Pastor Dismer’s sermon from Sunday, Jan. 4:

“Today’s gospel lesson tells us that this new year we can be made new: We can have an extreme make-over as God’s spirit in us becomes a light for others.”

John 1:1-18

A blessed New Year to you all. As we begin this new year, do you see it as a new beginning, a starting over, a chance to make changes for the better?

Isn’t that what New Year’s resolutions are all about? I can’t imagine anyone resolving to over-eat this year, or drive too fast, or be grumpier. No, resolutions are usually about improving our health or fitness, our finances or relationships.

So much about our lives can be disappointing. We can’t seem to get it right – individually, as a nation, and as humanity in general. There are still wars and slavery, poverty and pain, corruption and confusion. We are disappointed by leaders, by events, and by circumstances, but also by our own behavior. Haven’t we all half-wished we could be selected for an extreme makeover – in more ways than one?

If this rings true for you, than our texts today will surely speak to your heart. Maybe, this year, the new year will remain new, as we are made new in Christ.

Our gospel text today is from the first 18 verses of John’s gospel. It is interesting to note that each of the gospels begin the story of Jesus at a different place. Mark begins his gospel with Jesus’ baptism as an adult, just before Jesus’ public ministry, and Mathew backs it up a bit to tell the story of John the Baptist, who preached that Jesus was coming, and was the one to baptize Jesus.

Luke goes back even further, beginning his gospel with Jesus’ birth. But here, in John’s gospel, the story begins just as the Bible begins, with Genesis, Chapter 1: “In the beginning” . . . the very beginning.

The writer of Genesis wrote: “In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth –with his word. Out of formless, empty darkness, GOD’S spirit hovered; and GOD’S word created. Let there be light, GOD said, and there was light.”

John’s gospel begins with the same words:

“In the beginning . . .” and then he amplifies, touching on the same themes found in Genesis 1.

In the beginning was the word – God’s creative word – and the word was with God and the word was God . . . through him all things were made (created) . . . In him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Here, John is saying, is a new beginning – a “start-over.” God’s word is present in a new form, as a human life – word made flesh, which would again bring God’s light to the darkness of this world.

What enormous comfort this text brings. What enormous hope. The Bible promises that in Christ there is a new creation. As we are in Christ, we are a new creation. We are made new. We get that extreme make-over. We get a start-over.

And this promise is not just for us at the beginning of a New Year, but at the beginning of every new day. Jesus in our lives is the light which overcomes our darkness; the light which shows us a way to live a new and different life.

Let me illustrate with a story.

Once, long ago, there was a monastery, where men who were called monks lived. These men had committed their lives to following God’s word. Their purpose was to be a light in their very dark world – which we know as the Middle Ages. They offered hospitality to all who came to their doors, and prayed for the world many times a day.

Nevertheless, they found it hard to be faithful to their purposes. At times they quarreled, sometimes they prayed absentmindedly. Over the years their numbers dwindles, and people came to stay and worship with them less and less often.

Then one day a rabbi, a Jewish rabbi, moved into the forest near the monastery. He built a hut in which to live, and was often seen walking through the woods, praying.

The monks found comfort in his presence.

One day the Abbot, the leader of the monks, went out into the woods to visit the Rabbi, who seemed to be waiting for him. They went into the Rabbi’s hut, and sat near an open Bible.

After a time the Rabbi said, “You are waiting for me to give you a teaching. I will do that, but what I say you may only repeat once, and then never say it again.”

The Abbot agreed, and the Rabbi said, “There is one among you who is the Messiah.”

The Abbot returned to the monastery and shared this teaching with the monks, and they questioned each other. Who could this be? Brother John? Brother Amos? The Abbot himself?

They never spoke of this teaching again, but each began to see his life in a new light. Each recognized that while he was not the Messiah, he was living in the presence of the Messiah. Not knowing which monk was the Messiah, he treated each with reverence and love.

Visitors who came to the monastery sensed a very special spirit was present, and spread the word. Soon more and more people wanted to come to this place where God’s spirit was so evident.

God’s word, spoken by the Rabbi, had brought light to a place struggling in darkness. And the word transformed the men. They were a new creation.

Today, God’s word to us is the same. In the darkness of our lives, in the darkness of these troubled times, we are invited to see that we always live in the presence of the Messiah. We enter the Messiah’s presence every time we encounter one another. If we recognize and honor the Messiah’s presence in each person, we will be made new.

We will be recreated more loving, more reverent, ever closer to what we are called to be: children of God bringing God’s light into the darkness of our world, people who are always inviting others into God’s presence.

This is the promise of our gospel text today: this new year we can be made new; we can have an extreme make-over. God’s spirit in us will become a light for others. God’s light will spread and the New Year, and we, will indeed be new. Amen.