Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Jesus went up to Jerusalem during the Festival of Booths, which took place during the early fall.  During the festival the people lived outside their homes in makeshift shelters - booths, and for seven days a libation ceremony took place.  Water taken from the pool of Siloam was poured out over the Temple steps.  In the evenings a lighting ceremony took place when special menorah were lit. 

The festival reminded the people of God's provision during their wilderness wandering.  It was also a time when the people sought from God the gift of rain for the coming season and when they looked ahead to the promised pouring out of God's Spirit on all flesh that had been prophesied through the prophets. 

On the eighth day of the feast, when no libation was poured out and no candles lit, Jesus stood in the Temple and cried out "if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said 'out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (John 7:37) And then again Jesus spoke saying "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  In these two sayings Jesus proclaims that in him the hopes of the people expressed in the festival liturgies are being fulfilled: the coming of the Spirit and darkness cast out.

Sunday's Gospel reading of the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-41) puts flesh on the Lord's proclamation.  The man's physical darkness is turned into light and at the same time his spiritual eyes are opened.  He moves from naming "Jesus," to identifying him as "prophet," to "worshiping" him.  And it is to this encounter that John Newton turns in reflecting on his passage from darkness to light: "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see."

The One who gave the blind man his physical sight and the slave trader his spiritual sight, the One who casts out darkness with his light would do the same for you.

In His Peace, Grace, and Love,
Rev'd Sarah+

PS Last week there was a problem with a broken link to the sermon podcast in iTunes - it is now resolved.  You can access the podcast here