Celebrating Light Amidst Darkness: A Palm Sunday Reflection

 

Summary

On this Palm Sunday, as we prepare for Easter, we reflect on the practice of celebration, even amidst the challenges and darkness that sometimes surround us. Our community in Davis has recently faced a tragic event, reminding us of the presence of sin and evil in the world. Yet, it is precisely in these moments that our faith and understanding of God's grand narrative become crucial. God created the world for flourishing and peace, but sin disrupts this intended harmony. However, the good news is that sin does not have the final say. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, we celebrate the light that shines in the darkness, a light that the darkness cannot overcome.

In the story of Elijah, we see a pattern of God's care and provision. After a significant victory, Elijah finds himself in despair, but God meets his physical and spiritual needs before giving him a new mission. This pattern teaches us the importance of addressing our physical and spiritual needs before taking on new tasks. Elijah's story also highlights the value of partnership in God's work, as God provides Elisha to support and continue the mission.

Celebration as a spiritual discipline involves attention, intention, and the act of celebrating itself. We must pay attention to God's work in our lives, be intentional in our actions, and embrace moments of joy and gratitude. The prayer of examine is a tool that helps us reflect on our day, recognize God's presence, and resolve to live with awareness and purpose. Rituals and traditions, whether big or small, provide structure and meaning to our celebrations.

As we approach Easter, we are reminded of the ultimate celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Baptism is a powerful symbol of this celebration, representing our new identity in Christ and our commitment to a life of following Him. It is an invitation to fully embrace the abundant life that God offers, a life of right relationships and mission with God in the restoration of all things. As we gather for communion, we celebrate the work of Jesus, His body broken and His blood poured out, enabling us to live in the light of His resurrection.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Power of Celebration Amidst Darkness: In times of tragedy and darkness, our faith in God's grand narrative becomes essential. We are reminded that sin and evil do not have the final word. Through Jesus' resurrection, we celebrate the light that shines in the darkness, a light that cannot be overcome. This celebration is not just an event but a reality that sustains us in confronting the world's darkness. [07:37]

2. God's Provision in Our Lows: Elijah's story teaches us the importance of addressing our physical and spiritual needs before taking on new tasks. God meets Elijah in his despair, providing for his needs and giving him a new mission. This pattern reminds us to prioritize our well-being and spiritual connection with God, allowing us to be effective in our calling. [14:15]

3. The Value of Partnership in God's Work: God provides Elisha to support Elijah, highlighting the importance of partnership in fulfilling God's mission. Elisha's commitment to the work, symbolized by burning his plows, demonstrates the significance of intentional actions in our spiritual journey. We are not alone in our mission; God provides partners to walk alongside us. [19:42]

4. Attention, Intention, and Celebration: Celebration as a spiritual discipline involves paying attention to God's work, being intentional in our actions, and embracing moments of joy. The prayer of examine helps us reflect on our day, recognize God's presence, and resolve to live with awareness and purpose. Rituals and traditions provide structure and meaning to our celebrations. [26:42]

5. Baptism as the Ultimate Celebration: Baptism symbolizes our new identity in Christ and our commitment to a life of following Him. It is an invitation to fully embrace the abundant life that God offers, a life of right relationships and mission with God in the restoration of all things. As we gather for communion, we celebrate the work of Jesus, His body broken and His blood poured out, enabling us to live in the light of His resurrection. [34:08]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:00] - The Challenge of Celebration Amidst Tragedy
- [04:30] - Trusting in God's Grand Narrative
- [07:37] - Prayer for Our City and Community
- [10:00] - The Story of Elijah
- [14:15] - God's Provision in Despair
- [17:00] - Elijah's New Mission
- [19:42] - The Role of Elisha
- [22:00] - The Importance of Partnership
- [24:30] - Practicing Celebration: Attention, Intention, Celebration
- [26:42] - The Prayer of Examine
- [29:19] - Rituals and Traditions
- [31:00] - Baptism: The Ultimate Celebration
- [34:08] - Communion: Celebrating Jesus' Work
- [36:00] - Invitation to Celebrate Together

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- 1 Kings 19:1-21: The story of Elijah's despair and God's provision.
- John 1:5: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

#### Observation Questions
1. What were the circumstances that led Elijah to feel despair in 1 Kings 19? How did God respond to Elijah's needs? [14:15]
2. How does the story of Elijah and Elisha illustrate the importance of partnership in God's work? [19:42]
3. What does John 1:5 mean when it says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it"? How does this relate to the sermon’s message about celebration amidst darkness? [07:37]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does God's provision for Elijah in 1 Kings 19 demonstrate the importance of addressing both physical and spiritual needs before taking on new tasks? [14:15]
2. How does the partnership between Elijah and Elisha serve as a model for us in our spiritual journeys and missions? What does this partnership teach us about the value of community and support? [19:42]
3. How can the practice of celebration, as described in the sermon, help us to confront and overcome the darkness in our lives and communities? [26:42]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent time of darkness or challenge in your life. How did your faith in God's grand narrative help you navigate that period? What role did celebration play, if any? [07:37]
2. Consider your current physical and spiritual needs. Are there areas where you need to prioritize self-care before taking on new responsibilities? How can you address these needs this week? [14:15]
3. Identify a person in your life who could be a partner in your spiritual journey. How can you intentionally cultivate this partnership to support each other in fulfilling God's mission? [19:42]
4. How can you incorporate the practice of the prayer of examine into your daily routine to help you pay attention to God's work in your life? What specific time of day would work best for you? [26:42]
5. Baptism is described as the ultimate celebration of our new identity in Christ. If you have been baptized, how can you continue to live out this commitment in your daily life? If you haven't, what steps can you take to explore this decision? [34:08]
6. Think of a small ritual or tradition you can start this week to intentionally celebrate God's work in your life. What will it be, and how will you ensure it becomes a meaningful part of your routine? [29:19]
7. As we approach Easter, how can you intentionally prepare your heart to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus? What specific actions or reflections will help you embrace this season of celebration? [34:08]

Devotional

Day 1: Celebrating Light in the Midst of Darkness
In times of tragedy and darkness, it is crucial to remember that sin and evil do not have the final word. Our faith in God's grand narrative becomes essential, as we are reminded of the light that shines in the darkness through Jesus' resurrection. This light is not just a fleeting event but a sustaining reality that empowers us to confront the world's darkness with hope and courage. By celebrating this light, we affirm our belief in a future where darkness is ultimately overcome. [07:37]

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a current challenge or dark situation in your life. How can you intentionally celebrate the light of Christ in this situation today?


Day 2: God's Provision in Our Lows
Elijah's story illustrates the importance of addressing our physical and spiritual needs before embarking on new tasks. After a significant victory, Elijah finds himself in despair, but God meets him in his low point, providing for his needs and giving him a new mission. This pattern serves as a reminder to prioritize our well-being and spiritual connection with God, enabling us to be effective in our calling. By recognizing God's provision in our lows, we can find strength and purpose to move forward. [14:15]

"And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, 'Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.'" (1 Kings 19:7, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel depleted. How can you allow God to meet your needs and restore you today?


Day 3: The Importance of Spiritual Partnerships
The story of Elijah and Elisha highlights the value of partnership in fulfilling God's mission. God provides Elisha to support Elijah, emphasizing that we are not alone in our spiritual journey. Elisha's commitment, symbolized by burning his plows, demonstrates the significance of intentional actions in our spiritual walk. By embracing partnerships, we can support and encourage one another in our shared mission. [19:42]

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a, ESV)

Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can partner with in your spiritual journey? How can you intentionally support each other this week?


Day 4: Practicing Celebration with Intention
Celebration as a spiritual discipline involves paying attention to God's work, being intentional in our actions, and embracing moments of joy. The prayer of examine is a tool that helps us reflect on our day, recognize God's presence, and resolve to live with awareness and purpose. Rituals and traditions provide structure and meaning to our celebrations, allowing us to cultivate a life of gratitude and joy. [26:42]

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one small ritual or tradition you can incorporate into your daily routine to intentionally celebrate God's work in your life?


Day 5: Baptism as a Symbol of New Life
Baptism symbolizes our new identity in Christ and our commitment to a life of following Him. It is an invitation to fully embrace the abundant life that God offers, characterized by right relationships and a mission with God in the restoration of all things. As we gather for communion, we celebrate the work of Jesus, His body broken and His blood poured out, enabling us to live in the light of His resurrection. [34:08]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your baptism or your commitment to Christ. How can you live out your new identity in Christ more fully today?

Quotes

It's good to be together this morning. As David said, today is Palm Sunday, and next Sunday is Easter. And today is also the last Sunday that we're wrapping up the practices conversation. And the practice that we're considering today is celebration. And it's great, yes. [00:00:04] (25 seconds)


Sin does not get the last word. And not only that, but he invites us into his work, right, into his work of restoring creation back to shalom. This is what we will celebrate. I mean, we celebrate this every Sunday when we gather here and when we come to the communion table, but especially next Sunday on Easter Sunday, we celebrate that through the work of Jesus, his death and his resurrection, we can trust the words of the writer John that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. No matter how dark it can feel, there is this truth, the truth that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it. [00:04:17] (47 seconds)


They train us for the ordinary and they transform our full selves, our whole self, heart, soul, mind and strength. We want to be transformed into people who love God and who love each other with everything that we have. [00:12:50] (20 seconds)


Life in the kingdom of right relationships. And so the practices help form us for this life, this abundant life that begins now and also runs into eternity. Now, again, we've been approaching the conversation through the story of Elijah. Elijah is one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. He did his prophetic work during a particularly dark moment in the story of Scripture. Israel had settled down into their land. They had become a kingdom. This is sometimes called the kingdom era. If you read through first and second Kings, first and second Chronicles, it's a pretty bleak era. All right. [00:13:19] (45 seconds)


And again, they lead the people into the worship of this false god Baal. And there's a moment in 1 Kings chapter 18 where Elijah dramatically confronts this evil. God comes through in this amazing and spectacular way. And it gets a lot of people mad at Elijah, particularly Queen Jezebel, who strikes back at him by threatening his life. And so Elijah, when we meet him in chapter 19, he's on the run and he's actually in this very low moment of despair. [00:14:34] (29 seconds)


Now, I do not think that this pattern is necessarily a formula or an answer to every situation in our lives, but I think there's a lot of wisdom to the order of operations here, meeting his physical needs, then the spiritual needs, then giving him a new assignment. [00:16:46] (18 seconds)


cultural conversation right in our in our moments and I think that's a really really good thing too often in in recent church history uh mental health challenges were basically seen as like well you just need to pray more right you just need to have more faith and the truth is that things like medication rest exercise therapy these are not less spiritual responses they are often necessary first steps in fact they might be the the primary thing that needs to happen in order so in order for us to then have that honest conversation with God in order for us to have the the spiritual interaction with God that we need to have meeting the physical need first so that we can then do the spiritual work just like in the story of Elijah it's important that we pay attention to some of these patterns now back to the story back to the story in the person of Elisha God meets one of Elijah's deepest needs if you remember Elijah's two big laments when he's having this honest conversation with God are people want to kill me and I'm all alone I'm just really bad place to be right people want to kill me and I'm all alone and so God meets this need by giving him Elisha I think it's important to note here that that Elisha is not necessarily meant to be Elijah's like BFF [00:17:45] (111 seconds)


And Elisha like immediately knows what this means, right? Like he understands what's going on here. This is an important thing. These kind of symbolic moments, these commemorative moments, what we would call it here at Discovery is an I see in you conversation or I see in you moment. Elijah is saying, hey, I see something in you. God has called me to invite you to be a part of this prophetic work, to call people in our nation back to right relationship with God and with each other. You are gonna, you're gonna do this with me. We're gonna do this together. [00:20:04] (33 seconds)


he's been through some stuff he's not gonna be hanging out with Elijah is not gonna be all warm fuzzy time right there's gonna be some tough love but there's definitely going to be love right underneath some of those layers here's just a little bit of free advice it's good to have a faithful curmudgeon in your life this is actually my goal in life it's to be a faithful curmudgeon now here's the other thing I think we also need to weigh actions as much as words in our interpretation of this scene Elisha yeah he goes back to his parents he has this kind of like hey wait I got to take care of a couple of things but look at what he does when he goes back he kills his oxen 12 of them which in that cultural moment was a lot Elisha actually was a privileged person to have those sorts of resources he kills all of the oxen and then he even burns the plowing equipment and so his words communicate I'm a little hesitant I got some business to take care of let me go say goodbye to my parents all that kind of stuff but his actions say I'm all in I have nothing to come back to let's go do this [00:21:59] (84 seconds)


And so to build a fun is spiritual culture at Discovery, in our neighborhood communities, in our homes, we need to practice, I think, three things. Attention, intention, and celebration. [00:25:44] (17 seconds)


It can be hard to celebrate what God is doing if we're not paying attention. Elisha is just doing his ordinary work, plowing his fields, and yet when this guy out of nowhere shows up and throws his jacket on him, he knows exactly what it means. I'm in the game. [00:26:42] (21 seconds)


attention intention and then celebration at some point you got to cut loose and go for it right celebrate the thing whatever it is and there's a lot of different ways to do this I want to kind of hone in on one particular thing though this morning as again today's Palm Sunday next week is Easter want to give one final call and challenge to baptism because for us baptism is kind of the ultimate celebration it is the Jesus follower equivalent of burning the plows it's saying this is who I am now I'm a follower of Jesus no turning back it's this full identification going into the water and coming back up it's this full identification with a new way of life in the abundant kingdom of God the old has gone the new has come I've gone down into the water another you you [00:31:33] (63 seconds)


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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
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