We Belong Here, Together, in the Light

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
December 28, 2025
1 Christmas
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 147:13-21
John 1:1-18

Happy Christmas, everyone. This is the fourth day of the twelve-day season of Christmas, the season of light shining in the darkness. For us in the northern hemisphere, this is the dark time of year. The days have been getting shorter and the nights getting longer, right up until the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, after which the days start getting longer and the nights start getting shorter. The Winter Solstice is, then, a celebration of the return of the light.

So, the date for Christmas was chosen to be on that longest night of the year so that we celebrate the light of Jesus coming into the world at the same time that we celebrate the return of the light into the world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Reverent Hannah, the head priest here at Trinity Episcopal Church preached on Christmas Eve, and she noted that we often think of light as good and darkness as bad, and she pointed out that there are times when we also need darkness.

The season of darkness, of winter, is also a season of rest for the earth. We need rest. We sleep in darkness. We have lights to guide us in the darkness, and without the darkness, we wouldn’t be able to notice the light. Darkness is a part of creation. It’s needed. Darkness can also come from hurt and trauma, and that darkness can definitely hurt us, yet even that darkness has a place. It’s our body’s way of protecting us. Anger, fear? They are natural responses to being hurt. Anger and fear can help lead us to safety. When we are overcome by anger and fear, however, then we become lost in the darkness. So, “the light [of Jesus] shines in the darkness, and the darkness [does] not overcome it.” 

Think about guilt as well. Guilt may feel like darkness, guilt over ways we’ve harmed others. More accurately, guilt is how we feel the darkness we’ve caused. It’s a good thing. Guilt helps us know we’ve done wrong and that darkness we feel helps nudge us back to the light. That is, unless, we get overcome by the darkness, and our guilt turns to shame.

When that happens, we become lost and alone in the darkness. Who has felt alone, ashamed of what you’ve done or ashamed of what someone has done to you? That shame is darkness overtaking us, no longer helping us heal or guiding us to the light. Shame keeps us alone, telling us no one will ever understand. No one will ever forgive us. No one will ever accept us if we let this secret shame be known. 

Shame tells us we are unloved and unlovable. Jesus tells us that shame is wrong. 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 

We are loved. We are lovable. Whatever we have done, and whatever has been done to us, we belong in the light. That’s why God became human, to help heal us and, when we are overcome by darkness, to guide us back to the light. 

The Word of God became flesh and lived among us, and his name, Jesus, comes from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, which means “God is salvation,” “God saves,” “God is deliverance.” To believe in Jesus’ name means to believe that God is the salvation we seek. God is the deliverance we need. God is the light which shines in our darkness, and God is the light which our darkness cannot overcome. Into our darkness, God’s light shines, saying, “Come, my beloved child.”

Every morning when we rise, God’s light shines in the darkness. See, sleep is like a tiny, daily darkness, which we call the shadow of death, the big darkness. Now, even that darkness is not a bad thing. Our bodies wear out, and death is a natural part of life. Death is the great rest at the end of life, and yet even the darkness of death does not overcome the light of life. 

Jesus showed us in his resurrection, that death does not have the final say. There is life, stronger even than death. That life is the light of God, and the darkness of death does not overcome it. Be at peace even with death, then, trusting that God’s light is not overcome by the darkness, and that life will return. Then, live with the peace that comes from that belief. “God is salvation.” 

God is salvation for all people and for all the mess and darkness of our lives.

When Jesus grew up, he was friends with sinners. He taught forgiveness. He healed people and proclaimed forgiveness. Jesus was the light of God shining for people who were lost and alone in the dark. Jesus is still the light of God shining for people who are lost and alone in the dark. 

So, Jesus’ church is a community for people who are lost and alone in the dark. We’re not the good folks proclaiming judgement on the world. We’re the messed up, broken folks who come to Jesus and the church and find that we’re not alone. When we come to Jesus and the community of the church, we find that don’t need to be alone and ashamed. We don’t need to be lost in the darkness. Jesus says, “I love you. I see you. Come to me, and join with the rest of this rag tag band of screwups. Join with this group of hurt, beaten, and damned people, and find that you’re not actually damned. Those thoughts are just the darkness overcoming you. Come, be loved, and be healed.” That’s the light shining in the darkness and the darkness not overcoming it.

How many have been a part of the church who had murdered someone in the past, who had raped someone in the past? How many have been drug dealers and gang members? How many have been part of the church who are ex-convicts or current convicts? How many have been part of the church who made fortunes at the expense of others and found their lives empty? How many have prostituted themselves, doing whatever they felt they needed to in order to survive? How many, of all of the above, did all of those things because they felt they needed to in order to survive, or because they were so hurt and beaten down, that they just didn’t care who they hurt anymore?

The church is full of people who have been overcome by darkness. The church is full of people who have then found healing together, as we recognize our own hurts and darkness in one another, and we also see our belovedness and the light of God in one another. The church is full of people who have found healing in the name of Jesus. “God is salvation.” The church is full of people who have found healing believing that God is light, life, and healing for all of us together.

So stay, and keep returning. Keep joining together recognizing one another as God’s beloved, because we are loved. We are lovable. Whatever we have done, and whatever has been done to us, we belong here, together, in the light. 

A Bit of an Apocalypse

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
November 30, 2025
1 Advent, A
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Matthew 24:36-44

“In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.” (Isaiah 2:2) Isaiah spoke those words of apocalypse to the people of Israel over 700 years before Jesus was born. These are words of apocalypse because they are words of revelation, of revealing. That’s what apocalypse or apocalyptic actually means, revealing. Isaiah was revealing something to the people of Israel, something which couldn’t be seen, couldn’t be known, and was nonetheless true. 

Eventually, someday, at some point in the future history of the world, “God shall judge between the nations, and [the people] shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

This apocalyptic literature, this revealing tells us that eventually, all of our fighting on earth will end. God will bring about this end, and this end of all wars and fighting on earth will also be a new beginning, an age of peace, a time when all people will join together as one, living the lives of love which God created us to live. 

https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-and-orange-solar-flare-73873/

There are many apocalyptic visions like this throughout scripture, and many of them describe cosmic, enormously destructive events. Earthquakes, wars, fires from heaven, dragons coming out of the sea. All of this destruction comes before the age of peace. There is a most definite ending before the new beginning. So, because of these cataclysmic, destructive scenes in apocalyptic literature, apocalypse has come to mean “end of the world,” but apocalypse actually means “a revealing.” 

Apocalyptic visions show us things that cannot be seen, and they are often written in coded language, using wild images of beasts and monsters to talk about spiritual warfare and using wild images of beasts and monsters to talk about real world enemies. The great whore of Babylon in Revelation, for example, was probably talking about Rome.

So, images describing spiritual warfare which cannot be seen with our eyes. We get these fantastical images to describe it. The ultimate revealing of apocalyptic texts is, God wins. The forces of evil and darkness do not triumph over the light and love of God. 

Apocalyptic stories are meant to give us comfort in times of suffering. The evils of wicked people may harm us right now, but God’s goodness will prevail. The wicked will be punished for their injustice and selfish cruelty, and the victims of the wicked will be comforted and healed. So do not despair too much over the evils of wicked men, and do not be overcome by their darkness. Continue doing the next right thing. Continue following in God’s ways. Continue following in the way of love and service, in the way of repentance and forgiveness. Eventually, all will be made right.

In all of the apocalyptic stories I have heard and read, that is the message I get. Despite whatever problems you face, despite the tyranny of evil men, continue following in the way of love and serving, repentance and forgiveness. Eventually, all will be right. That’s a rather beautiful and hopeful message and one that I am glad God has given us.

Beyond that basic message, I don’t have a lot of time for the apocalyptic stories of scripture. They’re really cool, don’t get me wrong: dragons, war, pestilence, the wicked cast down, the lowly raised up, angels at war, swords, fighting. It’s great stuff. My problem with the apocalypses in scripture is when people start trying too hard to figure them out. 

What do all the details mean? What does this particular image represent? Has this already happened? Is it still gonna happen? Earthquakes! Volcanoes! Fighting among the nations! Oh my gosh, we have all of those things happening right now! Run for your lives; it’s the end! 

As I’ve said before, people in every generation since Jesus’ resurrection have believed that the apocalypses of scripture have been about them and their time, and so far, every one of them has been wrong. The world keeps spinning. The sun keeps rising.

When we read apocalyptic texts in scripture and we become fearful of the end, then we’ve missed the point. Remember, Apocalypse means “a revealing.” These stories show us something of God’s ultimate victory over evil and darkness, a victory of love and light.

As Jesus talked about apocalyptic imagery, he talked about the coming of the Son of Man, and he said it would come suddenly and unexpectedly. “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” He was telling us all to be ready for the coming of Jesus, and he made an analogy to a thief breaking into a house. If you knew when the thief was coming, you’d be up and ready to stop him. 

Ok, first thing, no, Jesus is not like a thief. Jesus didn’t use this image to make us afraid of Jesus coming like some horror movie villain with knives for fingers or a weird murderous doll. Jesus just meant that he would come at an unexpected time and so we should always be ready for God among us. 

Always be ready. In other words, quit trying to figure out when it will be. Jesus said he didn’t even know, and if you’re trying to figure out when Jesus will come, you’re missing the point. It’s like cramming for an exam the night before, hoping to pass the test and learning absolutely nothing at all. The point of the class was not to cram for the test. The point of the class was to maybe learn something kinda cool.

We don’t try to figure out when Jesus will come so we can be really, really good for a few weeks or months ahead of time. That’s what we do as kids for Santa Claus. 

“Have you been a good boy this year?” People would ask. 

Uh, crap. Kinda, but it’s December tomorrow. I’ve got 24 days to be extra good to make up for the rest of the year. 

Yeah, Jesus isn’t Santa Claus, and we don’t prepare for Jesus’ coming the way we prepare for Santa or cram for exams. See, in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus told about the judgment of the nations, at the end of time, and Jesus said people were judged by how they treated Jesus when he came among them.

“Dude, you never came back,” the people all said. “We never saw you.” Jesus replied that actually, they had seen him, whenever they saw anyone in need. “Whatever you did to the least of the people among you, you did to me,” Jesus told them. “Whenever you ignored someone in need among you, you ignored me. Whenever you cared for someone in need among you, you took care of me.”

The lesson I take is this: if we’re waiting for Jesus to come back with clouds, and angels, and a big to do so that we can praise him and have a big Jesus rock star party with him, we’re missing the point. If we’re a little more afraid of Jesus coming back, and we’re trying to figure out exactly when it’ll be so we can spend a few weeks or months trying to get in his good graces, we’re missing the point.

“The Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” because Jesus is already here among us, all the time. You want to know when Jesus is coming? The next time you have an opportunity to be kind to someone, that’s when Jesus is coming. We don’t always do this very well. 

Yesterday, when I was in a hurry while driving, I hurried around a guy, and he had to wait for me to change lanes. As it turns out, he seems to have been having a terrible day already, because he was pissed. I mean driving up in front of me, breaking, swerving, and pulling up beside me at the light to cuss me out pissed. I didn’t cause all that, but I added to the darkness in his life that burst the dam of all that anger. I wasn’t expecting Jesus in the car next to me, it was just some driver I didn’t give a crud about. Turns out, it was Jesus, deeply in need of any kind gesture, and I ignored him, whipping around him in traffic instead. 

So, as I said weeks ago, don’t prepare for Jesus’ coming by preparing for the end of the world. Prepare for Jesus’ coming by assuming the world is going to go on spinning and the sun is going to rise tomorrow. Be prepared for living. When’ll Jesus come back?  Whenever you see someone in need.

As for all of those generations of people who all thought Jesus was coming again in their lifetimes, in their generations, I said they were wrong in assuming the end was coming, but they were also right. Jesus was coming in their lifetimes and in their generations. The great apocalypse, the great revealing, is that Jesus comes back among us all the time, in every human being you’ve ever seen. 

The great revealing for how we are to prepare for Jesus, for how we are to prepare for the end, the great revealing is there’s always an ending and a new beginning. Sure, there will be an ultimate, final end and new beginning, and that is meant as encouragement for us, believing that evil and darkness will be destroyed by God’s love and light. That is a lovely revealing, but the great revealing is that we get to be the ending of darkness and the beginning of light in each other’s lives all the time. Every time Jesus is present among us, meaning anytime we see any other human, we get to bring them light and love to cast out the darkness and evil.

The Beautiful Sunset of Life in the Kingdom of God

The Rev. Brad Sullivan

Lord of the Streets, Houston
October 27, 2024
Proper 25, B
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126
Mark 10:46-52

Anyone ever ask for help, only to be ignored by others? Anyone ever ask for help and been silenced by others, told to keep quiet and to stop being such a bother? Anyone ever been made to feel ashamed for asking for help? That was the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who called out to Jesus. “Have mercy on me,” he cried. “Oh, do shut up!” The people responded.
 
The crowd had contempt for Bartimaeus. Maybe because he was blind, they thought he was a sinner? Maybe he smelled bad and looked weird? Maybe they just didn’t want to be bothered by that rather annoying blind guy who was constantly begging and therefore constantly reminding them that they had plenty to be able to help him and were too self-absorbed or too fearful to do so? Perhaps they wanted to protect Jesus from that same annoyance and mild guilt that they felt? “We’re here doing religiousy godly stuff with a religiousy godly guy, and you’re just wrecking it Bartimaeus; go away.”
 
Whatever the case, Jesus didn’t share the crowd’s contempt for the blind beggar, Bartimaeus. Instead, Jesus invited the crowd to be a part of Bartimaeus’ healing. “Call him here,” Jesus said to the crowd, giving them the chance to repent of the contempt they had toward Bartimaeus, speaking to him with invitation rather than pushing him away. So, the first healing Jesus gave Bartimaeus was to have him be one with the people around him again. Then, as one with the crowd, Bartimaeus came to Jesus, and Jesus spoke to him like a human being. He restored Bartimaeus’ sight, and Bartimaeus joined him on the way.
 
In that whole encounter, the kingdom of God was revealed.
 
We’ve been hearing Jesus’ preaching for weeks now about life in God’s kingdom. We heard Jesus tell a rich man that eternal life means loving God and loving people here in this life. We heard Jesus teach his disciples that serving others, not ruling over them, but serving others, is greatness in God’s kingdom. Love God and love people, and let everything else flow from there.
 
So, when Bartimaeus asked for healing, Jesus continued his teaching about eternal life and God’s kingdom by showing the people what love God and love people is like. Those in the crowd who saw themselves as above Bartimaeus were turned into Bartimaeus’ servants. Jesus sent them to give Bartimaeus the message that Jesus was calling for him. The crowd became like a servant in a household who would call to the master of the house, letting him know that someone had arrived.
 
Jesus let the people become servants, rather than the important people they saw themselves as, and by giving them that servant role, Jesus helped heal the crowd, letting them live the life of the kingdom of God. Love God and love people. Through love God and love people, Jesus gave Bartimaeus and the crowd the eternal life of love in God’s kingdom.
 
Now, I’m going to guess a couple things here. One, that eternal life of the kingdom of God sounds lovely; it sounds great to me, I’m guessing it sounds great to others. Two, I’m also guessing that, as lovely as it is, the image and feeling of the kingdom of God will quickly fade, and we’ll end up back with contempt, maybe contempt for those like Bartimaeus whom we see as beneath us, maybe contempt for the crowds who see us as beneath them.
 
Like the beauty of a sunset, we’re captivated and awed by the images of the

kingdom of God, and then like a sunset, the beauty fades, and we are brought into the dark of night.
 
Then, it is easy for us to have contempt, especially for the crowd. Forgetting the beauty of God’s kingdom, let’s face it, it’s fun to be right and righteous. Having contempt for the crowd feels right and righteous. Having contempt for those around us whom we see as the crowd feels right and righteous. Don’t they deserve our contempt?
 
I imagine Bartimaeus having contempt for the crowd. It does feel like they deserved it. He had been living the violence of looking out for me alone because of their indifference to him and their contempt of him. It was Bartimaeus against the world, or the world against Bartimaeus. His life was me against the world, a life of darkness and contempt. I imagine him being exhausted, drained of life.
 
The struggle of waking up to a world of darkness, not his blindness, but the darkness of him against everyone and everyone against him. That darkness drains the life from people. Me against the world saps us of our humanity. Struggle, fear, anger, with no one in your corner. Little or no trust. Little or no joy. That’s the life of me against the world, the darkness of night when the beauty of the kingdom of God fades.  
 
I can imagine Bartimaeus still having contempt for the crowd even once his sight was restored. He could have still felt that it was he against the world, but Jesus helped heal his heart of contempt before he healed his blindness. Bringing the crowd into Bartimaeus’ healing, allowing them to be Bartimaeus’ servants, Jesus allowed healing of contempt, restoring not just sight, but the beauty of that sunset of eternal life in the kingdom of God.
 
As a result, when his sight was restored, Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the way. They walked off into the sunset of the kingdom of God. The eternal life of the kingdom of God in this story of healing. Jesus healed the crowd. Then Jesus healed Bartimaeus, not primarily of blindness. Jesus healed Bartimaeus of isolation. He healed him of me against the world.
 
From the darkness of isolation and contempt, of violence and anger, Jesus brought both Bartimaeus and the crowd around him to the eternal life of love God and love people. From the dark of night, Jesus brought the crowd and Bartimaeus the beautiful, and healing sunset of life in the kingdom of God.

Spiritual Meals: Jesus, IT, and Other Tasty Treats

The Rev. Brad Sullivan

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

August 22, 2021

Proper 16, B

Ephesians 6:10-20

John 6:56-69

Changing Our Diets

I’ve been re-reading IT, a novel by Stephen King about a group of friends from Derry Maine who band together as children and then again as adults to defeat a shapeshifting demon-clown monster thing, called “IT.” IT feeds off of fear and violence, most of which IT perpetrates, though IT also feeds off and seems to help cause greater violence and hatred in the people of the town. IT is most famous for taking the appearance of a clown, and if you haven’t read the book, you may have seen or heard of the miniseries back in the 80s or the recent two part movie series.

Pennywise the dancing clown, IT, is a terrifying villain in this terrifying horror story. IT scared me as an 11 year old, and IT still scares me as a 43 year old. To this day, I quicken my pace walking when past storm drains due to the opening scene in the book.  

Even more disturbing than the monster itself, however, is the response of the people of the town to IT. When things get bad, the people generally do what they should: hold curfews, encourage adults to walk children to school, and increase police presence. At the same time, however, there is a general apathy within the town about the presence of IT. None are really aware of IT, and yet all seem to accept the fact of a high rate of murder and violent crime, and they seem largely to take in stride as well the large number of children who are victims.  

The town prospers, and the people go about their lives accepting IT as simply the way things are. On the one hand, what else are they supposed to do, not really knowing what is going on? On the other hand, how can they just accept IT as the way things are?  See, the people of the town despise IT, and they also feed off of IT in a spiritual kind of way. IT has become so intertwined with the town and the people that IT feeds off of them, and they unknowingly feed off of IT. IT has become their spiritual food. 

Like the people in this novel, we too seem to feed in spiritual ways off of the suffering of others. This is not intentional. It’s not what we strive for. It’s simply the inescapable result of a world full of brokenness and conflict.  

Consider how companies and people profit off of war: weapons manufacturers and others. I’m not saying the military or weapons makers are bad. At its heart, the military’s goal is to protect the weak and the innocent. Weapons manufacturers help make that possible. At the same time, we can’t escape the fact that part of our wealth comes from the destruction and killing of others. That’s just part of the way things are, and that destruction and killing becomes part of our spiritual food.

Think about how many products we wear or use that are made with overseas, underpaid, and oppressed workers? That becomes not only part of our wardrobe, but part of our spiritual food. How much of our economy depends on the same? How much value is derived off of impoverished and crime ridden areas remaining impoverished and crime ridden so that other areas can have premium pricing as a safer alternative? 

How many of us get angry and stay angry at any number of world or community problems that we probably can’t change, but that we can at least get righteously angry about and feel a resulting strength and moral superiority? Anger and contempt, fighting over who is right. Brainless liberal. Heartless conservative. Masks or no masks. The righteous indignation and moral superiority, the anger and contempt are all part of our spiritual food.

In all of these and countless other ways, we are feeding off of the brokenness and conflict in our world. That brokenness and conflict has always been with us and will always be with us. Whether we want it to be or not, the darkness, violence, brokenness, and conflict of our world will always be part of our spiritual food.

In this rather problematic spiritual diet then, Jesus says, “Eat my flesh, and drink my blood.” Eat and drink me as your spiritual food, Jesus says. Feed your spirit off of my spirit. Change your diet.

So, how do we feed less off of brokenness and conflict, anger and contempt, and make our meals of Jesus instead? Well, if we really want the diet to stick and last, then one thing we likely can’t do is make a sudden, drastic, and huge dietary change. If we try to divorce ourselves from everything that is of violence, oppression, and conflict, we are going to find just how interconnected violence, oppression, and conflict is in all we do. We’re not going to make the world perfect, and we’re certainly not going to increase our consumption of Jesus by angrily and contemptuously decrying anything we feel is not of Jesus.

So how do we feed off of Jesus? How do we eat his body and drink his blood? Well, there are countless, infinite ways, including sharing communion here, the spiritual communion, embodied in the meal we share. Other ways to eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood are to take note of each other. Pay attention to each other. Help each other out in fun times together and in rough times together. Stand up for each other. Love each other. Such is the spiritual food of Jesus’ body and blood.

Take time for yourself. Rest. Rely on the Lord and the strength of his power, knowing you can’t get it all done. Have faith and trust in God. Trust in God and in God’s goodness. Trust in your own goodness, being made good and beautiful in the image of God. Trust in God’s love of you and guidance of you. Such is the spiritual food of Jesus’ body and blood.

Strive for justice and peace in how you interact with others, in how you vote. Strive for justice and peace in how you shop, in the things you consume. Seek truth and live in righteousness, meaning live a life seeking good for others and for yourself. Such is the spiritual food of Jesus’ body and blood.

Enjoy the sun, the sky, the grass, the trees, the air. Enjoy the ride. Breath. Breath in the beauty of the moment, even during anxiety, depression, sadness, and fear. Trust in God enough to let go and not have to control everything all the time. Pray. Pray a lot. Make it weird. Such is the spiritual food of the body and blood of Jesus.

We can’t purify ourselves by completely ridding our spiritual diet of any and all darkness, conflict, violence, and oppression. Such things are intertwined within our lives and this world, and there is no ridding ourselves of them. Also, Jesus didn’t say remove from your spiritual diet all things that are objectionable. He knew that wasn’t possible. Instead, Jesus said, “eat my flesh and drink my blood.”

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.” (Ephesians 6:10) Make your spiritual meals of Jesus. Eat Jesus' spiritual flesh, and drink Jesus' spiritual blood, that you may abide in him and he in you.

Out of Anger, Hatred, and Killing, “Let There Be Light”

Brad Sullivan

Proper 25, Year B

October 28, 2018

Emmanuel, Houston

Mark 10:46-52

Isaiah 2:2-4

Out of Anger, Hatred, and Killing, “Let There Be Light”

“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  (Genesis 1:1-3)  Bartimaeus, a man who was blind called to Jesus to have mercy on him, and when Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “My teacher, let me see again.”  Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well,” and immediately Bartimaeus could see.  Where there had been a formless void and darkness for Bartimaeus, Jesus spoke, and there was light. 

It is no stretch to draw a connection between the light at the beginning of creation and the restoration of sight for Bartimaeus, because there was so much more going on with Bartimaeus than one man getting to see again.  The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” said to Bartimaeus, “Go; your faith has made you well.”  God was once again bringing light into the darkness. 

You might think that God would get tired of saying “let there be light” over and over again in the midst of our darkness, but it seems that in God’s love, God never tires of bringing light into the formless void of our darkness.  Anger, hatred, killing.  “Let there be light,” God says.  “Let there be light.”  The healing of Bartimaeus was a sign, a reminder that God is always taking the darkness of the world upon himself and bringing light and healing to this broken world.

I’m guessing that most people who witnessed Bartimaeus’ healing didn’t think to themselves, “Oh, God is restoring light into the void and darkness of humanity’s sin.”  Most probably just thought, “Cool, Barty can see again,” but restoration and healing of creation is what was really going on in the healing of Bartimaeus, and the really cool thing about Bartimaeus is, he got to be a part of Jesus healing and restoring creation.  He got to be a part of Jesus’ light casting out darkness. 

Now, Bartimaeus didn’t do anything great.  All he did was ask Jesus for help, but because he did, Jesus got to show that the light of God has not left the world in darkness, but rather God’s light is always with us in this world casting out darkness for those who wish to see.

We are here worshipping in a Jewish Synagogue because after Hurricane Harvey flooded our church, the Rabbi and people of Temple Sinai offered their sacred space for us to worship in on Sundays.  They were the light in our darkness, and as with Bartimaeus, there was and is now something so much bigger going on than a small Christian community getting a place to gather for worship.  In our communities coming together, God is working to heal his world.  In our communities sharing Temple Sinai’s house of worship, God is casting out the darkness of anger, hatred, and killing.

Now, there was no anger, hatred, and killing between Emmanuel and Temple Sinai, but as we saw yesterday in Pittsburg, there is still plenty of anger and hatred towards and killing of the people of Israel.  People at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg were gathered yesterday for a Shabbat service, for Sabbath rest and peace, and a man walked in and killed 11 people simply because he hated wanted to kill Jews.  The darkness of anti-Semitism, that anger, hatred, and killing is tragically still with us.

So, when I say we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves by gathering here for worship at Temple Sinai, I mean we are a part of God casting out the darkness of anti-Semitism, of anger, hatred, and violence of all kinds.  By being here, we are a part of God’s continuing story of taking the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and violence, and saying to that darkness, “Let there be light.” 

Now, like Bartimaeus, we haven’t done anything.  All the work was done by a Jewish rabbi and her congregation saying, “Come, worship, let our house be your house.”  All we did was say, “yes please, thank you,” and God said, “Let there be light.”

That is the story we are a part of by being here.  That is the story we get to tell because we are here.  We get to be a part of and tell the story of God healing creation.  I hope we don’t miss that.  I hope we don’t take this time gathering for worship in this sacred and holy place and simply think, “cool, we got a place to worship.”  There is so much more going on here than just having a place to gather on Sundays.   Jesus said his followers would be kicked out of the synagogues, and yet here we are.  Peace and wholeness in creation is being restored. 

In Isaiah 2:2-4, we here a vision of peace, of peace in Jerusalem and peace in the world.

In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.  Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’  For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

That is the story we get to be a part of by worshipping here on Sundays, by accepting Temple Sinai’s offer for light in our darkness.  People need to hear this story.  It’s a story worth telling because it is part of a story that is so much bigger than we.  Like Bartimaeus’ story was so much bigger than just him receiving his sight, our being here is part of God’s story of constantly saying, “Let there be light,” to the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and killing.  In the wake of 11 deaths at Tree of Life Synagogue, tell this story.  Tell the story of Emmanuel at Sinai, the story of this congregation opening up their hearts to us, the story of God saying, “Let there be light.” 

Strength and Courage: Mary, the Mother of Us All

Brad Sullivan

4 Advent, Year B

December 24, 2017

Emmanuel, Houston

Luke 1:26-38

Strength and Courage:  Mary, the Mother of Us All

“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  Those are some remarkably brave words from a remarkably brave young woman, Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Likely fourteen or fifteen, Mary’s life was going pretty well and pretty much according to plan, prior to the angel Gabriel’s visit.  She was betrothed to a good man with a good trade, a carpenter, so Mary’s future was looking pretty secure.  She was likely expecting to become pregnant shortly after her marriage to Joseph, to start a family, and live a good secure life as wife to her husband and mother to her children.  Life was indeed looking pretty darn good and on course for Mary, all going well according to the ways of life in her time.

Then the Angel Gabriel showed up and pretty well turned things upside down and sideways, and jumped the train of her life completely off the tracks it had been on,  The young woman, Mary, was told that she would be impregnated by the Holy Spirit prior to being married to Joseph, her betrothed.  As change of plans go, that one was pretty drastic, and risky.

What must have been going through Mary’s head when she received this news from Gabriel?  Would Joseph believe Mary when she said, “No, I didn’t cheat on you; it was the Holy Spirit that made me pregnant.”?  Uh-huh.  Joseph was a good guy and all, but he wasn’t an idiot, and such a far-fetched explanation, while true, probably wasn’t going to go over so well with her betrothed.  Was she going to be killed for being found pregnant prior to her marriage?  Very likely.  Even if she was allowed to live, life as she knew it, the security of her husband and future family, was all likely gone with the advent of Gabriel’s message.  Mary was likely facing a life of shame and rejection, living with Mom and Dad, if they would still have her, which was not certain; a life of possible prostitution just to get by; or a life of marriage to a guy who wasn’t as good a man as Joseph but was at least willing to take her on as damaged goods.  Fortunately most of us don’t view women that way anymore, but that was kinda the way things were back in those days.

Then, of course, there was the other question of, “What the heck?”  “What am I going to do with God’s baby?”  “What does that even mean that the Holy Spirit will impregnate me and the child will be holy, the Son of God?”  “Do not be afraid,” Gabriel said.  Yeah, good luck with that.  Mary must have been terrified, and I can imagine Mary being left with an almighty, “Huh?” 

In the midst of all of this questioning, and wonder, this fear and uncertainty of the total derailing of her life, Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  Remarkably brave words from a remarkably brave young woman. 

Mary’s words bear a striking resemblance to Jesus’ words in the garden of Gethsemane.  As Jesus was facing arrest, torture, death, and the total disillusionment of his followers, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)  “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” 

Jesus was the Word of God, God’s eternal Son, and as such, obedience to and love of the Father was part of his nature and character.  Jesus was also a human being, however, and as such he was filled with all of the fears, doubts, and uncertainties which we all face.  As a human being, Jesus seems to have learned bravery and submission to God’s will through his mom. 

Mary was Jesus’ mom, and as Paul reminds us, we are all brothers and sisters of Jesus, with God as our Father, which means that we also share Mary as our mother.  The lesson she taught Jesus to be brave in the midst of fear, doubt, and uncertainty, is a lesson she teaches to all of us as well.  “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” 

So, in times of fear, doubt, and uncertainty, what does God’s word tell us? 

When worried about money and possessions, and will we have enough, Jesus says,

Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:32-34)

Part of our mind says, “Are you kidding me?  How can I control what’s coming if I don’t worry and fret about it?”  Then our mother’s words come back to us, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” 

When there is too much going on, too much to do, and not enough time, God’s word says, “In returning and rest you shall be saved;  in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”  (Isaiah 30:15)  Our fears may say we are too busy to pray, but Jesus teaches that we are too busy not to pray.  “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

When enemies rise up against us, and we have contention and strife with those we know, Jesus teaches, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:27-28)  As our hearts break, we desire vengeance, and want to defeat those we view as enemy, Paul’s words also guide us, “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.  Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:29-32)  “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

When there is darkness in our world, and we begin to lose hope, God has told us,

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. (John 1:1-5) 

We can’t always see the light, but we trust in the light of Jesus, especially in times of darkness, heeding again the words of Mary, our mother, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

God’s way is not always the way we want or the way we think our life should go. There is a giving up of self, a dying to self, in order to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”  Those words are, however, are strength and courage.  Those words are how we truly become ourselves.  Our mother taught us that.  Mary, the remarkably brave young woman whom God chose to be the mother of Jesus, has shown us the strength of submission to God’s will and the courage to follow where God leads, despite our fears, doubts, and uncertainties.  When life does not go the way we think it should go or the way we want it to go, Mary, has shown us the strength and the courage to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”