Let it Shine

A rabbi was walking through the forest one evening deep in meditation and prayer. He was so absorbed in his contemplation that he lost his way and found himself in front of a military base.


A guard in front of the base brought the rabbi out if his reverie with a shout, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

To which the rabbi replied, “How much to they pay you?”

“What?”

“I asked, how much do they pay you?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because,” said the wise rabbi, “I need someone to ask me those questions every day.”

Who are we? What are we doing here? Why did God create Smalltown Congregational Church, UCC over two hundred years ago and why do we still exist now? In the lifetime of this community of faith, many churches have come and gone around us and yet our church has stood the test of time. The Christian Church has survived for over 2000 years but does our longevity mean that we can rest on our past success and take our perseverance for granted or do we need to prayfully why the Holy Spirit has brought us thus far and where does the Spirit want us to go.

Who are we? What are we doing here?

We are a community of faith in an era where the fastest growing segment of religious affiliation is “None of the above.” For the first time in the 62 generations that have come to pass since the beginning of the Christian Church, we have a generation of people, mostly 40 and under who were not raised in the church. When asked about their faith life, these folk were more likely to say, “I am spiritual but I am not religious.” They long to have a connection with something which is greater than themselves, something that lets them know that they are accepted, that they are loved. But they are disenchanted with organized religion because they believe it to be exclusionary and narrow-minded. But we are an open and affirming church, we are a church that cares about the earth, we are a church that seeks justice and peace for the world, certainly that is as welcoming and open minded as any church can get. Aren’t we what they are looking for?

Who are we? What are we doing here?

In the gospel reading this morning we hear Jesus call his disciples, “the salt of the earth” and “The light of the world” A hopeful message to a people living under the boot of the Roman Empire but not without its challenge. Tensions ran high in Jewish community of which Jesus was a part of. Some note that in Jesus’ culture religion and politics were never separated and so it was a struggle identify as being part of the Jewish community when the dominate culture was Gentile. It was a struggle to call oneself part of God’s chosen people when the promises of the Davidic kingship have not come to fruition. Some note, “This led to an array of anxious questions: How can it be that God’s holy city and temple are occupied territory? What does this say about God’s relationship to us? What does God want us to do? How does God want us to respond?”

The different factions of Jesus Jewish community had different answers to these questions. The Sadducees said, “If you can’t beat ‘em, collaborate with them.” They felt that there was no way the Israelites could fight the empire so they encouraged the Israelites to comply with the oppressors rather than resist them. On the other hand the Zealots wanted to take up weapons and fight the empire. If God is on their side, they believed that God would give them what they needed to get out from under the Roman Empire. Then we have the Pharisees which some note were divided on how to respond to the Empire. Some wanted to take up arms whereas others “opted for the ghetto; realizing that the small Jewish Nation was no match for the vast military resources of the empire.” So they sought to preserve their culture through deeper study and practice of God’s laws as brought down to them by Moses and written in the Torah. “If one could not obtain one’s political independence, at least one could preserve one’s cultural and religious identity as a people called and set apart by God.” This was righteousness according to the Pharisees, that in obeying the letter of law they will prove themselves worthy of God’s mercy as well as maintain their unique identity as God’s chosen people.

However Jesus challenged all of these notions in his sermon on the mount. He commanded the Zealots to love their enemies not hate them, to pray for the enemies and not defeat them in kind. He commanded the Saduccees to resist injustice rather than comply with it and he told the Pharisees that it wasn’t enough just to follow the law but to dig deeper to understand the spirit of the law that God has given them.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (5:17-18)

God gave the gift of the law so that all of God’s creation may live in right relationship with each other. At the core of each of these laws, in each stroke and in each letter of the law is God’s great desire for all to have everything they need to live full, sustainable lives. The fulfillment that Jesus speaks of is the kingdom of God drawn near, where those who are hungry are fed, where those who are meek inherit the earth, where those who mourn are comforted, and those who hunger and thirst for justice are satisfied. By becoming God’s hands, feet and voice in building the kingdom of God here on earth, not only are you following the law, rather you are exceeding the law in bringing God’s realm to realization. In building the kingdom of God, you are also entering it!

But who are we? What are we doing here? What does it mean to be disciples of Jesus in our setting? In many ways we face the same issues that Jesus’ faith community at his time. The influence of Christianity in the public square is lessened, our denomination has gotten smaller, why even our congregation has gotten smaller in these last decades. What are we to do? The smaller numbers are cause for concern but also the people who currently sit in our pews today are a sign of hope. You all are not here because you have to be, but because you want to be. All of you here are very spiritually engaged, this is not a church of spectators but a church of participators. You are a faithful community that wants to be welcoming of all people who come in through our doors, that seeks to care for the earth, that desires a world of justice and peace as God would have it. We may be but it only takes a small candle to illumine a whole room. But is our light on a lamp stand or has it been put under a bushel basket. I have said before that Smalltown Congregational Church UCC is the lakes region best kept secret. There are people who hunger for things such as a community that is open and affirming, a community that cares for the earth, a community that just peace but what outside of our doors tells our greater community that they can find these things here. We need to let our light shine before others so that they can see how our work glorifies God. We need to let our light shine so that all who hunger for justice know they have a home here. We cannot let the fear of “being to out there” keep us from letting our light shine.

In a quote often associated with Nelson Mandela, spiritualist Marianne Williamson states that our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate but 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 does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. 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 own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

My brothers and sisters in Christ, you are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world. Be that city on a hill that cannot be hid…let your light shine so the world may know the good news of God’s love through our very presence for this is who we are and why we are here!!!! May it be so. Amen.



(1) “Matthew 5:13-20 – Exegetical Perspective” Feasting on the Word, 335.


(2) Exeg. Ibid., 335

(3) Exeg. Ibid., 335

(4)  http://skdesigns.com/internet/articles/quotes/williamson/our_deepest_fear/