Light

What follows are the two short talks from my brothers baptism on 08/07/12.

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Light to walk in

John 8 v.12

                    There once was a mole boy who lived in a mole hole in the mole ground with his mole family. He ate all the best grubs and the slimiest worms. It was very, very dark underground, too dark to use his eyes, so he never even opened them. Instead he felt where he was going with his nose and whiskers, and sensed things move in the soil around him. One day he remembered what his granddad told him about this place called ‘the Outside’. He was told that it was a very scary place but he was far too curious to not go so he started digging up as fast as he could. He reach the point where there was no more soil to dig. It felt like a cave but bigger, and there was a warm breeze through the air. “This must be the outside!” he thought and started exploring around. He walked a little then fell over something hard and round. He stood back up and started walking again until he walked into something tall and covered in bark. “My granddad was right, this is scary”, he thought. He stood up again and started walking again but this time he tried to be very carefully but suddenly he fell into a big puddle of water. Something grabbed him and pulled him to the side. “Ribbit” said the stranger “What did you jump into my house for?” “I’m sorry” said the mole. “I didn’t mean to. There’s no mud around me to feel so I don’t know where I’m going.” The stranger laughed, “Silly mole! Open your eyes. It’s not dark like in your home, there is light everywhere!” As he did he could see everything. The rock he fell over, the tree he bumped into, the pond he fell into and the helpful stranger, Mr. Frog. Suddenly the outside wasn’t odd and scary anymore but was exciting and wonderful. All because he opened his eyes to the light and saw everything in a new way.

We can be a bit like that mole can’t we. Feeling out through our lives, not really knowing what to do or where to go. Life can seem a bit like finding our way in the dark, falling over thing we come across. Jesus said that he is the ‘Light of the world’. No longer do we have to go through life in darkness, instead Jesus brings us light and guides us where to go. All we have to do is open our eyes to him and follow. He shows us how to live, worshipping God and loving one another, and leads the way. No longer do we have to stumble on our own because Jesus, the light, will lead us if only follow.               

You are the light of the world!

Mathew 5 vv.14-16

(Set up lamp under bucket) It’s getting a bit dark in here isn’t it? It’s making it quite hard to read the service sheet so I’ve decided that I’d bring along my lamp to help us all see. Isn’t it wonderfully bright?! (Await response) It is on, so why can’t we see the light? (Await response and remove bucket). Well that’s much better now isn’t it! I suppose lights are only useful if we can see them aren’t they. It’s a bit silly to have a light and then hide it away.

We’ve already looked this morning at how Jesus said that he was the light of the world but now we have heard something else Jesus said, that we are the light of the world. Light can be catching. If we follow Jesus then we start to shine light just like he does; we start to do what he does, to love good and shun evil, to worship like he does. Therefore our lives shine out into the world like a light in the darkness.

It’s infectious to others around us too. When people see how God’s family live and the light that we show, it shines on them too. It shows how wonderful and good it is to below to God and shines light on those things we do wrong so they can be made right. It’s attractive and draws people into God’s marvellous light. It would be odd then wouldn’t it to hide this light away, like hiding a lamp under a bucket. Instead we should shine the light we received from Jesus to all around us by the way we live, act and speak. Instead we let our light shine all around so that others can see and start to follow God too.

It’s a bit like the Olympic torch. (Help: torch + 3 candles and Jason)  It is said that there is one flame in Greece that a torch is lighted from, which lights the next torch and the next and the next until they spread all across the world. God is that one flame, that one light. Jesus shared that with his followers, who told others who told other until we get till today where Jason has taken up the light which he will let shine out to share with others.

So then friends, see the light that Jesus shines and then follow him like Jason has begun to do. Catch the light yourself, live a life pleasing to God and attractive to those around you, then shine it for all too see that they too can follow and shine too, pleasing their Father in heaven. Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father. Amen               Pray

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Till Next Time!