Sermon for Aug 4, 2019. Rev. Tim Trussell-Smith; Senior Minister. The author who has traditionally been known as John is writing on behalf of a group of church leaders to encourage the churches they are connected to to maintain faith in a savior who was truly divine but also truly human in the face of the development of Gnosticism. Gnosticism (the word means "of knowledge") isn't all bad, some of the Gnostic writings are very intriguing and even spiritually enlightening, but it has some major pitfalls as a philosophy. Why does it matter that our material reality isn't lesser than our spiritual reality - but one and the same? How are we the light of God in the world?