1 24 5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a55e8de6bf283f168ec9fbbcbc212684.pdf a1edbacaa278b4297bce40e2232af77e PDF Text Text Night Light Maundy Thursday "The Light of the World," by Jean Pasquet Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan April 1, 1999 Transcription of the spoken sermon I knew immediately when Mr. Bryson showed me the choral piece being performed this evening, "The Light of the World," what the theme of the meditation would be. That is a rare experience, but it came to me immediately that it should be "Night Light," and I thought of this profound statement with which the lesson ended, "It was night." John’s gospel plays on the duality of light and darkness. You can find it throughout; you heard it in the readings this evening. Light and darkness. Jesus, the Light of the world, and the darkness that continues to threaten the light. In the prologue to the gospel in that first paragraph, John speaks about the light that has come into the world and he says in words that we use so often here, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." John not only played with the themes of light and darkness, but he loved to use words that could be interpreted in more than one fashion. In the translation that I read, that the darkness will not overcome the light, there is a decision made to interpret the Greek word behind it in one way, that is, that the darkness will never finally be able to crush out the light. But, the Greek word actually could also be rendered, "the darkness will never comprehend the light." There are good exegetical reasons for translating it either way, and knowledge of the Greek language would not indicate which way it should be translated. There are possible parallels throughout the gospel to either understanding. Did John mean that the darkness never got it, never understood it, never comprehended what the light was all about that had dawned in the world? Or, did he mean to affirm, as I read it a moment ago, that the darkness, though ever threatening, would never be successful in snuffing out the light? Edgar Goodspeed has a modern translation in which he tried to bridge that duality of meaning. He used the word mastered. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never mastered the light, never mastered it in the sense of comprehending it, or mastered it in the sense of overcoming it. Or another possibility - the darkness never absorbed the light, never absorbed it in terms of © Grand Valley State University   �Night Light Richard A. Rhem Page 2   taking it in, comprehending, or absorbed in terms of swallowing it up. John loves to play with us that way and leave us thinking about it. In any case, I think an argument could be made for both meanings. On the one hand, it seems as though, although the light has come into the world, the world doesn’t get it. Indeed, to what extent do we get it? Or, did we get it so clearly that it scared us and we made it into something else? It is true that human history is a long tale of darkness. There is darkness enough, it seems, at every age and every generation. When Jesus gathered with his disciples on that last night, he gave them an example of that servanthood which was the hallmark of his life with them, he washed their feet. And then, beginning to feel the pressure of the crush, his soul in anguish, he came out with it, "One of you will betray me." And even then, he extended bread to Judas. But, finally he dismissed Judas and, perhaps seeing no change of demeanor, he said, "What you have to do, do quickly." And Judas went out, and it was night. The night of the world. That was not the first time the world knew darkness, nor the last. I have in my hands this little account of the Holocaust by Elie Wiesel. It’s entitled simply, "Night." If you’ve never read it, perhaps, for your Holy Week meditation, it would be a profitable reading if you want to understand the darkness. In the prison camp in which Elie Wiesel as a young boy was incarcerated with his father, he tells of an incident when, coming back from the work detail, the prisoners saw that the gallows had three ropes ready, and there were two men and a child. A child had been tortured for a number of weeks in order to force him to reveal the names of those that might have been engaged in some revolt against the camp authority. The child would not mention one name and was therefore condemned to die. And so, as the custom was, the whole camp of prisoners was lined up in front of the gallows and the two men and the child in the middle. The three necks were placed at the same moment into nooses. "Long live liberty!" cried the two adults. But the child was silent. "Where is God? Where is He?" someone behind me asked. At a sign from the head of the camp, the three chairs tipped over. Total silence throughout the camp. On the horizon, the sun was setting. "Bare your heads!" yelled the head of the camp. His voice was raucous. We were weeping. "Cover your heads!" © Grand Valley State University �Night Light Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Then the march past began. The two adults were no longer alive, their tongues hung swollen, blue-tinged. But the third rope was still moving; being so light the child was still alive... For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red, his eyes not yet glazed. Behind me I heard the same man asking: "Where is God now?" And I head a voice within me answer him: "Where is He? Here He is - He is hanging here on this gallows..." That night the soup tasted like corpses. And it was night. As I got ready to come this evening and walked to and fro past the evening news on television, it seemed that every time I walked past, there was an unending column of humankind, men, women, children, older people, some being wheeled in wheelbarrows, their faces heavy with the anguish of the experience, the hell through which they’re going. And it is night, still night. Because we still haven’t comprehended it. We still don’t get it. I hope John meant, and I want to believe, the other nuance of that word, as well, that finally, finally the light will not be overcome. Some of us last evening joined the Jewish community in the celebration of Passover and in our program there was a toast to freedom written by Leonard Fein of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Its reference is to the Passover Feast in the Jewish context, but as I read it, I couldn’t help but think of tonight. Each cup we raise this night is an act of memory and of reverence. The story we tell this year, as every year, is not yet done. It begins with them, then; it continues with us, now. We remember not out of curiosity or nostalgia, but because it is our turn to add to the story. Our challenge this year, as every year, is to feel the Exodus, to open the gates of time and become one with those who crossed the Red Sea from slavery to freedom. Our challenge this year, as every year, is to know the Exodus, to behold all those in every land who have yet to make the crossing. Our challenge this day, as every day, is to reach out our hands to them and to help them cross to freedomland. © Grand Valley State University �Night Light Richard A. Rhem Page 4   We know some things that others do not always know - how arduous is the struggle, how very deep the waters to be crossed and how treacherous their tides, how filled with irony and contradiction and suffering are the crossing and then the wandering. We know such things because we ourselves wandered in the desert for forty years. Have not those forty years been followed by thirty-two centuries of struggle and of quest? Heirs to those who struggled and quested, we are old-timers at disappointment, veterans at sorrow, but always, always prisoners of hope. The hope is the anthem of our people (Hatikvah), and the way of our people. For all the reversals and all of the stumbling-blocks, for all the blood and all the hurt, hope still dances within us. That is who we are, and that is what this Seder is about. [And that is what this table is about.] For the slaves do become free, and the tyrants are destroyed. Once, it was by miracles; today, it is by defiance and devotion. [For us, to the way of Jesus.] From the book, A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah. For it is still night. But, he is our Night Light. Reference: Noam Zion and David Dishon. A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah. Shalom Hartman Institute, publishers, 1997. Elie Wiesel. Night. Hill and Wang, revised edition, 2006. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/93dab9db1b28d96eb6d139af32d934d9.mp3 b2bfb17347dd00f6b5432ac21b06ed96 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Maundy Thursday Scripture Text "The Light of the World" by Jean Pasquet Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Noam Zion, David Dishon. A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah, 1997. Elie Wiesel, Night, 2006. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19990401 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1999-04-01 Title A name given to the resource Night Light Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 1, 1999 entitled "Night Light", on the occasion of Maundy Thursday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: "The Light of the World" by Jean Pasquet. Darkness Light Maunday Thursday https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/28187beb65add7f4f496ac917450398a.pdf df2feb784c43547071eaaddac8e65be3 PDF Text Text The Secret’s Out Text: Isaiah 49:6; Ephesians 3:6 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Epiphany I, January 9, 1994 Transcription of the spoken sermon "I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 .. “The Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body... through the gospel." Ephesians 3:6 If someone says to you, "You Christian people really shouldn't celebrate the festival of Christmas because it's a pagan festival rooted in ancient paganism," you could say, "That's right. We know it," and just blow them off. Well, don't do that. Be gracious. Be matter-of-fact. On this Epiphany Sunday, or the Sunday after Epiphany, we do celebrate what once was the pagan Festival of Light. Originally, the birth of Jesus was celebrated on January 6. There is a long history that I won't go into this morning, but eventually with Constantine, the emperor in Rome, and the Roman calendar having the winter solstice at December 25 (that point at which the sun is farthest from the equator when it stops going away, and shortening the day when it is coming back and lengthening the day), the ancient world celebrated the Festival of Light. In order to have the birth of Jesus celebrated apart from the January 6 date, the ancient church began to celebrate Christmas on December 25. And then, after the twelve days of Christmas, comes a celebration of the visit of the magi on the 6th of January. We have concocted this calendar. It bears no semblance to reality. We don't know those dates, but in the ancient church and in the liturgical tradition of the church, what we have done is celebrate what we believe, in a series of festivals. We believe that "The word became flesh and dwelt among us." Mary had a baby and that child was visited by shepherds and by those from the East, called wise men or magi, and on this particular Sunday, the first Sunday after Epiphany, we remember that the one who was born was the Light of the world. Epiphany. The word means manifestation, and it is the celebration of revelation. It is the celebration of the unveiling of God when the light of God shined into human hearts. Epiphany is the season of revelation. From the visit of the magi, we have the symbol of the star. And from the star we have the symbol of light. © Grand Valley State University   �The Secret’s Out Richard A. Rhem Page 2   We celebrate at this time the fact that the light has come and shined into our minds and hearts. We become illumined so that we behold the mystery of God that mystery that otherwise would be cut off from us. In Christian theology or Christian doctrine we talk at the season of Epiphany about revelation because we do not believe that God is at our disposal. God is not at the end of some human syllogism in logic or some scientific investigation. God reveals God's self, and Epiphany from the Greek word meaning manifestation celebrates the fact that God has not left us in confusion or darkness, but God has made God's self known to us. That is what we celebrate. Epiphany is about revelation - the sudden brightness of the landscape of the mind or of a society or culture, when suddenly someone or people together say, "Oh, I see—Oh, we see." Colette and her teachers in our Worship Center have used the idea with the children in the phrase "Epiphany Eyes." Epiphany Eyes are eyes that see through or see something that was always there but not seen. It is a delight to hear a child talk about Epiphany Eyes. It is seeing—really seeing that which before was not seen at all. It is that sudden revelation—light dawns on one. One says, "Oh, I see. Suddenly, I understand." With Epiphany Eyes, however, we need to be careful that we don't identify the revelation with the eye, for truth is not in the eye of the beholder. The Epiphany Eye is the instrument that is gifted by God to illumine, to give understanding and knowledge. To be illumined by God is to be transformed by God. Salvation is all about coming to dwell in the light of God's presence and to experience that presence as reality. So we enter again into that season when we worship and adore the God who has made the divine reality present to us. Now we see. The Light has come. Israel at its best understood that it was called by God, gathered by God to be the instrument of light to the nations. In the original call to Abraham and Sarah, it was not a call to the exclusion of the rest; it was a particular call to a particular people on behalf of the rest. "In you all nations of the earth will be blessed." By and large, Israel forgot that. By and large, Israel did not live up to being a beacon light to the nations. But in the Hebrew Scriptures there are those universalistic notes. I read one of them a moment ago, Isaiah 49, one of the servant poems in that section of Isaiah's prophecy. The servant is called by God to bring light to the nations, so God says, "My salvation may be experienced to earth's farthermost bounds." There was that insight at that point at least in Israel's history through this prophet or writer that the light of God—the light that had dawned on Israel— was not to be put under a bushel, but was to be brought as a beacon to the nations so that all people might celebrate in the light of the God who had created all things. Most of the time Israel missed the point. Paul (or Saul as he was called then), for example, narrow minded religious fanatic—a real classic bigot, was on his way to Damascus to stamp out the followers of The Way, when the Light dawned upon him and cast him to the ground. He said, "Ah, I see. What would you have me do?" He became, in his own understanding of God's calling, an apostle to the Gentiles. Or to translate that © Grand Valley State University �The Secret’s Out Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Greek word equally well (I prefer it) an apostle to the nations, for Gentiles were simply all of those who weren't Jews. So, Paul understood himself as one called an apostle, a sent one, to the nations. In this third chapter of Ephesians, which is a fascinating passage really, Paul begins to say he is going to pray for the people of Ephesus. But after the first dozen words, he interrupts himself to begin to talk about this amazing thing. It takes him way down to verse fourteen to get back to where he started in verse one. In the meantime there is a big parenthesis about this light that has dawned. Paul, Jew, exclusivistic, an adversary of those who were other, threatened by Jesus, ready to stamp out those followers, had an Epiphany experience and become the apostle to the nations. In writing to a congregation, which he founded, he is still all thrilled about this amazing, mindboggling revelation. He says, "The mystery was made known to me by revelation." A little farther on he says, "In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind that has been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the spirit, that the Gentiles have become fellow heirs—are the members of the same body, share in the promise of Christ through the Gospel." Then he goes on with another paragraph. "The boundless riches of Christ be made known through me to make everyone see what is the plan and the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things." He doesn't talk about God as redeemer, he talks about God as creator, because he is talking about the first principle, if you will; he's talking about the ground of all reality. He says, "The amazing thing that I have discovered is that the creator of the cosmos has shined light on all humankind." He said, "For generations this mystery was hidden. We didn't understand it. But now, through me, by revelation of the spirit through apostles and prophets— now we have a calling to announce to everyone: 'The Light has come, and that God is the God of all people." That simply amazed Paul. He was going his own way with intention and deliberateness and he got turned around in his tracks and came back 180°. The Church has understood that people, and therefore, the Christian movement has been a missionary movement. In the historic Christian missionary movement, this has translated as, "The Light has come and now salvation is available to all people, and if you will repent and believe and be baptized and become part of the Christian movement, then you become a Child of the Light. The historic Christian mission in the wake of this amazing revelation has understood its calling to be Light to the nations, as the servant in Isaiah's prophecy understood himself to be a Light to the nations - to bring Good News to the whole world. The Great Commission says, "Go into all the world and preach this Good News," and we have done it, proclaiming this as a possibility. We have done the Christian mission in a kind of "if/then" basis: If you will believe, if you will be baptized, if you will repent, if you will become one of us, if you will turn around, change your life, then you are a Child of the Light © Grand Valley State University �The Secret’s Out Richard A. Rhem Page 4   I wonder though if there is not another way to understand that revelation to Paul, that revelation that occurred through Jesus Christ, our Lord. I wonder if, rather than offering salvation as a possibility, if we might not offer it as a reality, as an accomplished fact. I wonder if the historic Christian mission had it right, in understanding that the Light must be proclaimed and shared, bringing people around into the Christian movement, or if the Christian movement might not have been that privileged people upon whom the Light dawned who were called to announce to all people that the Light indeed has come; that the Creator of the heavens and the earth is the God of all humankind. I wonder if we might not have gotten farther and made the world a more peaceful place, for we know that our world is torn apart by partisan, sectarian, religious commitment. We know today, a couple thousand years after Paul, that religion is perhaps the most dangerous force afoot in our world. I wonder (Sometimes I think I have had an Epiphany), rather than saying to all of those out there whose culture and religious background and training and conditioning prepared them not all to receive that Light as I have received it. I wonder if I would not do better simply to say to them, "Relax, the Light has come and it shines on you as well." It seems to me that that would be another way, legitimately, to understand the early writings of the New Testament. Paul had to struggle against his own day, against that Jewish opposition which saw itself as exclusively the people of God. When Paul wanted to say those people can experience the grace of God without becoming Jews, they said, "Oh no." Paul said, "Oh yes." Paul said, "For us it is through Moses, but for them they don't have to come through Moses. Don't lay on those people all of the structures and forms of our Judaism. Let them come to God by grace alone." Paul won the day at that time. I wonder if he were here in the year 1994, looking at the world situation, seeing the great religions of the world - Islam, Judaism, Christianity, the Eastern religions -I wonder if Paul might not have another Epiphany experience. I wonder if he might not say, "Oh, I see, it is bigger than ever I dreamed. God the creator of the heavens and the earth is the God of all people, and while for me I see the light of God in the face of Jesus supremely, I see that God honors the serious and sincere quests of all." I think that's what the story of the Magi was about. These were Persians. In tradition we call them "the three kings." They probably were astrologers, priestly types. They studied the stars. They found the revelation of God in the heavenly spheres. They saw a star one day. They had a yearning for God. They followed the star. They were led to Jesus. They brought gifts. Traditionally again, we have made them the first Christian converts, but as a matter of fact the story doesn't say a word about that. It says they brought their gifts and went back to their old country, no doubt rejoicing in the fact that the light of the star had led them to this significant moment, celebrating the fact that those who truly seek God will surely find God. Epiphany is about revelation, about suddenly saying, "Oh, I see." © Grand Valley State University �The Secret’s Out Richard A. Rhem Page 5   I received a letter from the Middle East Reformed Fellowship. This is a group that broadcasts the Gospel into the Middle East. It is a three-page letter that says that the communist threat is gone. Thank God, for forty years we had that enemy over against whom we could define ourselves. But this letter in rather frightening terms describes the new enemy. It is Islam. Now that the Soviet Union is unraveled, these people are free and they are distributing the Koran, they are rebuilding their mosques, and there is a revival of Islam. On the board are some of my colleagues in this appeal. This appeal says send us money so we can broadcast the Gospel because Islam is the enemy. There is a quote from the Wall Street Journal, which says the onslaught of the modern world has kept the Islamic people confused, humiliated, poor and intensely angry. They hate us with an energy and fury that is beyond reason. This appeal invites me to join the offensive. If I will send $50 for one year they will send me a bi-monthly report called "An Intelligence Report." Do you catch the military parlance? There's a holy war, folks. Christians are being called to holy war against this revival of Islam. The threat that they speak of is a people who have been humiliated, robbed of their human dignity, made fools of by the rest of the world, a people who are furious, full of anger, ready for violence. I understand that. I should think that they would be. So, what will I do? Preach the Gospel to them quickly, make them Christians so I can take away their anger and make the world safe? Or, if it is true that they are full of anger, if they are furious, if they are humiliated, if they have been robbed of their dignity, if the Islamic world is ready to rise up, might I not better go and embrace them, they who worship more devoutly than I do the God of Abraham? Might I not simply share with them the Light, that together we are children of the Light, and that the creator of all is the God of us all who would have us all be together in one human community. I want to tell you, when I read this stuff and this is the stuff with which I might once have identified, I'll be honest with you, when I read it I want to say, "How could I have ever believed that?" It's kind of an Epiphany experience. I see it so differently now. I see that in the Christmas miracle, God the Word that became flesh dwelt among us - Light came into the world. The message was that God loves the world, that God is for people, that God wants people to be in human community, and wherever there is that hunger and yearning for God there will be a star that will appear, or an angel that will sing. I want to stand in solidarity with all of my brothers and sisters however they see the Light, because I know the Light is a Light that shines far more brightly than my particular view of it. I know that Light transcends my understanding. I know that Light is the Light of God who is a God who would have that Light be for all nations. Epiphany is about the dawning of Light in the darkness of this world—not the aligning of people in adversarial camps, but the calling of people to a common worship of the one true God. Ah, friends, the Light has come, the news is so good it should set our feet to dancing and our tongues to singing. The wonderful thing © Grand Valley State University �The Secret’s Out Richard A. Rhem Page 6   about the Epiphany miracle is that not only was God manifest and the Word made flesh, but the Light continues to shine in the darkness, in your darkness, in that moment when there is deep yearning and longing within your soul. The promise is the Light has dawned and the Light will shine, and grace will touch your life, for God is with us. You see, for long ages, Paul said that mystery wasn't known, but now the secret’s out and it is a better secret than we've yet dared hope for. It is a dream of a God who holds the whole world in his hand and lifts up the light in his countenance on all those that lift their eyes in longing for the touch of grace. That's Good. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/530f3d103df12d60112ae2f4ebeb5a81.mp3 b7dad45d542d91e7cde34e8f9a3352d8 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany I Scripture Text Isaiah 49:6, Ephesians 3:6 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19940109 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1994-01-09 Title A name given to the resource The Secret's Out Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 9, 1994 entitled "The Secret's Out", on the occasion of Epiphany I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 49:6, Ephesians 3:6. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Epiphany Grace Inclusive Light Pluralism Revelation Transformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/11e4dc63046b41538e21bda097817e40.mp3 4a7a8497062c1d8ccc57a4871a2e9b07 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4e8a5cd241bd90d334a598b7545b7375.pdf 6a9f387bd68757a2d5af6de13786bcd0 PDF Text Text Light of the World Text: II Corinthians 4:6 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Epiphany I, January 10, 1993 Transcription of the spoken sermon For it is God…who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 4:6 We have come to celebrate the fact that light has come into the world, and to wonder at the mystery of that light, which for some becomes the light of the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and for others seems to be not light at all. This is the season in which we point to our reality that light has come into the world, that God has been revealed, that God has been unveiled, that God has made God’s self accessible and available, and comprehendible and apprehendible to the likes of us. And yet it is also the season in which we wonder about the mystery of why it is that some believe and others believe not at all – or, to wonder even further, why it is that we, who are exposed all our life to this mystery, if we are honest must say that we have never fully sensed the dawning of the light. For you see, in this celebration in this season of the year we recognize a double act. On the one hand light has come into the world, but on the other hand the critical personal question is, “Has the light dawned upon me? Have I seen the light?” There is always that double edge. It is one thing to celebrate that the light is here, and it is another thing to wonder at the mystery of the dawning of that light on our deepest selves. It is not enough simply to affirm that the light has come; it is essential finally that I can say, “I have seen the light.” The Apostle Paul tells the story of Epiphany in his own way, out of his own experience. Had I read a Gospel lesson this morning, I think I would have read the first chapter of John, the prologue to John’s Gospel. The prologue to John’s Gospel might well be called the Christmas Epiphany passage, because in that passage John calls our attention or makes a connection between creation and the coming of the light in Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by him and apart from him was not anything made that was made.” That light was coming into the world, and John affirms in the fifth verse of that first chapter, that that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not comprehended it. So John connects the coming of light with the creation story. © Grand Valley State University   �Light of the World Richard A. Rhem Page 2   In Time Magazine last week, on the 28th of December, the cover asked the question, “What Can Science Tell Us About God?” The cover story dealt with that question from the aspect of the physicist who probes deep cosmological secrets. It’s an interesting article. It’s the kind of thing that Time usually does at the end of the year, maybe at Christmas and Easter, tipping their hat to the spiritual realities of the world. But, in that article, it recounts the fact that centuries ago there was an Islamic scholar who spoke about the fact that the darkness would have been just preceding the brilliance of light, and that all of reality would have been contained in a mere speck prior to the creation. In the New York Times this past week there was an article about some further confirmation of the “big bang” theory, that all of reality - the whole cosmos, the whole vast expanse of the cosmos – was at one time just a knot of energy tightly compacted, and that the “big bang” was the explosion, that nuclear-type explosion that created the cosmic reality that continues to this day to be expanding. There was some further verification for that theory, which I have to admit, goes over my head. But at the end of it all, the authors of the article say that agnosticism is still a pretty good scientific position to take, but atheism may not be as valid as once it might have been. One hundred years ago with the onrush of the natural sciences, it seemed as though God was just going to be moved off the map, or off the globe. But after a hundred years of intense scientific inquiry, there are some very profound scientists today who would say, “You know, there is a curtain there and if you haven’t been able to look behind the curtain, then it’s rather presumptuous to say that no one is home.” Well, the creation in this description is so complex; it is such a mystery that it challenges the best minds and causes them to stand in awe of the complexity of life from its molecular structure to its very complex arrangements. The creator hasn’t really been ruled “out of court” yet in terms of the best of science that’s out there. The creation of light. There is even an article in the New York Times this week about the discovery of a huge invisible mass that they have been looking for, a mass that would indicate - which would give some confirmation to – the theory of the “big bang” as the way it all began. One scientist read the read-out from a computer and said, “Well, if you are a religious type you might say you are looking at God.” How did it happen? Who knows? But, if there is something to that “big bang” theory, then, with the coming into being of all of this cosmic matter, there would have also been the explosion of light. We know now from our probe into outer space that it is cold and dark there but, in that moment of creation, poetically the Genesis writer says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’” There must have been light, blinding light, if that “big bang” has any credibility about it. And that light, the light at the beginning of the natural world, is for John and for Paul, an analogy of that Light that explodes within the mind and heart of the human person who comes to see the brightness of God in the face of Jesus © Grand Valley State University �Light of the World Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Christ. That is what Epiphany is all about. It is the celebration, the dancing before the Light that has come into the world. The good news is that the Light has come into the world. Just as surely as the natural light was indicated when God said, “Let there be light,” just so surely in the face of Jesus Christ – so says John, so says Paul, so did they witness and testify – there is now light to enlighten our human experience, our human lives. Light in the natural realm, but also light in the personal realm through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul says, “To look into the face of Jesus is to look into the heart of God.” I like that passage. I think it says it beautifully, brilliantly: that in the contours of the life and ministry of Jesus we see into the depths of the nature of God. And when Paul speaks about this light, he is, of course, telling his own story. We read that story in the book of Acts. Paul, a Jew, serious and devout, committed to the way of Israel, cognizant of the threat that was placed before temple and law in the ministry of Jesus, set about to exterminate the Followers of the Way. He tells us that it was about noonday, somewhere on the way to Damascus, that he had a vision - saw a bright light - was thrown to the ground, blinded. For Paul it was that dramatic and that vivid. For Paul indeed it was like that initial atomic explosion at the creation. It was a blinding flash, and he was blinded and, led on into the city, he prayed, and finally one was sent to him and we read it was as though the scales fell off his eyes. That’s the way it is. The blinding flash of physical light that blinds one is analogous to the blinding flash of insight into the truth. Paul’s experience was that out of which he spoke and out of which he ministered for the rest of his life. The light had dawned upon him, for you see there is a double aspect that we must reckon with in Epiphany. On the one hand, the light shines and Jesus is the light of the world, and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will never overcome it. But the other side of the coin, the completion of the circle, only comes when one says, “I have seen the light.” Paul could say the Light has come, and I was blinded by the light, the light shining in the world, and suddenly I saw the Light. It is interesting when you think about that, because it wasn’t as though he was some pagan, a reckless, careless, unspiritual individual, of which the world is full, of course. That wasn’t the case with Paul. It wasn’t the case with Paul that he was following some false God. He was following the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of covenant grace, the God of David and Moses. He was the son of Israel. But suddenly the Light struck him and everything changed. His world got turned upside down and redirected. Strange how that happens isn’t it? In the context of the passage in Corinthians, he is defending his ministry. He often falls under attack, and has to give an account of himself. He is doing that in this letter, and, in the course of saying, “I have carried on an authentic ministry, an honest ministry. I set forth the truth before the common conscience of my fellow men and before the face of God,” he hears the objectors say, “But not all believe.” And that is a mystery isn’t it? It is a mystery that you could be sitting here this © Grand Valley State University �Light of the World Richard A. Rhem Page 4   morning and the one next to you believing fervently and you in all honesty having more questions than certainties. Paul tries to explain that. I am not very satisfied with his explanation. He says, “Well, to be sure not everybody believes, but if one doesn’t believe it is because they are blinded by the god of this world.” Well, I don’t know, Paul. From a preacher’s point of view, that gets me off the hook a bit. In other words, if I make sense to you and the Light dawns, it’s because there is a connection here, but if nothing happens then the failure must be that Satan has blinded your heart, your mind. That whole conception of the universe peopled with spirits of darkness is a little strange, frankly. I don’t think of my world that way, do you? Maybe I’m naive, but I am not as ready as Paul was simply to explain the one that believes as opposed to the one who doesn’t believe in terms of devils going about blinding people. Our Reformation forbearers tried to explain the phenomena of belief and unbelief in terms of God’s predestinating, electing grace. That ought to send chills up and down your spine. I don’t believe that either. Thank God. Double predestination: the fact that somehow, in the mystery of God’s counsel, you are chosen, you are damned. Poof! You know our forefathers and foremothers believed that? That you didn’t really have a chance. If you were elected you had had it. And if you weren’t, you had really had it. That was, frankly, a theological scheme by which to explain why one believes and one doesn’t. How would you explain it? Here two people sit. One believes. One doesn’t. They hear the same stuff. They eat the same meals. They watch the same television. They go out into the same world. One has faith. One doesn’t. How would you explain it? Because you see, it is one thing to say that the Light has come into the world. That is our Christmas gospel; that is what we celebrate. The Light shines in the darkness, but have I seen the Light? Well, I like to think that maybe it’s not so much explained by little spirits of darkness pulling curtains over hearts, and I certainly don’t think that somewhere in eternity God decided to choose you and leave me out. I think it has a lot to do with our human experience, don’t you? Some people in the midst of their human experience are so broken and scarred that it seems almost impossible for them ever to trust. Some people never having been loved find it impossible to love. Some people never having experienced the embrace of forgiveness find it impossible to forgive. Some faith has been shattered on the shoals of human suffering. Some faith has been ignited in the midst of suffering. Suffering doesn’t necessarily turn you one way or the other, but it can still turn you. I could give you instances of those who suffered deeply and came out with strong faith. The Psalmist said in retrospect, “It was good for me that I was afflicted.” But I could show you other people who suffered deeply, who are cynical and full of despair, and for whom the ongoing religious life is hollow and empty. Human experience has a lot to do with it. © Grand Valley State University �Light of the World Richard A. Rhem Page 5   I like the way we are nurturing our children at Christ Community. In this season of the year they are being taught to cultivate “Epiphany Eyes.” Because it is not only Epiphany, the manifestation, the revelation, the turning on of the light, but it is the eyes to see and behold. It is to create within us that expectation that we will be apprehended by the Light and we will have the Light dawn upon us, that we will see the Light. The cultivation of an expectation creates within us a readiness and an openness for it. I think it is good also to remember as we wonder about these things - why one believes and why one doesn’t, or why there was one time when your experience was warm and enriching and now it seems rather distant and cold - that the Light shines and Epiphany happens not simply once. There may for some be the dramatic turn-around of an Apostle Paul, but for most of us, here and there, a ray breaks through in a deeply moving experience, times when suddenly we feel, as Wesley expressed it, “How our hearts strangely warmed.” Oh, it’s a mystery. I wish I knew how to throw the switch. I wish I knew how to trigger it for you. I can do no more than Paul advised. Giving up all kinds of manipulation and any distortion of the word of God, simply commending the truth before the common conscience. Before the common conscience of humankind and before the face of God, to set forth this story that the Light has come into the world - that in the face of Jesus we see into the nature of God and that can be trusted. And some Sundays you walk out of here and say, “That really got through to me.” And some Sundays you walk out and say, “Could have better gone to brunch.” And sometimes it’s me. But, as often, it’s you. What you bring. What you anticipate. What you are looking for, and what you need. Oh, I wish I could take all of you on occasion and shake you, take you by the nape of the neck and say, “Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you questing? Where are you? What are you doing? Where are you going? Are you doing more than just going through motions? Is your faith, your devotion, more than just hollow ceremony and empty form? Is there some passion? Have you been touched? Has the fire burned brightly lately? The Light has come. The Light has come. The Light shines in the world. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” And in the face we see to the heart of God. But the face of Jesus isn’t available for you. Where finally then in your human experience will you find the Light shining? Well, I suppose, to drag out an old saw: If I can’t see it in Jesus’ face any more, then you are the only face I have in which can be mirrored the face of Jesus, that is a mirror of the heart of God. It’s a Mystery all right! And we do make a mystery of it I suppose. We carry on our theological discussions and we split our doctrinal hairs. I suppose, finally when I look into your face and know I am accepted, finally when I feel your arms around me and know I am loved, finally when I look into your eyes and know I am forgiven, finally when you touch me, the Word becomes flesh, and then it is not the objective reality alone that Jesus is the Light of the world. Then it is that Light that floods my soul. It is in the encounter one with the other that Epiphany © Grand Valley State University �Light of the World Richard A. Rhem Page 6   happens today in the ongoing community of those who stem back to the Word made flesh, the Word who was the explosion of Light revealing the One who in the beginning called forth an explosion full of light. The Light has dawned upon us. Thank God. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany I Scripture Text II Corinthians 4:6 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19930110 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1993-01-10 Title A name given to the resource Light of the World Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 10, 1993 entitled "Light of the World", on the occasion of Epiphany I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 4:6. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Creation Divine Mystery Face of Jesus Insight Light Nature of God Transformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/73bcbcff0c694e4a78d76b3685075f55.mp3 ea0ace3691c9cc1427f1a05b10d188ea https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7a10edce973ae95b1a87853834f0bf3c.pdf 2ae4a2b011edb36d54983b4229ea6326 PDF Text Text How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Text: Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:32, 34-35 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Epiphany, January 18, 1987 Transcription of the spoken sermon …I will make you a light to the nations, to be my salvation to earth’s fartherest bounds. Isaiah 49:6 …a light that will be a revelation to the heathen… Luke 2:32 …This child is destined to be a sign which men reject…many in Israel will stand or fall because of him…the secret thoughts of many will be laid bare. Luke 2:3435 How do you respond when Truth dawns upon you? That is the question posed by the title of the message. The question needs some explaining. "When Truth dawns upon you," already says something about my understanding of how we come to a knowledge of Truth – insight into the deepest levels of Truth, the Truth about our identity and destiny, about the world and history, about God as a "given." It is given in a moment of unveiling when Truth shows itself. The deepest Truth is Truth of revelation. This is not to disparage or denigrate patient experimentation, exploration and research; it is only to affirm that the secret of deepest mysteries of life, of the world and God are not at the conclusion of a mathematical computation nor a logical syllogism; rather, in a flash of insight, the Truth shows itself. Thus, I ask about Truth dawning. I ask also about response to Truth; how do we respond to the Truth that shows itself, manifests itself? Do we yield to it, allowing ourselves to be changed by it? Do we resist it? Deny it? Close ourselves against it? The question arises in this season of Epiphany. God is manifest in our world; we have seen the light of revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. © Grand Valley State University   �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   The Prophet understood that God would bring the light of truth to the world. He understood that Israel had been the "place" of revelation and also that it was Israel's role to be the Servant of the Lord to bring light to the nations. The universalism present already in the call of Abraham would be effected – through the Servant of the Lord – Israel and, specifically, one who would arise from Israel. Reflect for a moment. Advent - Coming. The Lord's coming. The Prophet sensed the Kingdom was dawning in the release of the Exiles. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people. You who bring Zion good news, up with you to the mountaintop; …cry to the cities of Judah, your God is here. Last week we heard that beautiful word from Isaiah 42: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. …He will not break a bruised reed, or snuff out a smouldering wick…I have formed you, and appointed you to be a light to all peoples, a beacon for the nations… The Old Testament Lesson repeats the Servant's calling — I will make you a light to the nations, to be my salvation to earth’s fartherest bound. Israel lived in expectation of One who would come, who would bring salvation to the nation and to the nations. Christmas - the birth of the Promised One - a Saviour; good news of a great joy to all people. The Light shines in the darkness for the Word becomes flesh, full of grace and Truth. Epiphany - unveiling, manifestation, revelation; Light has come into the world. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world." Now, the question is how will we respond? The Gospels tell us that the presence of the Light elicits a double reaction: some receive the light with joy and find salvation; some resist the light and miss God's gracious gift. Already in the Nativity stories we are forewarned that the response to this child will be mixed. Matthew recorded that as we saw last week; the wise men stopped at Herod's Court to inquire where the child was born whose star they had seen. Herod's © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   response was not joy that the Earth had received the gift of a child who would be a King. Rather, he searched for the child to destroy it and, failing to find it, slaughtered all male children two years old and under. Hostility already at the beginning! The Wise Men worshiped; Herod murdered. Luke gives us a shadow of foreboding at the beginning, as well. Old Simeon, a devout and trusting servant of God, was waiting for that dramatic movement through which God would redeem His people and bring light to the world. As the child was brought to the Temple, the Spirit nudged old Simeon. He took the child in his arms and uttered those familiar and beautiful words. Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace … for mine eyes have seen thy salvation … a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel. A beautiful response, indeed. Simeon had prayed and waited and one day, holding the child, the truth dawned on him. He embraced the child and embraced the Truth. But Simeon had more to say; he went on to say, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against … that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. A sign spoken against, a sign of contradiction. This child would elicit a double response: some would fall, some rise. Epiphany is a season that reminds us that God is manifest in the world -that He came to us in Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrated so recently and whose passion and death we will be all too soon remembering. Epiphany is a bridge period in which we recognize the presence in our world of Truth and light and move from the joyful celebration of its dawning to the awful remembrance when we did our best to douse the light by killing the one in whom it dawned. It is that sobering reality that we confront in this message. We are always placed before the choice to walk in the light or to choose the darkness. I have a book on my desk entitled, Jesus, Inspiring and Disturbing Presence. We have been celebrating the inspiring side of the equation, the joy, the hope, the love that came to us in Jesus. But, there is the other side – the call to decision, the call to repentance, the call to die to self and follow Jesus in the life of service and sacrifice. © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Jesus is not an interesting figure of the past; he is very much the present, living Lord. In the Atlantic Monthly of December, 1986, there is a lengthy essay entitled, "Who Do Men Say That I Am?" It is a superb summary of the understanding of Jesus through the centuries. David Tracy, theologian at the University of Chicago, is quoted as saying that more has been written about Jesus in the last twenty years than in the previous two thousand. "Jesus is very much a figure of discussion and controversy in our present world and the followers of Jesus to the extent that they are true to what came to expression in him will be at the center of controversy in the world." He is absolutely right. Our world is not through with Jesus. It is very easy for us to slip into a mode of thinking that Jesus is a figure of the past. Christmas with all of the beautiful pageantry, and all the sentimentality that arises in our hearts, sometimes veils from our eyes the reality of the living Jesus, the living Lord in our world today. And, as a matter of fact, Jesus Christ continues to be the linchpin of history, and the very center of our world. John said of him, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never overcome it.” But the darkness has never ceased trying to overcome it. Matthew tipped us off in the very beginning, just like Luke. He told about the worship of the Magi. And in that he saw the coming of the Gentiles to the light of Christ, but in the course of that narrative, he recorded the stop in Herod’s Court, and Herod’s fear and paranoia and Herod’s slaughter of the innocent children. In an effort to wipe out this child whose birth was announced with a star. So, at the very beginning of the gospel, there were already foreshadowings of that which is to come. We are warned by both Matthew and Luke in the very nativity stories that this child will be a source of contradiction in the world: that there is something in Jesus that will cut against the grain of this world, that there is something in Jesus that will encounter us and confront us and judge us, that there is something in Jesus that will call us to die in order to be made new and to follow him as his disciple. It is not all sweetness and light! There is violence, there is darkness, there is the hostility against the light already in the gospel narrative of his birth. And so I ask you this morning, on this second Sunday of Epiphany, the light that shines in our world: How do you respond when truth dawns upon you? What difference does it make in your life that Jesus has come? What difference does it make in your living, that you claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? How are you different? What decisions do you make and what transformation has occurred because you follow Jesus? That’s the question of Epiphany. For it is one thing to celebrate the presence of the Light and it is another thing to ask ourselves how seriously we walk in the Light. Our world is not done with Jesus Christ. And, as those who claim him as Savior and have pledged to follow him as Lord, let me ask you. How do you respond when light dawns on you? Well, let me ask it this way. When is the last time you © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   had a new thought? When is the last time you found yourself confronted with an insight that challenged a long-held conviction? How long has it been since in the presence of Jesus Christ or contemplating who he is and what his word says, that you have changed an opinion, that you have altered an attitude, that you have found your lifestyle modified by the fact that the light has dawned upon us? Our world is not yet done with Jesus Christ. And it is one thing to believe in Him; it is another to follow Him! It is one thing to have a kind of intellectual assent to the fact that he lived and died and maybe rose again. It is another thing to have him be the pattern of our living and to pattern our living in the light of who he was and what he calls us to be. Our world is not yet done with Jesus Christ. He is still the center and he is still full of controversy and he is still full of contradiction. If we have not found our lives contradicted by Jesus, we can be sure that we have not heard the gospel. We have a way in this twentieth century, in this affluent America, in this Christian church, we have a way of domesticating the gospel, of taking the sharpness off the corners, and of trivializing the message. We forget the radicality of the things that Jesus stood for. It is not easy to be a twentieth-century American and to follow Jesus. Much easier, I believe, to have been a peasant in Palestine, much easier to follow Jesus if one is disinvested, disenfranchised, if one is oppressed, if one has no vested interest in anything, if one has no place to go but up. Then it is not hard to forsake everything and follow Jesus. But how does one follow Jesus when one is a member of western civilization, of American culture, of the most affluent society the world has ever known? The most educated, the most sophisticated, the most resourceful, technically and scientifically most advanced? What does one do in a society like this when one is called to follow Jesus? What does one do when one is confronted by Jesus and contradicted by Jesus, when that contradiction and confrontation run against the grain of everything that is American value, that is western value, that is Christian value. The moment there is a nation, it becomes institutional. The moment there’s a church, it becomes institutional. The moment there is any kind of structuring in society, we get institutionalization and as soon as there is institutionalization we all have our vested interests and in maintaining the status quo. It’s true of our government. And we ought not be too hard on our leaders. They are people just like us. And what are they trying to do? They’re trying to do the same thing that Herod was trying to do. In the Pentagon and the Reagan Administration: messing around with Iran and Iraq, meddling around in South America, fiddling around in South Africa – what are we trying to do? We are trying to maintain the balance of power; we are trying to preserve the edge of power; we are trying to preserve the place of preeminence. And after all, isn’t that why we elect our officials: in order to keep the American way of life, in order to keep the economy booming, in order to keep the military strong enough so that we’ll be invulnerable to attack? What do we expect of our leaders if not that? Do we not charge our President with the necessity of enforcing the Constitution? © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 6   And it’s not only in the state; it’s in the church as well. As soon as the church becomes an institution, then we are more concerned about the perpetuation and the preservation of the institution than we are the questions of truth or obedience. And that comes right down to the local level and comes right down to the local congregation and it comes right down to Christ Community Church. And do we make our response in terms of what is a responsible obedience to following Jesus or do we make our decision in terms of what is good and enhancing for the institution? And it comes, of course, right down into our personal lives. Not so much what we believe, but the extent to which our belief alters the way we live. There is a structure of belief which we all have and profess and then there is an operational level of belief – that upon which we function. And we function most of the time in terms of self-interest, in terms of vested interest. In terms of our own wellbeing and our own welfare. And that’s human and that’s natural, but every once in a while we need to step back and say, Jesus: sign of contradiction. Jesus: sign spoken against. Jesus, what does it mean to follow you today in America in 1987, in Grand Haven in Spring Lake, in comfortable western Michigan, where nature smiles for seven miles. What does it mean, Jesus, what difference does it make because I belong to you? In all of my relationships, all of my business, all of my pleasure, light has dawned upon the world. How do we respond to the fact that Light has dawned? The world is not done with Jesus. More has been written in the last 20 years than in the previous 2000. Jesus is still very much living Lord and he proclaimed a kingdom and has a salvation to bring to earth’s fartherest bounds. The church is not to be some little backwater ghetto. It is not simply to be a cozy little community of people who are weak and who still need God in order to get by. The church is that revolutionary group gathered around that revolutionary person whose radicality in the midst of human society got him crucified. Tomorrow Martin Luther King’s birthday was celebrated. I repent that while he was leading the civil rights movement, I did not pray for him. I think I was rather irritated by him. When he spoke out against the VietnamWar, when it was unpatriotic to do so, I’m sorry I was not prophetic enough to understand and to lend my voice. And when I read his sermons and speeches I know that they were inspired by Jesus, who was always against the oppressor and always to set the oppressed free. Last year the Catholic bishops came out with a paper on nuclear disarmament. You may agree or you may disagree with their conclusions, if you follow Jesus, you can not question that church leaders – all Christians – have an imperative to address themselves to an issue which has brought the whole human race, for which God intends salvation, into jeopardy. This year the bishops come out with a paper on economic policy. You may think they’re wild; you may think they’re in left field; you may question their conclusions, but you may not question that the church of Jesus Christ and those who lead in Jesus’ name have a right and a responsibility to address the economy in order to ensure that there is some measure of justice in this world. Jesus was revolutionary – not in terms of the zealots who wanted © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 7   simply to throw off the Roman yoke, and who would have come in with their own regime which would have been just as oppressive – but Jesus was revolutionary in that he stood against everything that seems to drive the human spirit. Jesus was the one who said if you want to live then you must die. Jesus was the one who said love your enemies, pray for your enemies, pray for those who despitefully use you. Funny man, funny man! Strange person! He is like a knot that will not be dissolved in the middle of the human family. And those who follow him may not be simply a comfortable community who use God for their own tranquility. Those who follow Jesus are called to be a community of people who are as radical and as revolutionary, who can never adopt any political platform, who can never be at ease with any creed or confession, who can never give absolute loyalty to any state or to any church because they are a people who will give ultimate allegiance to God alone, following Jesus. No matter what the price. Can you remember the last time in the presence of Jesus you ever changed your mind? Has a prejudice ever melted away? Has an opinion ever been altered? Has a conviction ever been changed because you held it up in the light of his face and felt judged and repented and experienced the liberation, the freedom that is the consequence of the Truth? I’m afraid for most of us our religion is a cultural matter. For most of us God is one to be used and religion is for comfort. I have a book on my desk that says, Jesus: Inspiring and Disturbing Presence. Oh, inspiring to be sure, inspiring to be sure – and disturbing. Because to follow him, to be faced with a decision and to ask what would Jesus do, is a very radical thing to do. I don’t do it very well. I repent and pray that I may follow him. Let us pray. Lord Jesus you said you came into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through you might be saved. Then the gospel record goes on to say that this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light. God forgive us. And enable us by your grace to rise up and follow the light where ever it may lead, following in the master’s steps, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we pray. Amen. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany II Scripture Text Isaiah 49:6, Luke 2:32, 34-35 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19870118 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987-01-18 Title A name given to the resource How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns On You? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 18, 1987 entitled "How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns On You?", on the occasion of Epiphany II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 49:6, Luke 2:32, 34-35. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Epiphany Followers of Jesus Light Radical Truth of Jesus Revelation Servant of the Lord Universal Grace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1457f7f572c90827a5783eef3d2c4407.mp3 f9cf3a39871b1f101155fe4f0c81bb44 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9259f1630daf2d1881bd95005839e647.pdf f1dadf7ecec7f9251fe4c1954f69bb8f PDF Text Text His Light, Our Life Text: John 1: 4-5, 9; Isaiah 9: 2 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Christmastide II, January 5, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon All that came to be was alive with His life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never mastered it…. The real light which enlightens every man was even then coming into the world. John 1: 4-5, 9 The prophet, announcing the birth of a child destined to be a Deliverer of his people, a foreshadowing of the Child the Deliverer, cried out, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light: Light has dawned upon them, dwellers in a land as dark as death. Isaiah 9: 2 The world has always known darkness, darkness that describes the tragedy and disaster that seems in every age to be present, a people living under the shadow of death. There is always enough darkness to go around. People cannot find their way; nations threaten, posture, and maneuver. One-upmanship is common in interpersonal relations. Anxious people, driven people, ruthless people, restless people. The world certainly knows enough darkness to go around. The newspapers and news magazines are full of the chronicle of the world's darkness. It is darkness that makes for news and we are bombarded with it daily— on the hour—even in continual stream from the news networks. Terrorism is the darkening shadow over our world. Ironically, it would seem that the super powers are at a standoff; we've looked at the horror of a nuclear winter and realized a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought, to use our President’s words. But what will we do with Khadafy? What if it is proven that it was Libyan agents that engineered the brutal murders at Rome and Vienna? Saudi Arabia has warned against military retaliation, claiming it will only escalate the round of terrorist activity and, I must say, I think they are right. © Grand Valley State University   �His Light, Our Life Richard A. Rhem Page 2   A Jew once said, "They that live by the sword shall die by the sword," but Israel has determined she will live by the sword and we stand in admonition of her ability to retaliate. But does that stop terrorism? Does it not only move it up a notch? Where will it end? Last evening’s news showed the most recent graduates of a splinter PLO group for whom Arafat is not militant enough. Their training complete in the Syrian mountains, they are ready to die for the cause of Palestinian liberation; their commitment is total, their fanatical zeal frightening. Khadafy says if we strike Libya he will bring the war to the streets of Middle America. And, of course, he will. Darkness. There is always enough personal darkness to go around, as well. Tension, betrayal, brokenness, grief—pain of a deeply personal nature is carried about by so many. Few of us escape deep wounds; most of us inflict deep hurt along the way. Darkness. This is the twelfth day of Christmas. This evening is called Twelfth Night. In some places gifts will be exchanged. Tomorrow is the day of Epiphany. The word means “manifestation.” The sign is a star; the central motif is "Light". Epiphany follows hard on Christmas because Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation—The Word became flesh—and the Word in flesh was Light to the World. The prophet announced the birth of a boy who would be a King and Deliverer. A ray of light scattered Israel's darkness. The Psalmist sang of the Lord, His Light and His salvation in the midst of life's severe testings. Light is a major theme of John's Gospel. Darkness shrouds, hides, mystifies, provides a cover for all manner of evil. Light reveals, clarifies, opens up, illuminates. Some years ago while traveling in California we were driving to Yosemite National Park where we had reservations for the night. Being unfamiliar with the territory and trying to do too many things along the way, night came and darkness fell before we reached our destination. Road signs were few. I thought I was going in the right direction but I was uncertain. It was very dark and totally unfamiliar; I proceeded with all the anxiety that accompanies such uncertainty. We twisted and turned and traveled on, seeming to be descending. And we were. Although I did not know it, we were descending into a cavernous canyon with walls of sheer rock. © Grand Valley State University �His Light, Our Life Richard A. Rhem Page 3   I had never before "felt" the darkness. It was almost tangible. Finally we came on a light, a sign, and we arrived at the lodge. But where we were or what the environment was, I had no idea except that it was the blackest darkness I had ever known. In the morning I stepped out of the room to see where in the world I was and it was a startling moment, for I stepped out in dazzling sunlight and found I was in a very deep canyon. Behind the lodge was a wall of sheer rock towering skyward. And falling from its height was a magnificent waterfall. The whole world was transformed by the rising sun, the coming of the Light. The darkness was dissipated; no more was there a sense of foreboding. Everything was transformed; the light had come. Epiphany is the celebration of the Light that came into the world at Christmas. The Word was made flesh and the flesh was the person of Jesus who said, "I am the Light of the world". John's Gospel uses certain ideas with which to tell the story of Jesus. Two words used in close cooperation are light and life. The prologue to the Gospel (verses 118) is a magnificent portrayal of God's movement out of eternity creating the cosmos, our time and space, and then moving into that very time and space to claim creation as her own. The themes with which John will build his Gospel find expression in this opening section and here we find his claim that the Word was life and that life was the Light of humankind. Listen: All that came to be was alive with His life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never mastered it….The real light which enlightens every man was even then coming into the world. John 1: 4-5, 9 Beginning before creation, portraying creation as the cosmic framework for the revelation of Himself, building to the climactic statement of verse 14, "The Word became flesh", we have the deepest truths of God, the cosmos and the human family revealed. What an amazing story is here unfolded; here we have the miracle and mystery of Christmas and Epiphany conjoined. Here we are told that God is the source of the world's life and that in the revelation of Himself we have light. In the climactic statement of 1:14, "The World became flesh", or, as we might more simply state it "The Word became a human person" we have an amazing declaration. We are told that the mind and heart and deepest being of God came to expression in the humanity of Jesus. The first movement from the depths of God's being out of the depth of eternity was the movement of creation. John's claim is that what came to expression in Jesus, in the beginning, had come to expression in creation itself. God's Word—His mind, creative intention, will and © Grand Valley State University �His Light, Our Life Richard A. Rhem Page 4   loving nature was expressing itself in the creation of the world. We cannot miss this for John begins as Genesis begins: In the beginning… God is manifesting Himself in the creation of the world. God is manifesting Himself most fully and completely in the creation of Jesus—In Jesus what comes to expression in the fullest expression of God's intention in creation. In the film, "The Creation of the Universe" run recently on public television, the most eminent scientists of the world, some studying the cosmos through radio telescopes and some studying the intricacies of the nuclei of the atom, spoke of the quest for the one unifying formula or concept that lies at the mystery of the structure of all reality. They declared that when discovered it will be both profoundly beautiful and profoundly simple. A spark of energy, smaller than an atom, we are told, exploded into the Big Bang and the whole expanding cosmic drama continues as its unfolding. Those standing on the threshold of reality's secrets evidence an appropriate awe before the mystery and grandeur of the creation. Some seem open to spelling the heart of the mystery GOD. The God who in the beginning called all things into being was giving expression to His idea, His Word, His will. The Logos, the mind and heart and will of God, were expressing themselves in the creation of the cosmos. The inner Being of God was flowing out into the world. At the critical moment, in the fullness of time, the Inner Being, the Logos, the Word became flesh. The Word became a human person! That is the miracle of Christmas. God in human form; God within the structures of time and space; God in our history, one of us. Emmanuel. The creative movement of God in creating the cosmos moved even more dramatically in that the very Being of God now became incarnate in Jesus. Thus the amazing truth is that Seeing into the face of Jesus is seeing into the heart of God. This truth was expressed by the writer of the Hebrews: When in former times God spoke to our forefathers, he spoke in fragmentary and varied fashion through the prophets. But in this the final age he has spoken to us in the Son whom he has made heir to the whole universe, and through whom he created all orders of existence: the Son who is the effulgence of God’s splendor and the stamp of God’s very being. Hebrews 1: 1-3 The same theme is sounded here as in John's prologues. © Grand Valley State University �His Light, Our Life Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Paul wrote the following: The whole universe has been created through him and for him and He exists before everything, and all things are help together in him…. For in him the complete being of God, by God’s own choice, came to dwell. Colossians 1: 17-19 That is an amazing conception of things! Again the same theme is expressed. The God whose idea, reason, Word brought into being creation, now finds expression in Jesus, a human person. Again: Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all being comes, towards whom we move; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came to be, and we through him. I Corinthians 8: 6 And again in one of my favorite statements: For the same God who said, “out of darkness let light shine,” has caused his light to shine within us, to give the light of revelation – the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 5: 6 The One, True and Eternal God is the Creator, and is our Saviour! Out of the abyss of His Being flows creation's wonder, the human family in His image, and, Jesus, in whom His fullness dwells and in whom we see into the Father's heart. Light is the symbol of God's life giving, creative action. The light took the human form of Jesus, and, now here is the great, hopeful affirmation of the Gospel The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John loved to use words with a double meaning. The word "overcome" can also mean "comprehend". The text could be translated that way, meaning the world simply does not understand God's action. And that is true. At the darkest moment of human history, as He was being crucified, Jesus prayed: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." And they didn't. And we so often do not. And the terrorists do not. And the darkness reigns. But not completely; for the promise of the Gospel is—now translated "overcome"that the light shines on in the darkness and the darkness has not—nor ever will it—overcome the light. © Grand Valley State University �His Light, Our Life Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Child of God, the world is still full of darkness; but the light shines on, and will shine on until that day when all the earth and the whole cosmos will be ablaze with Light. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. He who believes in me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12) His life, our Light, now and forever. Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ! Amen. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Christmastide II Scripture Text John 1:4-5, 9, Isaiah 9:2 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19860105 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-01-05 Title A name given to the resource His Light, Our Life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 5, 1986 entitled "His Light, Our Life", on the occasion of Christmastide II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 1:4-5, 9, Isaiah 9:2. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Christmastide Creator Divine Intention Jesus Light Mystery