In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     There's been a debate going on between a few of our members, about one of the great hymns of the Christian tradition, "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy". And the debate has to do with what is often the last line of the hymn, where it says, "If our love were but more simple, we should take him at his word, and our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of our Lord." The issue is whether our lives are ever, realistically, all sunshine, in the sweetness of our Lord. On the one hand, there are many musicians and editors who don't like that phrase, and so, many new hymnals have often changed the words to say, "our lives will be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord". On the other hand, I, being the traditional purist I am, prefer to keep the words as they were written by Frederick Faber, an Anglican priest turned Roman Catholic priest in England of the 1800's, who also wrote his most well-known and beloved hymn, "Faith of Our Fathers"-which contradicts the idea that Faber was a poor theologian and poet who didn't understand the difficulties of life-because together with his words, "all would be sunshine in the sweetness of the Lord", he also wrote, "Faith of our Fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, fire and sword." I, personally, would rather struggle with the phrase Faber wrote, rather than dismiss it altogether-even though there are, without a doubt, times in life when things do not seem to be "all sunshine in the sweetness of the Lord." And I have to admit, our gospel lesson presenting the experience of the man born blind, suggests anything but, a life that is all sweetness in the Lord.

     And that might not be readily apparent, as we first think about the encounter of Jesus, with the man born blind. Hey, the man was born blind! In Jewish religion at the time, that meant that someone had sinned, and that this man's blindness was punishment for either his sins, or his parent's. Jesus denies any such thing-and to show this man was not cursed by God, Jesus heals him. Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud, and spreads it on the man's eyes, and tells him to go wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. Which he did, and he came back, not blind, but seeing! And as we hear this miracle, we can't help but consider how this man's life must've changed-for the better! A whole life lived without sight, now turned around by Jesus' power. And sure, the long-range prospects looked good for this man, who now could see and enjoy life's colors and shapes and visual sensations. Was this man's life not, now, all sunshine in the sweetness of the Lord? Eventually. But now, it becomes a living hell. Who would've thought that something so wonderful as a blind man being miraculously given his sight, would've created such a stir, for him, for neighbors, for his family. Yes, the man washed his eyes and was able to see. But then, the neighbors heard about it, and gave him the third degree. The neighbors who had seen him before as a blind beggar, asked, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Then they asked how it was that his eyes were opened. And when he told them about Jesus, they were skeptical, because such things didn't normally happen, so they took the man to the religious leaders, to the Pharisees, who were likewise upset, and assumed that such a thing couldn't happen, by God, and must've happened by some other power. Since Jesus was a sinner who didn't observe the Sabbath, surely a sinner couldn't channel the power of God. But, not satisfied to harass the man who was healed, they went to his parents, and harassed them, about their son, born blind, but now able to see. And the parents, afraid they would be put out of the synagogue by the Pharisees, disavowed any knowledge of the situation, and sent the leaders back to their son, saying, "he's of age, ask him." So they went back to the man, and again, challenged him saying, "Give glory to God-what did this sinner do to you-how did a sinner open your eyes?" And again, the man simply testified to the fact that he had been blind, now he could see. And back and forth they went, with the religious leaders questioning and challenging, and the man, baffled, trying to answer as best he could. Surely, he wanted it to be over with-and maybe, a small part of him was thinking he would just as soon go back to the way things had been before-that maybe, being able to see wasn't worth it! Hard to believe, but being illuminated by the Light of Christ-being given sight, by Jesus the Light of the world, maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be! In this instance, truly, life in Christ, wasn't all sunshine and sweetness! This man got into a religious squabble with the powers-that-be that he didn't want, never intended, and would've gladly avoided, if he could. And in that sense, his experience leads us to ask, "does the Light of the world make my life easier, or more difficult?" "Does Jesus, who illumines me and enlightens me, give me only sunshine and sweetness-or does Jesus sometimes bring me trials and tribulation?"

     I was thinking about those questions, as I reflected on the work of Bishop Spring, who was with us last Sunday. Near 70 years old, a retired bishop of 14 years who might easily want to enjoy his latter years sitting at home in State College, Pennsylvania with his wife and grandchildren-yet instead, he has agreed to be the chair of the Steering Committee of the group called the Lutheran Coalition for Reform in the ELCA-a group that is working to bring our denomination-its bishops and pastors and people, back to the authority of the Word of God, back to the orthodox understanding that the true God is the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and back to the Holy Estate of Marriage as God has ordained it-as one man and one woman joining together to become one flesh. These are the goals that Bishop Spring, the Coalition for Reform are committed to-because they have had their eyes opened, by Jesus Christ, the Light of the world-and they cannot now close their eyes, or put on blinders, or try to ignore the false teachings rampant in Christianity today, hoping they will just go away. Once illumined, like the man born blind, surely no one would want to return to blindness-and yet, when your eyes are opened, you have to deal with what you see, as reality-and the opposition that sometimes comes, from walking in the Light of Christ. St. Paul writes in our Second Lesson, "for once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. So live as children of the Light-take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Sleeper, awake-and Christ will shine on you!" That is the call and the challenge to all of us who have had our eyes opened by Christ Jesus-that is the exhortation we hear this morning, "sleeper, awake, and Christ will give you light!" The exhortation to do what is right, even when it means resistance and persecution. The exhortation for youth and teenagers to make the right decisions, even when faced with peer pressure and the temptation to want to go along, to be accepted. The exhortation for parents to parent, from Christian values, and from a Christian foundation, even when it means parenting will get harder, and not easier. It is the exhortation for us to be salt and light in the world, trying to preserve and protect the poor and the down-heartened, rather than to blend in and try to get ahead, ourselves. It is the exhortation for us to look, and to see, the reality of our troubled world, that in so many ways has turned against God, rather than to simply close our eyes, and ignore the sin, the disobedience, the violence, and the filth that threatens to engulf us, and our households and our lives. We are called, not to be blind, as were the Pharisees, but to be illumined-to see what are the unfruitful works of darkness, so that living in the Light of Christ, we might ourselves, live as children of the Light-trying to find what is pleasing to the Lord, taking no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead, exposing them. We are, in so many ways, asleep-we do, in so many ways, have our eyes closed to the works of darkness around us, and we keep our eyes closed, because it's easier, and we can dream of lives being all sweetness in the sunshine of the Lord. But living as children of the Light, sometimes makes life more difficult, and more trying, not easier and more comfortable. But that's what we are called to. That's why Jesus opens our eyes, and gives us light. So that we will wake up, and have our eyes opened, and live as children of Light! That's why St. Paul shouts, "Sleeper, awake! Sleeper, open your eyes, and Christ will shine on you-to give you Light, to lead you on the way, to help you through, the challenges and the trials you will face, as you walk in the light, and try to do what is pleasing to the Lord." And though it will finally, ultimately be for us, all sunshine in the sweetness of the Lord-though that is the hope and promise of eternal life in Him-that's the glory of the life to come. For now, it is the cross. For now, it is the way of suffering and sacrifice. For now, we are called, not to sunshine and sweetness, but to confession, and commitment and conversion and confrontation. For now, we are called to proclaim the Light of the world, Jesus Christ, and to live, in the Light of the world-Jesus Christ. Sleepers, awake! And Christ will give you light!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.