Illuminate the shadows Let the light of Christ shine into every Crack and crevice of our hearts
What does this all mean for us This familiar story of the birth of Jesus? More than myth or fable A beautiful tableau or a morality tale This is the bringing together of two cosmic realms The place where God dwells And everywhere else We call them heaven and earth And the place of his birth was with us Because he is for us He is for us In the darkness and cracks of our lives He is for us In the tiredness and anxiety He is for us, with us In the hope of the spoken love Of joy The pain of the broken dove Of peace He lives in us because he is God and he came here to dwell That is why he is called Emmanuel
This Jesus carried God-ness into that delicate cradle Where the awestruck Mary and Joseph held table With shepherds and magi And maybe just maybe Saw a glimpse or a flicker Of what would in the future appear To be the image of the invisible god Right here The first-born over all creation Who is before all things Right here The Word became flesh and set up camp among them Right here in the backstreets of Bethlehem
This Jesus, who did not consider equality with God Something to be held like a child clutches toys But instead was compelled To give himself up in a Radical choice Of love Knowing that though he came to his own His own would not receive him still
This Jesus, who came into the darkness Of all that entangles us Is the living hope of all that will save us If we can see the truth that he who became us Does not blame us for the shadows That at times overwhelm us But says come, and gather, I have come, I am here In the immortal words of Gabriel: God is coming. Do not fear.
This is our Jesus and this is our story This is the hope and his is the glory Jesus is radical and vulnerable and incredible Our story is living and Jesus writes with indelible ink On our hearts I love you
So come, all you faithful You fearful, you hopeful Sing choirs of angels Or let us sing for you
The holy overshadowing Illuminates the shadow in The cracks where the light gets in
Illuminate the shadows Let the light of Christ shine into every Crack and crevice of our hearts
We talk of illuminating the shadows But what about illuminating the meadows Where the shepherds watched their flocks On the hills around Bethlehem For as soon as the baby was born The angels were back in force, en mass To announce to the world that god was back! But although the world did hunger and thirst For good news It was to the shepherds that the angels came first The outsiders, Outliers So yes – though usually brave These men were afraid And not afraid to say so Because the angels made quite a stir Singing loudly about peace on earth Telling them a king was born and that they would find him in a manger Not a throne And spend precious time alone A new king, with old shepherds? Well, who would have known
Illuminate the shadows Let the light of Christ shine into every Crack and crevice of our hearts
We talk of illuminating the meadows But what about the the skies above Where pinpricks of light tell stories of love And some magi travelling from foreign lands Want to see exactly where this star will land That they’ve followed for months across hills ands plains These men from a foreign nation A different religion Finding themselves in an awkward position They believe it will lead them to a new king So they go To a palace with a Herod And a kingly throne But they were looking in the wrong direction For the spark to light this insurrection Would not be found in the seat of royalty But down the road In the normal, born in humility So they went to see him with their gifts Of gold, incense and myrrh Which with the old prophets did concur As they did foretell That this was a king, god with us, Immanuel So they bowed on their knees and with faces glad Said this is our God, and offered what they had
Illuminate the shadows Let the light of Christ shine into every Crack and crevice of our hearts
God with us, Immanuel Is all very well but you’ve got to start somewhere Enter the angel Gabriel He was sent with a message to an ordinary girl You’re gonna have a baby who will change the world She’s like really? I mean, what? And I don’t think so And, how And Gabriel smiles and reassures and sticks around Long enough for Mary to grasp what he was meaning
So she went and spoke to Joseph who said he’d been dreaming About angels saying do not be afraid Which made them laugh So together they prayed And as she conceived Mary believed This baby would be special Not as in clever or beautiful But mighty and powerful Scattering the proud and bringing down kings Lifting the lowly, filling the hungry with good things And Joseph would show he’s not a bit-part actor Adoption is written deep into God’s loving character
It starts with the extraordinary appearance of angels Celestial beings on ordinary ground And then there, in a humble home, with family around That is where the beginning of a Messiah was found And so their hearts were warmed at the birth of this boy And so was the beginning of God’s story of great joy
(this is the spoken word from our outdoor Carols by Starlight, posted in the 4 parts that formed the readings)
Illuminate the shadows Let the light of Christ shine into every Crack and crevice of our hearts
Welcome to our Carols by Starlight Where together in the darkness of night We meet to sing the story of Jesus who Transformed the darkness into the brightest light
This may be a story with a familiar groove This maybe the story you believe is the truth Or it maybe a mystery you don’t understand Maybe being here is quite unplanned Whatever your reason you’re welcome to hear The story of hope in a world full of fear
It begins long ago I’m talking centuries, not years When there were prophets who believed the Hope and fears of a nation Would be gathered up in a particular person People like Isaiah Who spoke of a hope in a coming Messiah A wonderful counsellor A prince of peace And how would they tell It is God with us, Immanuel?
A child would be born – they later deduced – But the way that it happened left them quite confused Because it wasn’t a birth on a privileged throne But an ordinary child in an ordinary home So nobody noticed Not at first, at least That the first-born of God born among the least Would say the least would be first And the first would be least And the least of the towns Where this would first happen To the most ordinary lady And gentleman Was the humble little town of Bethlehem.
What if she wasn’t just mild? What if she wasn’t just gentle and calm? What if she was strong? Courageous and brave. Like a warrior marching into battle, like a knight preparing for war. What if she was determined , focused and alert, with the strength of mind to pursue this mighty mission she had been given.
What if she was fit? Healthy and committed – walking in her pregnant state to a place she didn’t know, to settle in a home that she didn’t yet own- to give birth alone – away from her family and friends. With a husband she didn’t yet know.
What if she was decisive? A mother able to move when her child came under threat. Ready to act when God spoke to her husband. Decisive and trusting in her Father’s care. What if she was unshakable? Unflappable! Fearless! Bold! Steady like a ship in a raging storm. Pushing forwards looking up at the Father – following his lead.
What if she could be described as all these things and more? A young woman who pushed the boundaries because God asked her to. Who said yes when culture dictated no. Who pursued what others only dreamed of. Who believed beyond doubt in her Heavenly Father.
Would she laugh now? Hearing herself described as gentle Mary, meek and mild! Words that perhaps place her back into that feminine realm. More accessible? Easier to comprehend, less of a challenge….
More of a woman?
A woman who took the sword when it was handed to her and instead of laying it down in humble surprise, lifted it high and ran forward- leading the way for all mankind – yes and womankind too. So what if we learn from this person of strength? Of character and perseverance. Of anointing and power.
What if WE said yes and followed God’s call with passion and intent? What if we – man, woman, child- believed that we too are called to make a difference? To stride into battle with our eyes on our Father – in trust and obedience- what then?What now?
Lizzie Glover is the children’s pastor at Cirencester Baptist Church, and a passionate and courageous woman.
Comfort, comfort my people, says the Lord… You don’t say that unless somewhere there is trauma somewhere the need for comfort somewhere that speaking tenderly is needed for hearts are bruised and we the people are tired
When the shadow of covid looms over us like the brooding darkness of king Herod Which like a dementor has stolen the joy We are meant to know In the birth of this baby boy our hearts are bruised and we the people are tired
The angels weren’t bending their songs to earth Because we were all fine Its the people walking in darkness who have seen a great light The voice calls in the wilderness, in the loneliness Prepare the way for the lord For our hearts are bruised and we the people are tired
And in this finally, maybe, we begin to see how We are invited into the story A story in which 2 pregnant women plot the overthrow of an empire A story in which the unexpected happens The weak are raised up and the strong pulled down The hungry are fed and the full go empty The person of God dwells among us This is a story for us because our hearts are bruised and we the people are tired
It is into this that the voice of hope speaks tenderly of comfort and joy It is into this world of uncertainty that the voice of hope Speaks of peace, deep inner peace Because even now there is a place for joy, the deep joy that comes from knowing The creator of the world is here.. the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, is here Our hearts are bruised and we the people are tired
Into the darkness, the laughter of a baby, the babbling talk of new parents, and the silliness of the faces we pull at babies…
That, like a candle lit in a dark room, changes everything.
It is into the silliness and the seriousness that God in the form of Jesus arrives Because as a wise person once said, Jesus isn’t part of the Christmas story; Christmas is part of the Jesus story.
Don’t let the wonder and joy of Jesus stop at Christmas Don’t see the trailer and think you’ve seen the whole film Don’t stop with a single candle A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Our hearts are bruised and we the people who are tired
May you know that thrill of hope The inner strength of comfort And the deep depths of joy For though our hearts are bruised and we the people are tired His heart is for you, for us, and we his people are loved.
This was my address at our Carols By Streetlight 2021, moved outside at short notice due to Covid-19 concerns.
A few years ago I was given a brilliant book about running, except it wasn’t really about running, it was about cupcakes and suffering. It’s a comic, its very funny and surprisingly deep, and its called “The terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances.”
If you hate running stick with me. The basic premise is that whilst runners often talk about hitting ‘the wall’ when running, ‘the wall’ being an obstacle you power through when you feel defeated, the author says he does not believe in the wall. He believes in ‘The Blerch’, which he describes as ‘a fat little cherub who follows me when I run. He is a wretched, lazy beast… he tells me to slow down, to walk, to quit.”
The Blerch represents all forms of gluttony, apathy and indifference that plague my life.
The terrible and wonderful reasons why i run long distances
The Blerch is ever-present, and whilst the wall cannot be silenced or outrun, you can silence The Blerch. And you silence it by running. More. I often joke that I run so I can eat cake, and this is his point. These are the terrible reasons why we run long distances. We run to eat. To shortcut to endorphins. To look good. To achieve mental clarity through pain. Because we want to stand still. And eat.
Last week as I was planning how to lead our group of local church leaders in our monthly breakfast together, this jumped into my mind. What are the terrible and wonderful reasons why we lead churches. For like all people we church leaders are randomly assorted bunch of odd-bods, right? Of course there are good and holy reasons why we do what we do. But what if we pressed into the terrible reasons.
Like, what if am only a church leader because I am a narcissist? A control freak? What if it’s because I am incapable of getting any other kind of job? What if its because I truly believe every other church is badly run. Because its a crazily risky idea and it was 8am on a Friday morning just before Christmas, I threw it out there to the group. And to my relief they went with me.
Why did we do this? Because there is truth in our shadow sides, and I think it is good to be honest about them. God uses us through who we are, not some idealised version, no matter what we try to show people. If we are a bit of a control freak, admit it. If we are deeply critical of other leaders, admit it. If we like power, or find it impossible to follow, admit it. God can change us, use us, and transform us.
It is also good to remember the wonderful reasons too. What was interesting was that the ‘terrible reasons’ were quite honest and practical – the ‘wonderful reasons’ because very ‘spiritual’. Because in a way they have to be – you shouldn’t just be a church leader because you can, you do have to have a calling – and yet, it is because of what we can do, or are learning to do, that we are called.
We ended by singing the song “Living Hope”, largely due to the line that I think gets to the heart of our vanities and insecurities and failings as leaders humans:
Through the darkness your loving-kindness
tore through the shadows of my soul
Living Hope, by Phil wickham
Be honest, be hopeful, be real. Admit to The Blerch, confess our gluttony, apathy and indifference, and lead bravely, courageously and vulnerably.
Where do we put faith, forgiveness and bruised hearts after a year of COVID?
A year on from the first lockdown, I was preaching the lectionary and focusing on Psalm 51. What seemed to come out of that passage, and Jeremiah 31.31-34, was that how we see God, what we think his character is like, will have a profound effect to us as we begin to navigate the next few weeks, months and years. We will need forgiveness, patience, humility, and grace, and if we cannot see them in God, how can we show them to each other?
This was what I said, and it includes a beautiful song by Porter’s Gate that can be found below.
I wrote this poetic spoken word when preaching on the transfiguration (Mark 9), at a time of COVID when many (not all) are suffering from a mountain of the mundane, and we pray for God to show himself as he did on that mountain all that time ago. Here it is in video and word form.
Are you living your life On a mountain of the mundane Layer upon layer of the same Going round and round again and again Relentlessly and unstoppably like A red sock in the washing machine window On a white wash Where you press your nose against the glass It simply laughs And Never Stops Spinning.
Are you living your life on a mountain of the mundane Where the demands of home learning And working Mean that you’re burning out And yearning for an end But like the unstinting demand for printing Worksheets It Never Stops.
Are you living your life On a mountain of the mundane Where no matter how lovely your house The fact you haven’t been out for a year is getting you down And you see more of Judge Rinder Than your grandchildren Who are growing up Without knowing you And the pain of the absence of your presence Bursts any pretence that This Never Stops.
Are you living your life on a Mountain of the mundane Trudging daily upwards to a never-ending peak
Come with me then, on this mountain of sadness And sameness On this shrine to mundaneness Come with me and come with Jesus Because he is the only one who can change this Mundaneness to the numinous Do you know that word? Like when Jesus went luminous Up the mundane mountain with 3 of us And the normal became paranormal The natural, supernatural When instead of one he became three And the the three who were seeing Were suddenly disbelieving but instead of running Considered staying, tenting, camping Because Jesus went weird and the best thing about weird is Its not mun dane!
Peter James and John have gone Together with Jesus up a high mountain A mundane trip you might think But with Jesus the risk is always there for a crazy healing A restoring of mental health well-being Or giving the religious leaders an uneasy feeling He knew what they were thinking But here, on a mountain alone He was about to show them something they Would Never Forget.
First he was transformed, his mundane face Becoming luminescent – it radiates His mundane clothing impossibly white Then Elijah Then Moses And clouds and the voice of god on high And the three disciples are terrified The mountain of the mundane Glorified They weren’t Expecting That
Whats it all about then? Here’s some biblical allusions you may have missed: Moses was a prophet who Told Pharaoh to stop it And left the Egyptians to mop it up The Red Sea I mean And after he had seen to the mean-minded Pharaoh Up a mountain called Sinai he would go And there was a cloud of god’s presence And God’s voice and Moses’ face was radiance The supernatural, the numinous
Elijah was a prophet who Told Ahab to stop it And afterwards was exhausted And terrified for his life And ran away to mountain called Sinai Where there was wind and earthquake and fire And in a still small voice God’s presence, the numinous
Here we are on a mountain of the mundane Again Yet the transcendent presence of God Irrupts in And in a flash reveals Jesus transformed Like pulling back a veil on his humanity To reveal his divinity And despite fearing insanity The disciples afterwards clearly see Jesus as he will soon be Exalted
2 Peter 1.16-18 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’[b] 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
So they saw Jesus transformed The greek is metamorphed And because of who this revealed Jesus to be Fully god, tangible divinity Mundane but supernaturally Peter and the others want us to see That we can also be Transformed metamorphed That the mountain of the mundane we climb Again and again Can be the place by his grace To the human race He shows his face
Do you want to see him unveiled The mundane derailed Do you want to be so caught up in his glory That when others tell your story They’ll have a laugh at your expense because You too wanted to build tents To keep this precious moment forever?
You can. Such experiences are free But that doesn’t mean they are not costly For to see Jesus unveiled Is for us to be changed
There’s two places the same word is used for transformed Or transfigured Can you figure out where?
2 corinthians 3
Romans 12
Many of us are living on a mountain of the mundane We know that and we don’t shy away from its name And then and then and then we turn our eyes away from the day to day Because whilst god is always there He is also THERE Supernatural, unbelievable, transformational We see the places where the veil is lifted And in them our attention is shifted From clouds of despair To the clouds of gods presence From faces so grey To faces of radiance
This is what the transformation of Jesus on that Mountain of mundanity can show us That there are thin places Where the kingdom of heaven Is right there Even in the midst of the greyness and drudgery If we could only see it If he would only reveal it Sometimes we need to plead for it So together we ask Jesus, show yourself Though we know the consequences The ever-present risk is We will be transformed
From the mountain of the mundane show yourself Make us brave
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