A Light Beyond The Shutters
Luke 11:33-35
My Sister in law Christine and her husband Colin have recently moved to Spain where they have set up a little wine bar business.
Just a few weeks ago my wife and daughter went on a visit to see how they were doing.
All seems to be going well – came the reports back – but there was one complaint.
To conform with the local custom Christine and Colin apparently keep the shutters up on their house every moment of the day and night.
“We overslept every day” complained Megan “You wake up and its pitch black dark and you don’t know whether it’s night time or morning – so you just go off to sleep again, and if you open the shutters well Auntie Christine would get very cross and will tell you to shut them up again immediately.
So the whole house was kept permanently in darkness.
No sunlight ever allowed in.
There is a simple lesson behind this evening’s bible reading.
Let the light in. Don’t deny that it’s there.
There’s a light in your heart that must not be kept under wraps, not if you are truly a believer, – it’s got to be allowed to blaze forth.
There’s a light beyond yourself that we don’t have to shield our eyes from – it’s the dazzling presence of God.
A prayer for healing tonight then becomes a prayer to remove the shutters from darkened rooms – to embrace the reality of brightness that is already there.
That little nugget of scripture comes sandwiched between two aggressive passages.
Before it Jesus is condemned by the crowd for being in league with the devil.
After it Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their attention to outward appearance at the expense of their inner life.
In both passages, life in the shadows is being preferred to the dawn of a new day.
In the Christian year right now – there is a rumour that dawn is approaching.
In a few weeks we shall be standing in the semi darkness of this church and singing “O Come O come Emmanuel” in a way that should be a yearning for this sort of healing to make its mark upon us. Listen to the healing prayer at its best:
O come , thou dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine Advent here.
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death’s dark shadows put to flight”
And from Advent Sunday the light will begin to spread amongst us, the shadows will disperse, a beam of light rises into the sky and in a manger in the heart of Bethlehem – the light comes, so that on Christmas Day we sing of healing at our fingertips:
Hail the heaven-born prince of peace, Hail the Sun of Righteousness
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings”
At the heart of our nativity story is the truth about this ministry we offer and share tonight.
It is about God making his home with us in such a way that he transforms our lives.
Coming as light that we might shine with the brightness of Him.
Down the road at Costa Coffee, they’ve already put up their Christmas decorations.
They’ve already introduced their special seasonal menu.
The customers were all having a bit of a snigger when I last went in.
“Where’s the Christmas music then” asked one
“This is our Christmas tape” said one of the staff “this is Christmas music..listen”
She turned up the volume “See Christmas music!” she exclaimed proudly.
It was a piece from Phantom of the Opera!
Here is a serious truth.
The light has come into the world – if you pull back the shutters it will come streaming in.
If you choose to deny the light – it will remain beyond the shutters – it will not force its way in and the only light you live by is artificial.
Whatever draws you to this service tonight – why not look at this ministry as the possibility of an invasion of light – which touches every part of your being.
Wish it upon yourself for your own well being – but more than this – that you may shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father and be true to your baptism promise.
RH 11.11.07
PRAYERS FOR HEALING:
Lord we offer you the darkness of our lives – whatever the cause of it.
Give us the courage, through this healing time, to draw back the shutters of our hearts so that your grace may come streaming in
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
We pray that this coming season of Advent may be a healing time for us all.
Meet us, we pray in the quiet yearning of our hearts where we have only a flicker of a candle as our light and lead us through the story of your Son’s nativity till he comes on Christmas morning full of light and life and with healing in his wings.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
We pray for those we know whose lives appear to be ever darkening.
For all who suffer in body, mind or spirit.
For those who live with anxiety and fear.
For those who cannot see the next step they should take.
May we each be a Christ light for those who face such turmoil
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
We pray for those who work in our hospitals, doctors surgeries and rest homes
And for those to whom they minister
Give to all who work in the medical profession, the peace and the time and the space they need to bring your light
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Finally we pray for the needs of the world and for those who live under any form of oppression and hardship. For all world rulers that they may act wisely and for all relief workers that they may bring hope
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer.