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January 20, 2008

Fred Heard - January 20, 2008

January 20, 2008

My mother’s 88 year old twin brother died last week and he was the last of the children of my maternal grandparents. The graveside service was in small Fossil, Oregon and there were 40 or 45 people there. I read the Episcopal burial rite and the day went well. I don’t know if my Uncle had ever been to an Episcopal service. Many at the cemetery had not. But I did hear from one older lady—and they were mostly older—that she was a member of my Grandfather’s Baptist church back in the 1920’s and 1930’s. And she said, “So what church are you with?” There wasn’t much recognition when I told her. My paternal Grandfather was a minister for 60 years and for those of you who have been in my office his picture hangs in a prominent place next to my Grandmother who was a Salvation Army lady.

My Grandfather keeps coming up in my life. When I was running for my first term in the Oregon Legislature in 1968, I went door to door in tiny Lake County, Oregon. I ran into people all over the county that new Brother Heard—he baptized them, he married and buried them, and he stayed in their homes. Soon the word spread among them that Brother Heard’s grandson was running for the Legislature. Well, my Grandfather greatly influenced that election. I don’t mean that he was pulling strings up in heaven, but his reputation and work were factors because I won that race by 94 votes.

Last Friday, the lady told me she came to meet Brother Heard’s grandson. My Grandpa Heard died in 1964 and still his “little light shines on.”

I know a lot of people here at Trinity who have lights that shine brightly. We all remember the little song from our childhood. It was fun to sing and we sing it almost every week in chapel at Trinity School. We are going to sing it here on the last Sunday of this month. "I'm gonna let it shine." In this song from our Sunday school past, we pledged to let our light shine for Jesus. It was at this point that a teacher always started talking about promises and this little song is a promise—and I knew it was important for me to keep the promise!

During this season of Epiphany, we might ask ourselves how we let our little lights shine. At Trinity, some of you have public roles, like the organist and choir director and youth director and the family ministries director—but many of you shine your lights in quiet ways. Some teach Sunday school or sing in the choir. Some serve as ushers or as members of the Altar or Flower Guilds. Some serve on committees. Some do our publications. Some invite friends and neighbors to come to church with them. Some pledge their treasure generously to support the work of the church. Some visit Mississippi on missions. Some drive young people to their events. Some lead Bible studies. Some just have a kind word and a smile for everyone they meet. Some people cook. Some people visit Christians who are homebound. Many of you do several of these things. There are some who light many lights because perhaps twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work of the church.

At stewardship time we often hear our leaders suggest that we need to give more money to make the church run. But you see, that is the key—the entire year is really stewardship time. Remember stewardship is what you do with what you have all year around. What would happen if we gave our money only? The church would collapse because our treasure includes our time. What would church be like if we could have thirty percent of the people involved—or forty percent? After all, every Christian ought to be letting his or her light shine for Jesus in some way.

John the Baptist was not even a Christian, but he let his light shine. John was not called to be one of Jesus' disciples. God called John to point others to Jesus. That is what John is doing in today’s gospel.

He was a prophet—the first Israel had known in 400 years. He was a real attraction—perhaps bordering on what we would recognize today as rock star mania. John went to the desert to preach—and people came by the thousands to hear him. He had many disciples.

One day John was standing with two of his disciples and Jesus walked by. John said to his two disciples, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" John's two disciples left him—and began to follow Jesus.

You see on this day, John was letting his little light shine and he lost two of his disciples to Jesus. This happens. Jesus calls us and we follow. I remember so well, the anxious feeling I had when I realized I would be walking away from the home church I had loved for so long in Salem—probably never to return for any length of time. Lincoln left Springfield in much the same way in 1861, telling his neighbors that he might never return because he must go elsewhere to let his light shine.

There is no indication that John was disappointed when his disciples left or that he was jealous of Jesus. Whenever we hear about John, he is telling everyone how wonderful Jesus is. John knew that God had sent him to prepare the way for Jesus, and he was happy to do that. One of the disciples this day was Andrew and the second disciple’s name has been long lost to history. We really don’t know much about Andrew. He was always that disciple in the background. He did only one thing that is recorded. He went to get his brother and told him they had found the Messiah. That brother’s name was Simon Peter and Peter became the leader of Jesus’ disciples. Andrew—the quiet one—let his little light shine. You see that is the way it works. We let our little light shine and that light changes another person’s life. That is what I experienced at my Uncle’s funeral. He was a man who was a good father and grandfather and a good mentor for many because of his work ethic. His little light shined. He called me to do his service. I went. I met the lady and found that my Grandfather’s little light is still shining.

A stone is thrown into the water and the ripples keep going. How many lives do they touch? God keeps the ripples going for a very long time. They are endless. A teacher let’s her little light shine. When do the ripples stop? Never.

Have you ever heard of Mordecai Ham? He was an evangelist. In 1934, he conducted a revival meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the people who came forward was a tall, gangly boy who had just turned sixteen. Like the story of Andrew, we don’t know a lot about that day and we don’t know how many other people came forward. We don’t even know if Mordecai felt that he had conducted a successful revival. He probably didn’t even remember that 16 year old boy from so long ago. But that boy was Billy Graham, who is still carrying the light that Mordecai Ham gave him nearly 75 years ago. When do the ripples stop? Never.

So what do we have to do to let our little light shine? That depends on what God calls us to do. God calls us to be Christians -- people who try to live as Jesus would have us live. That, in itself, can be a powerful witness. Philip Yancey, the Christian author, asks: "What would happen in the national consensus if these nine words came to mind when you said the word, 'Christian': --love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?" Those are the nine things that the Apostle Paul listed as the fruits of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatian church.

As I was preparing this sermon, I received a note from our daughter Robin up in Oregon. She addressed it to her mother and me. Robin said, “I think both of you know about my household New Year’s--Lenten Resolution to “GO GREEN!” My idea is to make small changes through the next few weeks, so that by Lent, our household is in tip top shape. The latest change involves Casey’s pudding that he eats everyday. I am making it and putting it in containers that we can wash and re-use instead of using the pre-packaged containers that we either throw out or recycle each day. He’s pretty picky about pudding, but he told me yesterday that he likes mine better than any of the other stuff. Cool, huh? On to my next way to SAVE OUR PLANET!”

And so Robin’s little light shines. And also remember she has a little guy named Jack who is watching his mom and dad as they carry their little lights. The ripples go on and on and never end.

ALL of us -- ALL of us --are called to bear the fruits of the Spirit. What could God do with your life if the people who know you best would think of you as a person filled with: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?" May God bless us all everyone—with very bright lights. AMEN

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