The Lesser Light

WELCOME TO TODAY'S WORSHIP SERVICE

July 12, 2009

The Lesser Light:

A Journey of Faith

Open your Bible

Light a candle

Opening Song

Faith of our Fathers

READINGS

From the Bible
Genesis 1:14, 15, 16, 17. And God said, “Let there be lights in the
expanse of the heavens to make a distinction between day and night; and
they will act as signals and will be used for seasons for both the days and
the years. And they will be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to shed light
on the earth,” and so it was done. And God made two great lights: the
greater light to rule by day and the smaller light to rule by night; and the
stars. And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens, to shed light on
the earth.

From Swedenborg

32 Love and faith are first called the great lights, then love is called the

greater light and faith the smaller light.

Now, goodwill and faith are two distinct things, yet they become one

in us and make us people of the church—they cause the church to exist

within us.

TC 336

MESSAGE

The Lesser Light: The Faith Journey

Paul Edgecomb, a fictional character created by Stephen King, was a prison guard in Louisiana in the 1930’s. He worked on death row, where he was with prisoners in the last part of their lives and during their death in the electric chair. He was a man who tried to live a decent life. Despite working in a rough environment with brutal people, he tried to treat everyone with respect – even the prisoners. He cared about his co-workers and their families, and loved his wife very much.

During the early part of the movie, The Green Mile, we see that Paul's major problem is his health. He suffers from an excruciatingly painful bladder infection. Despite, he comes to work every day and does his job.

Then a new prisoner is brought to death row; a huge black man named John Coffey. Coffey was found guilty of raping and killing two young girls. Despite the vicious nature of this crime, Coffey is quiet and gentle, and he and Paul develop a rapport.

One day, a new prisoner tries to escape, and Paul gets hurt in a scuffle. He is hit in his groin, and falls to the ground with intense pain. The other guards take another injured man to the infirmary, and Paul is left to guard. What follows below shows what hppens next: [watch to point 5 minutes and 25 seconds.]

Paul then sees Coffey perform another miracle. In this clip, a mean guard purposely steps on and kills mouse, who is pet to one of the prisoners. Watch up to minute #3:00

In this clip, we see how much Paul has changed through his relationship with John Coffey. Start at point #5:07, where he invites his co-workers to his house for lunch.

Clearly, Paul is quite different from the start of our story. Does he now have faith in Coffey?

What is faith?

What does Swedenborg say?

The progress of faith in those who are being created anew is as
follows. Initially such people are without any life, as no life exists in evil
or falsity, only in goodness and truth. Afterward they receive life from the
Lord through faith. The first form of faith to bring life is a memorized
thing—a matter of fact. The next is faith in the intellect—faith truly
understood. The last is faith in the heart, which is faith born of love, or
saving faith. SH #30

This approach is quite extraordinary in today's world. If you ask most people what their faith is, they will tell you what they believe. If you ask where the beliefs come from, they might say that it is from their family and church; their faith tradition.

Swedenborg would not consider this to be mature faith. Initially, one's faith is memorized; it is listing of facts. Next, it comes from the intellect; it is understood. Then it comes from love

If we look at Paul in the movie, we can guess that at the start of the movie, he might have attended a church that had a particular belief system, which he would claim as his own, by rote.

After seeing Coffey perform healing miracles, he understood faith very differently. His mind saw and experienced the miraculous.

Then, finally, he came to love and trust Coffey. That is true faith; from the heart.

TIME FOR A SONG
"The Unicorn Song"
Peter, Paul, and Mary

34 Love and faith can never be separated, because they make a single unit.

Faith without love is not faith at all. Paul might have had a faith tradition in his family. But if was something he learned by rote, then it was not true faith. They which he saw with his own eyes, and he whom he came to love with his heart, was faith.

[3] In fact, what else is faith but a partnership with God by means of
truths that shape our understanding and thought? What else is love but a
partnership with God through goodness that shapes our intentions and
desires? God’s connection to us is a spiritual connection that comes to an
earthly plane; our connection to God is an earthly connection that comes
from a spiritual plane.

The states of the faith of the new church are (1) a newborn faith, a
growing faith, a mature faith; (2) faith based on genuine truth, and
faith based on things that seem true; (3) faith based on memory, faith
based on reason, faith based on light; (4) earthly faith, spiritual faith,
heavenly faith; (5) faith based on life experiences, and faith based on
miracles; (6) faith that is free and faith that is coerced.

From what I have said just above it is clear that there are three things
that form faith in us: first, turning to the Lord; second, learning truths
from the Word; and third, living by those truths. #348

What do you call your faith? Is it a mature faith?
Is it based on what you have actually found to be true, or on what things seem like they might be true?
Is it something you memorized? Or something you grasp with your mind? Or do you own it in your heart?
Is it based on your own experiences in life, or on stories of miraculous events that you have heard from others?
Is it a faith freely chosen, or one that is coerced?
Is it an integral part of your relationship with God?
Do you live your life by your faith?

We'll be exploring these questions this month.

Next Sunday, the sermon will look in more depth at the faith journeys of those in the Green Mile. It will also give you an opportunity to look more deeply at faith in your own life.

CLOSING SONG
"Seeing is Believing"
sung by Elvis Presley

Extinguish your candles

And close the Bible.

Go forth; allowing your inner faith to glow brightly in the world.