The Gift of Darkness

Doubt & Deconstruction Pastor

June 4, 2023 • Pastor Tammy Long • Hebrews 11:5, Mark 9:24

In this message, we close our sermon series on the Gift of Darkness, by exploring the darkness of doubt and deconstructing our faith. Doubt is honestly asking tough questions. In the deconstruction of faith, we are examining and evaluating what we believe. This can lead to reevaluating and dismantling faith. So far in this sermon series, we have considered the darkness of what appears to us to be God’s absence, the darkness of illness and physical challenges that God has not healed on earth, the darkness of trauma, and the darkness of God’s silence. We saw how there are unique gifts in every season of darkness. Light and darkness are the same to God, and God does some of God’s best work in the dark. Every area of darkness we have looked at so far has been about when we feel God has turned away from us. In this message, we will explore the darkness of doubt and deconstruction when we step back and sometimes even step away from God. We may find ourselves struggling with doubt about God and God’s Word. Something may happen leading us to question what we believe. We may find ourselves in a crisis over the fear of losing our faith. Like the other seasons of darkness, God has gifts for those who go through a season of doubt or deconstruction. For example, such gifts include a deeper relationship with God and a better understanding of God’s Word.

When God is Silent

May 21, 2023 • Pastor Tammy Long • Job 23:1–9, Job 30:20, Job 42:1–3

We continue our sermon series on The Gift of Darkness. In this message, we will consider the gift of darkness when God seems silent. Earlier in this sermon series we noted that God is as comfortable operating in the darkness as in light. When God appears to go silent, God goes dark. Going dark is a military term for a sudden termination of communication, such as from a public channel to a private channel. It may appear to us that communication with God has ceased, but, in reality, it has simply moved to another channel. Followers of Christ will face times in our lives when our communication with God goes dark and seems silent. For example, there may be times when you pray, and you get nothing. There may be times when you feel like saying, “Hello, is anybody there?! Are you even listening?” When God seems silent, we can feel alone, abandoned, anxious, frustrated, disappointed, and distant from God. We don’t understand it, especially if we are used to feeling God’s presence or used to God speaking, leading, and guiding us. God has gifts for us in the midst of the darkness of seeming to be silent. Those gifts in the darkness of God’s silence include reflection and self-examination, deepening trust and faith, humility and surrender, and drawing closer to God in intimate silence.

The Painful Birth of New Life

May 14, 2023 • Pastor Leedah Wong • John 16:21–22

On this Mother’s Day, we continue our sermon series on The Gift of Darkness. Mother’s Day is a complex day for mothers and their children. Some women yearn to be moms. Some moms have outlived their children. Some moms have strained relationships with their children, feel regret and shame, and have heavy hearts because their children have strayed. Some children have toxic moms, moms who are in their last days. Some children have strained relationships with their moms or have lost their moms and would give everything in the world for one more moment together. This day is full of celebration and mourning, praise and pause, joy and heaviness. A call to motherhood is a call to pain, but God uses that pain to birth joy and new life in you and others.

The Gift of Darkness Trauma

May 9, 2023 • Pastor Tammy Long • Psalm 147:3–5, Genesis 37, Genesis 39—50

As we continue our sermon series on The Gift of Darkness, this message explores the impact of trauma in our lives. Everyone has a trauma history. It may be what we call a big T trauma, like a life-threatening experience, domestic violence, painful abuse, a natural disaster, or an accident. Or it may be a small “t” trauma that is a bad experience, and maybe we would not even call it a trauma. Mental health professionals report that we experience much more trauma than we typically recognize or report as trauma. We experience secondary or tertiary trauma when we witness something that unsettles us, or we hear a traumatic story that impacts us. We also experience collective trauma like during the COVID pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. The more we become aware of and process our trauma, the healthier we will be. Otherwise, it is a darkness or wound that resides within us and impacts us in ways we may not even be aware of. Sometimes, it is hard to remember that God is your present help by your side in the darkness when you are in shock from trauma.

April 16, 2023 • Pastor Tammy Long • Isaiah 45:3

In this message, we are starting a new sermon series called the Gift of Darkness. Our life journey comes with ups and down, highs and lows, joys and sorrows. We are either in a trial, heading toward a trial, or coming out of a trial. No one is immune. It should not surprise us because Jesus told His disciples that in this world, we will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. Last Sunday, we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection and overcoming the world! Then the church was born and rapidly increased as God added to their numbers daily. At the same time, trouble and darkness were gathering momentum. Some Jews wanted to eliminate followers of Jesus Christ because those Jews perceived followers of Christ as a dangerous sect and were threatened. Roman Emperors and officials also persecuted followers of Jesus. For the next 240 years, followers of Jesus were persecuted, hunted, captured, beaten, burned, whipped, stoned and fed to lions intermittently across the Roman Empire. Amid the joy of a Risen Savior, it was also a hard and dark season for the followers of Jesus. Through our trials, we can embrace the darkness, open the hidden treasures of darkness, and let God do God’s work in us. Then, transformed by God, we are able to work in coordination with God.