Lights in the Tunnel, A Sermon on Hope
Surrounded
by Rachel W.
It was Easter morning. My mom woke me up before the sun was even up. She took on this brave task because, the night before, I was crazy enough to agree to go to an Easter sunrise service with her. I rolled out of bed and threw something on. Just enough to be presentable. We arrived at the foot of the hill and parked among several other vehicles from church members. We greeted others as they arrived. Or at least, my mom greeted. I grunted. Then we started our hike.
See, we weren’t just going to Easter sunrise service at our church, we were going to a sunrise service at the Peace Chapel.
The Peace Chapel is owned by Juniata College but we know a guy so we were allowed to use it for services now and then for the church. It is situated at the center of an open field at the top of a large-ish hill. The chapel is a 40-foot circle composed of 53 rough-cut, salt-and-pepper blocks of granite. It’s a spectacular setting that overlooks the surrounding mountains and forests.
When we reached the top that day, there were thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee as well as hot cross buns waiting for us. The sun was just starting to peek out over the mountain tops. We sat in the circle in silence, in song, and in prayer as the sun rose higher and higher, welcoming in a beautiful Easter morning.
The darkness vanished away and the sun rose once again.
I tell you this story because this is what I picture when I think of that morning so long ago when the women went to the tomb. It was under sad circumstances but the light was shining and they would soon realize there was no longer any reason to be sad.
I imagine Mary and Mary, heading over to Salome’s house that morning, darkness still filling her home, calling to their friend. I imagine Salome rolling out of bed, the horrors of the night before hitting her anew and throwing on something just to be presentable. I imagine that slow, heavy walk to the tomb, the sun slowly rising behind them as they progressed. And when they got there, worried about how this was going to work, how they were going to move the stone, they found an empty tomb instead. Something miraculous had happened.
They didn’t know what they would find, but their friend, even in death, needed them, so they showed up. Just like the light shows up every morning, they showed up to do what they could. They were ready to pour out their light for their friend, to surround him in their love.
Our theme today is Poured Out: Light. We’ve talked about oil, blood, and wine poured out during lent. Now we move to light.
Light has been present from the very beginning of the story. From Genesis 1:
“In the beginning when God created[a] the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 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 he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
To God’s guiding light in Exodus:
“The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”
To the very moment God sent his light into this world in John:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
The light is always there and even the Romans and the angry hordes couldn’t put it out. The tomb is not dark, it’s empty and open and filled with the light of a new day.
The women run away in fear and say nothing, but, though it’s the end of Mark, it’s not the end of the story. The word gets out. Even though they stay silent in fear, Jesus has already proclaimed what will happen and his followers know that this is not the end. Jesus left behind a great cloud of witnesses to pass on his story and to spread the word of his ministry.
And that ministry continues to this day with us.
We spread the story of Jesus in word and, more than that, in deed. We surround each other with the light that God brought into this world. Sometimes we may not know what to say, out of fear, but when we show up, we spread God’s word in our very presence.
On Wednesday, I am going on a trip! I’m going to get to see some of our young adults in Bridgewater, VA and in South Carolina. I’m also going to North Carolina to a conference called Why Christian? This is a conference produced by two of my favorite young theologians, Nadia Bolz-Weber and Rachel Held Evans.
In the promotion materials for the conference they asked this question:
"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD A STORY THAT REMINDED YOU OF WHY YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GAVE AND RECEIVED TESTIMONY? "
Then they go on to explain why they created this conference.
"WHEN YOU ATTEND THE WHY CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE YOU WILL ENCOUNTER A GROUP OF SPEAKERS WHOSE STORIES AND WORK REMIND YOU OF WHY, IN SPITE OF ALL ITS DYSFUNCTION, YOU REMAIN A PART OF THE SPRAWLING AND DIVERSE FAMILY OF GOD."
Bethany and I went to the last conference and heard some amazing stories from people who have been confused and even hurt by the church. People who love God and love the ministry of Jesus and despite all they have been through, they continue to show up for God. They were an amazing cloud of brave witnesses telling their stories to encourage the rest of us in our journeys and to remind us why we do what we do. I can’t wait to hear from more witnesses this year.
I’m excited to also be able to share the light of PCOB with our college students and young adults far from home, reminding them of our love and constant prayers for their happiness and well-being.
The only thing is, that my dad is going into the hospital on Wednesday as well to have his colon removed in a last resort surgery to get his ulcerative colitis under control. Nothing else has worked so this is what has to happen now. But it is happening on Wednesday as I head out of town on this trip. The only thing that is keeping me from canceling my trip is that I know, even though I can’t be here, he will be surrounded in light and love by friends and family.
This week, on his Facebook page, he posted a note with a picture attached. The note he wrote said this:
“...It’s a lot to take in right now but I am grateful for the wonderful support of family, friends, and faith community. I was reminded yesterday of the huge “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds me from across the years. The attached photo is the bulletin board in my office, absolutely full of photos from friends and former students whose lives have touched and blessed mine. It’s my shoutout of gratitude as I prepare for what’s next. Can’t see them all because there’s just too many.”
I will be in constant prayer for my papa but I know he is taken care of.
Before I even really knew how I was going to shape this sermon, I titled it Surrounded.
I named it that on a whim from a thought that came to me in the shower, but see what you think of this metaphor.
They tell you, when things are bleak, that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, meaning, there’s hope to strive toward. Just keep moving through the darkness of the tunnel toward the light and you’ll make it out eventually.
But here’s what they leave out. Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel but there is light inside the tunnel as well. How many tunnels have you driven through that were pitch black. Not too many I would think, if any. There are lights guiding you through the tunnel. There is light surrounding you even in the darkest tunnel.
Those lights are your cloud of witnesses. They are supercharged by the light that came into this world. The light that darkness could not put out. We share that light with each other every day when we show up.
“Mark ends his narrative by introducing the post-resurrection period with a resurrection report, an invitation, and a challenge. Mark’s gospel opens with the words The beginning of the good news. It ends with an invitation to Jesus’ disciples and Mark’s readers to make that beginning their new beginning. (Geddert 2001, p. 391)
Some might think that the end of Mark’s gospel is abrupt and, in fact, there are alternate endings that try to fix it. But in truth it ends the way it should, I think. It is in each of us to carry the message of Jesus with us and share it in whatever way we can and looking for it in every shining light.
It might be in sharing a kind word with a stranger. It might be in comforting a grieving friend. It might be in a beautiful sunrise or in a road trip. It might be in prayer. And it might be in simply showing up to church and sitting next to someone you love, you care about, or you just met, and being together in a moment. It might just be in showing up where you’re needed, even if it’s to an empty tomb in the early morning.
Sometimes the best thing we can do, is surround each other in light and love.
Sources:
Geddert, Timothy J. Mark. Herald Press, 2001.
by Rachel W.
It was Easter morning. My mom woke me up before the sun was even up. She took on this brave task because, the night before, I was crazy enough to agree to go to an Easter sunrise service with her. I rolled out of bed and threw something on. Just enough to be presentable. We arrived at the foot of the hill and parked among several other vehicles from church members. We greeted others as they arrived. Or at least, my mom greeted. I grunted. Then we started our hike.
See, we weren’t just going to Easter sunrise service at our church, we were going to a sunrise service at the Peace Chapel.
The Peace Chapel is owned by Juniata College but we know a guy so we were allowed to use it for services now and then for the church. It is situated at the center of an open field at the top of a large-ish hill. The chapel is a 40-foot circle composed of 53 rough-cut, salt-and-pepper blocks of granite. It’s a spectacular setting that overlooks the surrounding mountains and forests.
When we reached the top that day, there were thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee as well as hot cross buns waiting for us. The sun was just starting to peek out over the mountain tops. We sat in the circle in silence, in song, and in prayer as the sun rose higher and higher, welcoming in a beautiful Easter morning.
The darkness vanished away and the sun rose once again.
I tell you this story because this is what I picture when I think of that morning so long ago when the women went to the tomb. It was under sad circumstances but the light was shining and they would soon realize there was no longer any reason to be sad.
I imagine Mary and Mary, heading over to Salome’s house that morning, darkness still filling her home, calling to their friend. I imagine Salome rolling out of bed, the horrors of the night before hitting her anew and throwing on something just to be presentable. I imagine that slow, heavy walk to the tomb, the sun slowly rising behind them as they progressed. And when they got there, worried about how this was going to work, how they were going to move the stone, they found an empty tomb instead. Something miraculous had happened.
They didn’t know what they would find, but their friend, even in death, needed them, so they showed up. Just like the light shows up every morning, they showed up to do what they could. They were ready to pour out their light for their friend, to surround him in their love.
Our theme today is Poured Out: Light. We’ve talked about oil, blood, and wine poured out during lent. Now we move to light.
Light has been present from the very beginning of the story. From Genesis 1:
“In the beginning when God created[a] the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 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 he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
To God’s guiding light in Exodus:
“The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”
To the very moment God sent his light into this world in John:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
The light is always there and even the Romans and the angry hordes couldn’t put it out. The tomb is not dark, it’s empty and open and filled with the light of a new day.
The women run away in fear and say nothing, but, though it’s the end of Mark, it’s not the end of the story. The word gets out. Even though they stay silent in fear, Jesus has already proclaimed what will happen and his followers know that this is not the end. Jesus left behind a great cloud of witnesses to pass on his story and to spread the word of his ministry.
And that ministry continues to this day with us.
We spread the story of Jesus in word and, more than that, in deed. We surround each other with the light that God brought into this world. Sometimes we may not know what to say, out of fear, but when we show up, we spread God’s word in our very presence.
On Wednesday, I am going on a trip! I’m going to get to see some of our young adults in Bridgewater, VA and in South Carolina. I’m also going to North Carolina to a conference called Why Christian? This is a conference produced by two of my favorite young theologians, Nadia Bolz-Weber and Rachel Held Evans.
In the promotion materials for the conference they asked this question:
"WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD A STORY THAT REMINDED YOU OF WHY YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GAVE AND RECEIVED TESTIMONY? "
Then they go on to explain why they created this conference.
"WHEN YOU ATTEND THE WHY CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE YOU WILL ENCOUNTER A GROUP OF SPEAKERS WHOSE STORIES AND WORK REMIND YOU OF WHY, IN SPITE OF ALL ITS DYSFUNCTION, YOU REMAIN A PART OF THE SPRAWLING AND DIVERSE FAMILY OF GOD."
Bethany and I went to the last conference and heard some amazing stories from people who have been confused and even hurt by the church. People who love God and love the ministry of Jesus and despite all they have been through, they continue to show up for God. They were an amazing cloud of brave witnesses telling their stories to encourage the rest of us in our journeys and to remind us why we do what we do. I can’t wait to hear from more witnesses this year.
I’m excited to also be able to share the light of PCOB with our college students and young adults far from home, reminding them of our love and constant prayers for their happiness and well-being.
The only thing is, that my dad is going into the hospital on Wednesday as well to have his colon removed in a last resort surgery to get his ulcerative colitis under control. Nothing else has worked so this is what has to happen now. But it is happening on Wednesday as I head out of town on this trip. The only thing that is keeping me from canceling my trip is that I know, even though I can’t be here, he will be surrounded in light and love by friends and family.
This week, on his Facebook page, he posted a note with a picture attached. The note he wrote said this:
“...It’s a lot to take in right now but I am grateful for the wonderful support of family, friends, and faith community. I was reminded yesterday of the huge “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds me from across the years. The attached photo is the bulletin board in my office, absolutely full of photos from friends and former students whose lives have touched and blessed mine. It’s my shoutout of gratitude as I prepare for what’s next. Can’t see them all because there’s just too many.”
I will be in constant prayer for my papa but I know he is taken care of.
Before I even really knew how I was going to shape this sermon, I titled it Surrounded.
I named it that on a whim from a thought that came to me in the shower, but see what you think of this metaphor.
They tell you, when things are bleak, that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, meaning, there’s hope to strive toward. Just keep moving through the darkness of the tunnel toward the light and you’ll make it out eventually.
But here’s what they leave out. Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel but there is light inside the tunnel as well. How many tunnels have you driven through that were pitch black. Not too many I would think, if any. There are lights guiding you through the tunnel. There is light surrounding you even in the darkest tunnel.
Those lights are your cloud of witnesses. They are supercharged by the light that came into this world. The light that darkness could not put out. We share that light with each other every day when we show up.
“Mark ends his narrative by introducing the post-resurrection period with a resurrection report, an invitation, and a challenge. Mark’s gospel opens with the words The beginning of the good news. It ends with an invitation to Jesus’ disciples and Mark’s readers to make that beginning their new beginning. (Geddert 2001, p. 391)
Some might think that the end of Mark’s gospel is abrupt and, in fact, there are alternate endings that try to fix it. But in truth it ends the way it should, I think. It is in each of us to carry the message of Jesus with us and share it in whatever way we can and looking for it in every shining light.
It might be in sharing a kind word with a stranger. It might be in comforting a grieving friend. It might be in a beautiful sunrise or in a road trip. It might be in prayer. And it might be in simply showing up to church and sitting next to someone you love, you care about, or you just met, and being together in a moment. It might just be in showing up where you’re needed, even if it’s to an empty tomb in the early morning.
Sometimes the best thing we can do, is surround each other in light and love.
Sources:
Geddert, Timothy J. Mark. Herald Press, 2001.
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