachers in the country and part of the article focused on African American preachers - and their congregations and how their sermons are really interactive.  Like when things are going well the congregation shouts, "Yes Lord" and "Preach it, brother" or Preach it, sister."  And when things are not going well the congregation shouts, "Help him, Lord.  Oh, Lord, help him, or her."  So...in case you’re wondering which I prefer - if you feel the urge to participate in the sermon this morning - an occasional "Preach it, Sister" would be just fine.

This morning we’ve heard some wonderful hymns, wonderful spirituals, great gospel music from our choir and our children.  The roots of gospel music go deep.

During the time of slavery, in the mid 1800’s,  slaves would stay after the regular worship services to sing and dance.  If the slave holders didn’t allow singing and dancing, they met secretly - they had camp meetings - meetings where they could share their joys, their pains and their hopes with each other.

They sang about their lives, their struggles and their faith:

- their desire and pursuit of  freedom.
- the promise that God - that Jesus Christ - was with them throughout their struggles. - and the promise of heaven - there is a better place waiting after this one.

Like the song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."  It was written during the time of the underground railroad - it’s a song about freedom and going home.  In the early spirituals "home" could have two meanings.  It was that free place, that free country,  a safe haven for slaves and it was also heaven.

The words,   "Well I looked over Jordan and what did I see, coming for to carry me home.  is about a  stop on the underground railroad on top of a hill by the Ohio River. The Ohio River was hard to cross so slaves had to wait at this one particular station for help that would come from the hill so they could cross over to freedom. "I looked over Jordan and what did I see, coming for to carry  me home. A band of angels coming after me.  Coming for to carry me home" - Home - freedom was Ohio.   Ohio was the promised land.

Another familiar spiritual that we sing is "There is a balm in Gilead" which was written by slaves who were trying to encourage and comfort others weighed down by the burden of their captivity.

 Sometimes I feel discouraged and think  my work’s in vain.
 But then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.
 There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.
 There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

In the 30’s,  new songs inspired by the Bible,  mainly the New Testament were being sung.  They were called gospel songs and they were songs of praise and songs of comfort and assurance like:

 "Precious Lord, Take my hand," lead me on, let me stand.  Take my hand,   precious Lord, lead me home.

There were songs about prayer and being close to God:  Just a Closer Walk with Thee, let it be, dear lord, let it be.  Let us break bread together on our knees.

Songs about going home to heaven and songs about Jesus

 In the 1960’s gospel music provided much needed hope and encouragement during the struggle for civil rights.  Songs like
 We shall overcome, Oh Freedom, Free at Last and This little light of Mine.

 I came across this quote the other day:  It said that blues are the song of despair,  but gospel songs are the song of hope.  Rooted in scripture gospel music speaks of hope:

 Hope for a world where God’s justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream, says the prophet Amos,
 Hope for a world where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
 Hope for a world in which the light outshines the darkness

 When I was living in Ct our church had a relationship with one of the African- American churches in Norwalk.  We would worship at each other’s churches once in a while and our choirs would join together for a concert once a year.  What I remember most though are the worship services.  To begin with, they were three hours long -  no coffee break in-between.  We would process - we would get up out of air pews to give the offering and if there wasn’t enough the first time we
kept going until their was.

 And the sermon - was dynamic.  The pastor moved all around the pulpit - got down in front, then came back for a bit, then down in front.  He preached for about an hour. I would take our confirmation class to hear Pastor Joe preach and they were always blown away - and they’d leave saying, "you know, that really didn’t feel like three hours".

 But it is the sermons I remember;  one in particular.  They were often about hope - because this is what the gospel is about - hope - but they were also about responsibility.  Living in a city with it’s share of poverty and problems like homelessness and drug abuse, the congregation - the people - needed to hear about hope...every week.  But the pastor wanted them to take that hope one step further.  One Sunday while I was there with our confirmation class, he told us that God is the source of that hope - but you - and he pointed to each and everyone of us - you are the ones who give that hope hands and feet and breath.  You are the ones who can see to it that hope is lived out among us.  By the grace of God, and with the help of God, you are the light of the world.

 Powerful stuff - this gospel music.  Powerful stuff this gospel.  Powerful stuff - this little light of ours.

 Now, what I know about  light I get from the bible. In Genesis it says, "And God said let there be light and there was light and God saw that the light was good."  In the gospel of John we are told that light of all people that was coming into the world was with God from the very beginning and this light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.  And in the gospel of Matthew - Jesus tells his disciples:  "You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house."

 We know that Jesus is the light of God and the light of the world and that as Christians, followers of Christ, we carry that light in us. And the more we shine that light, the less darkness there is.  We know a lot about light, already, but I want to share with you just a few more things this morning about what it means to be the light of the world.

 Being the light of the world means we have a mission.  We learn this from the prophet Isaiah.  God is speaking to the Israelites who are living in exile, in captivity in Babylon.  And God has a mission for them, a purpose.  They are to be a light to the nations, that God’s salvation may reach to the end of the earth.  They are to play a part in bringing God’s goodness and justice an d righteousness and peace to the world.  It is not enough that they raise up the tribes of Jacob - bring God’s salvation to the Jews - that is too light a thing, it’s too easy, it’s not enough.  They are to be a light to the world.

 Jesus says to us:  You are the light of the world.  We have a mission, a purpose. Like the Israelites before us, we get to play a part in bringing God’s goodness and justice and righteousness and peace to the ends of the earth -  and to our little corner of the world.    Being a light means we have a mission.  Is this daunting? Overwhelming? Of course it is.

 But being a light also means we have a unique ability to do God’s work, because it is God’s light that is inside us.  And this light is powerful.  As a result, we are powerful.  Now I know most of us don’t think of ourselves in this way - but maybe it’s time we did.   Listen to this from Nelson Mandela :

 Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.  There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us;  it’s in everyone.  And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

 This light we carry inside us is powerful, powerful beyond measure
{.   We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us - to let the light that is within out and use it to serve the world.

 When I think of people who make manifest the glory of God within - people who have really let their light shine - I think of Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa. But I also think of my 84 year old friend Lorrie in Westport and my good friend Jill, and many people in this congregation.  People who have discovered that the good things they can do if they let their light shine.

 In May I am walking with a group of women to help raise money to fight breast cancer.  It’s a sixty mile walk spread over three days and we each have to raise almost $2,000.  Most of us have never done this and a couple of us almost didn’t try because it just seemed to hard.  But now, as we talk about what we’re doing, as we train for this event, there’s a subtle change coming over us .   All of a sudden, walking 60 miles and raising a couple of thousand dollars seems doable.  And you can almost see the wheels turning...if we can do this, who knows what we can do next?  Build a house for habitat for humanity? Solve the problem of affordable housing in York? Who knows.  The light inside is growing.  You are a child of God, Mandela says, your playing small doesn’t serve the world.  We were born to  make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  And it’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.

 Being a light means we are powerful beyond measure.

 The last thing I want to share with you about light is from that simple little  song, "This little light of mine."  You probably sang it at church camp, we sing it at vacation bible school.  And
 it was sung during the civil rights movement.  "This little light of mine.  I’m gonna let it shine."  We have a light within us,  we have a mission, the light with is powerful beyond measure.   Be it’s time to shine.  By yourself and with others. I have two favorite sayings:  The first is from Helen Keller;  I am only one, but still I am one. I will not refuse to the one thing I can do.  And the second is this and you’ve heard me say it before.  What we can’t do alone.  We can do together.  When we let our lights shine -
 by ourselves and especially together - amazing things will happen.

 Hope will be given hands and feet and breath, it will be lived out among us and

 - God’s justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing   stream
 - God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
 - and the light will outshine the darkness.

This time has come.  Now more than ever we need to be a light to the nations, the light of the world.    Let your light shine.