Ripple Effects in the World

Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15)

REFLECTION:

For many, many years the verse above was a part of the "signature" line on all of my e-mails.

Asking a pastor to pick a favorite verse of the Bible is a little bit like asking a car enthusiast to pick their favorite part of a car. All the parts come together to make the car function; and all the verses in the Bible point toward a greater Truth.

That said, there are a few verses that stand out to me as good snapshots of what it's all about, and the one above is, if I had to pick one, my "favorite."

This verse highlights the purpose of the Church. On Easter morning, grace was poured out on all humanity. That gift, as we will hear on Sunday, "is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away" (Acts 2:39). You can also read my devotion on this from a few days ago here.

Because that gift is for ALL, the Church's constant job, for around 2000 years now, has been to employ all of our energy and skills in extending this grace to more and more people. The image this always makes me think of is rock thrown in a calm pond...and the concentric circles, or ripple effects, radiating outward.

Sunday morning happens in our life...and its ripple effects radiate through our whole week.
Grace happens when we'd least expect it...and its ripple effects radiate through our whole lives.
A church is planted in a community, and constant ripple effects of service, love, and welcome are supposed to radiate out.
You walk into your daily life, and God uses who you are to send ripple effects into the world.

This is how God works. We are the stones...and His grace rides the waves!

And WHY do we do what we do as a church? Is it to gain notoriety for the church or ourselves? No.
Is it to "compete" with other churches, so we grow at their expense? No.
The verse above makes clear; this is for one purpose: for the glory of God.

For 8.5 years, I have had the true and deep honor of serving a church in Slinger, WI that understands this. Sure, we have had our issues as any organization of humans does; but through it all, the constant refrain has been: "We are blessed TO BE A BLESSING to others."

Many of you reading this daily devotion are members of St. Luke. To you, I offer my enduring gratitude for your partnership in ministry. These last eight and a half years have changed me. Taught me. Formed me. I have done baptisms, funerals, weddings, Sunday services...we have planned together, prayed together, cried together, and laughed together. I think it is the laughter I'll remember the most.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you...for understanding that church isn't a consumer good. We've said it often: we don't GO to church, we ARE the church. We don't come to consume a sermon and leave to do nothing with it. We come to be changed by an eternal message of grace, and leave to share it with "all those who are far away."

With that, I will mark the end of these daily devotions. While I will still be daily spending time in scripture, it is important for the health of St. Luke that those of you who are members there begin to move toward your next pastor. Begin praying for that person now. Somewhere out there, there is a leader who doesn't suspect that the next several years of their life will be spent with you. But God is preparing their hearts for transition, as God is preparing yours. I have no doubt you will offer that leader the same love, support, and forgiveness you have offered me. You are truly a gift. Cherish that. And keep it up. The world needs more churches that refrain from in-fighting, choosing to stay focused on extending grace to others instead...

And may it all be for the glory of God...!

Thank you...for the gift of being your pastor.

-Pr. Matthew Short

PRAYER:
God, transitions are difficult...but we know the only constant in life...is change. We know you traveled with your people through the desert for 40 years, and we know you travel with us now. We ask your blessing on the people of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Slinger, WI. Strengthen them in their natural gifts. Give them courage, trust, and peace. We pray that, as you prepare the next leader to serve with them, you guide the process and give everyone involved a sense of your presence in it all. Amen.

Thirsty

Exodus 17:1-7

17From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Reflection:

Have you ever had that feeling of extreme thirst? Maybe it was after a great workout, or after mowing the lawn in the heat of summer….but have you ever come in, grabbed a glass of cold water, and not been able to drink it fast enough to quench your thirst?

Can you imagine being in the company of the Israelites in the desert? They’ve been freed from slavery, but at times they think it would be better to go back, because at least as slaves, they had enough to eat and enough to drink. They are hungry, thirsty, and tired.

The thing that Moses knew, and that the people continued to forget, was that God had promised to walk with them, even through the desert – even through the thirst. The spring of living water we will hear more about this Sunday is actually travelling WITH them through the driest time of their lives! All they have to do is ask, and this spring of living water can even break forth from a rock!

Do you trust in the same promise? Whatever is happening in your life that has you thirsty for grace, acceptance, and unconditional love, do you trust that your God travels with you through the desert? Or do you think God is trapped in religious buildings, rituals and rules?

Come this Sunday to hear more about the God who travels with us through the desert, and brings the living water we seek from the most unexpected places.

Prayer: God of grace, you have promised to be a ‘god on the move’ travelling with your people wherever they go. Help us to trust that even in the driest and thirstiest times in our lives, you will never leave us without the water and grace we seek. Amen.

Water Parks and Church

 

Philippians 2.1-11

2If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, ²make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. ⁵Let the same mind be in you that was^* in Christ Jesus, 
⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,
   did not regard equality with God
   as something to be exploited, 
⁷ but emptied himself,
   taking the form of a slave,
   being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, 
⁸   he humbled himself
   and became obedient to the point of death—
   even death on a cross. 

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name, 
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
¹¹ and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

REFLECTION:

There's a Greek word that is central to the biblical understanding of the Christian life...and it doesn't have an easy, one-word translation into English. The word is "kenosis," and it means, "self-emptying." The word is used in the passage above in verse 7, where Paul is quoting an ancient hymn about Christ that speaks of God's self-emptying on the cross. (As an aside, I have been moved by this image for years, and back during my first call in North Dakota, wrote new words to a familiar hymn tune based on this passage...I have included that hymn at the bottom of this devotion).

Essentially, Christians are called to be like a leaky bucket...being filled from above, but then pouring out into the world. As a parent of two children who LOVE water parks, the first and funniest thing this makes me think of is the big bucket that is over many kid play areas at water parks...the bucket that fills over the course of several minutes, and then a bell dings to warn the kids its coming, and...WHOOSH...the bucket dumps all over the place. And it's a powerful, momentary flood. The smallest kids in the group are often knocked over by the power of the water. Then, the process begins again...

This image makes me smile when I think about the church functioning the same way. Week after week, at St. Luke and hundreds of thousands of others places around the world, Christians gather to be fed by Word and Sacrament. Babies are baptized. Those who have died are celebrated and remembered. Ancient words are spoken. Burdens are carried together. Strength is found. Grace is poured out. Bread and wine are shared. Hearts are strengthened. People are fed. We are filled from above.

Then, at the end of the service, WHOOSH...out into the world all the Christians pour. And across the world, cathedrals and churches, huts and houses of worship sit empty as the "church" (that's YOU) are out living, loving, and serving among the rest of the world's population.

Isn't this a beautiful vision of what we are called to be? A flood of grace into the world...a flood whose effect is FELT.

Today, may we mirror God's own self-emptying as we offer the strength we have for others, the love we have for others, the grace we've received for others.



PRAYER: 

God, give us the courage to empty ourselves out for the sake of the world. Help us to trust that you will always, always, keep filling us from above, so we can offer what we have without fear that there won't be enough. Amen.

Compassion

32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. 35Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. 36For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (Hebrews 10:32-36)

REFLECTION:

Christians aren’t “fix-it” people. We are people of love and compassion. Sometimes, trying to “fix it” does anything BUT show love and compassion.

Have you ever had a friend who was so down that nothing you said could lift them out of their funk? Have you ever been so down that others tried to lift you out of your funk? Have you ever heard someone say, “it’s OK – cheer up!” and not felt any better?

If the answer to any of those questions is “yes,” then you get it. You know that sometimes, the most caring thing someone can do is sit with you in your pain rather than try to “fix it.” Often, we try to get others to cheer up because we are uncomfortable with suffering. If only they would cheer up, they wouldn’t be so hard to be around…

However, as you hear in the above passage, this is not what Christians are about. We are about showing love and compassion. And the beautiful, difficult truth is that the word “com”-“passion” literally means “suffering with.”

So, if you have someone in your life who is suffering, recognize that it’s not your job to fix them, but simply to be with them, and in that way you are reflecting the never-failing love of God.

PRAYER: 

God of all creation, reveal yourself to me and through me today – in storms and in calm, in sorrow and in joy, in trouble and in peace. Amen.

Power Is Made Perfect...

⁹but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

REFLECTION:

Today we witness real power.

Real power is not coercion. Real power is accompaniment.

On the surface, it seems like the opposite. Real power, it seems, is in might. Just yesterday, we saw our government deploy the "Mother of All Bombs" - a 21,600-pound Massive Ordinance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB) on an ISIS-controlled bunker system in Afghanistan. That sure looks like power.

But, I would argue, that is not real power. It's actually relatively easy to destroy. It is much harder to build...much harder to love...much harder to forgive.

The United States' clearest example historically is the Civil Rights Movement. Had a race war started, with weapons of might hurled across contrived battle lines, no change would have come. Hearts would have been hardened further. But when the nation's TV channels carried footage of those students being blown back by fire hoses, the nation's heart began to soften. Sociologists would tell you that was the moment the conversation began to change. And why? Because violence was exposed for the sham that it is.

Today, we remember the day it all changed for all of us. The day Christ willingly submitted to a criminal's death to expose our systems of violence for the sham that they are. Coercion, force, and punishment can win the day over some things. But coercion, force, and punishment can't destroy Love; especially not the same Love that spoke the world into existence. That Love burns right through the experience of death and sets the world ablaze with hope.

Today, know that in whatever ways you feel weak, you are ready to be filled with Love and strength from above. Like an empty glass on the counter, the emptiness doesn't make you useless; in fact, it means you are ready to be filled and fulfill your purpose; to pour out for others.

Today, power looks a little different. May we remember that the way of the cross is not found in might, but in mercy, forgiveness (for ourselves and others), and love.

NOTE: The graphic at the top is from a book entitled "The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb." The two authors sat down with many of the world's great Christian minds to talk about exactly the topic of this post. I would highly recommend it. Find it on Amazon here.

PRAYER:
God, fill us with your love today. Where we feel empty, fill us. Where we feel depleted, fill us. Give us a sense of peace that you will provide the strength we need. Thank you for going to the cross to show us that even our crosses will never have the final say. Amen.

At the intersection of Mercy & Grace

Maundy Thursday

Watchword for Maundy Thursday — He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the Lord is gracious and merciful. Psalm 111:4

Thursday, April 13 — Psalm 49:1–12

Job 15,16; Romans 16:8–20

Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery. Joel 2:17

Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NKJV)

REFLECTION:

When we think of people who are "renown," we think of celebrities. And the things that make them celebrities? Their special skills, talents, and gifts. Robin Williams was famous because he was exceptionally funny. Bill Gates is famous because he was exceptionally successful (and now exceptionally generous). For every famous person I can think of, every person who has "gained renown," I could list for you the characteristics that brought them that renown.

I am struck by the "watchword" above; the extra reading from Psalm 111; that God's characteristics...those which have gained God renown throughout the world...are two things we all aspire to embody; Grace and Mercy.

Today, may that be our prayer. May we be gracious to those around us. May we be merciful. Those are easy to speak of with "easy" people, but may God bring those characteristics out of us in even the most difficult situations in our lives. May we be gracious when it would be easier to hold a grudge; may we be merciful when it would be easier to demand justice. That is what shows the world we are the followers of the One who even washes the feet of his disciples.

PRAYER:

Holy God, source and sovereign, on this Maundy Thursday we are reminded that all power and authority are placed into the hands of Christ. As we remember Christ who washed the feet of his disciples in humble service, may you teach us to love one another as Christ loved, so that everyone will know that we are his disciples; through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

All Those Who Are Far Away

I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. Ezekiel 16:60

The promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him. Acts 2:39

REFLECTION:

I have signed a lot of contracts over the years. From cell phones to a mortgage, from my marriage license to the most mundane permission slip for a kids' activity, I have put my signature on a lot of things, saying "Yes, I will hold up my end of the bargain."

Most of the time, I have. But I'm not perfect. We recently broke a contract with Sprint (and paid dearly for it) because we found both the quality of the coverage and the quality of their customer service to be sub-par. So we didn't keep our end of that bargain (and frankly, neither did they, as we found the quality so low). So typically my signature is reliable, but not always.

God's promises are categorically different. The words spoken through Ezekiel tear through the pages and through the ages and still come to us today; I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. This is a contract God won't break. We do all the time, but God's grace still flows in our lives; God's love still shows up in the most unexpected people and the most unexpected ways. God keeps promises.

The second reading above, from the book of Acts, is on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit blows across the crowd, erasing difference as a barrier to relationship, as each person can hear the others speaking in their own native language. It's the reversal of the Old Testament story of the "Tower of Babel" (Genesis 11:1-9). In this cosmopolitan mix of people from all over the ancient world, they can understand each other.

In the middle of it all, Peter gets up and proclaims that Christ was sent for all. It is a stunning scene; yes, this Spirit blowing is a sign of the Truth of Christ...that all people are adopted as children of God, co-heirs with the Jewish people. Some of them say to the Apostles, "what should we do?" Peter's advice is clear. Repent (remember, that means simply "turn around your ways"), and be baptized. Then he utters the words above. This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away.

That promise is what gets me up every morning. That promise is what motivates me as a pastor, and as a person. I know a lot of people who feel "far away" from God. It's often (not always) easy for me to claim that this promise is for me. Likewise, of course it is for my children. But it is for those far away as well? Yes. All those far away.

Those who FEEL far away because of past hurts. It's for them.

Those who are far away because they are hiding in their shells after past trauma. It's for them.

Those who don't want anything to do with "church" but still have big questions. It's for them.

Those who are in the pews every Sunday but feel disconnected from God. It's for them.

THIS is what a church is to be about. Communicating in the native language of others, the promise that is for them. Whether they are physically far away, or emotionally far away, our work is to translate the promise into their words so they can hear it and claim it as well. And we simply can't do that without the Spirit's help, just like on Pentecost.

PRAYER:

Wonderful and gracious God, giver of life and all good things, teach us to value your covenant with us. Allow us to praise your name in all times and places, in ways others can understand. Use us to draw those who are far away to you. Amen.*

*Prayer adapted from Moravian Daily Texts

Between Two Trees

He will swallow up death forever. Isaiah 25:8

Paul wrote: Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

REFLECTION:

We live between two trees.

On the one hand, the tree of Life in the Garden of Eden...where sin and brokenness entered the world. 

We feel the effects of this tree daily. The pictures from Egypt are the most recent reminder that as people, we continue to find reasons to oppose and harm each other. Our cries raise up for our Egyptian brothers and sisters today...our hearts break. Our palms fall silent as it seems like death has won.

But on the other side of us is the second tree...it's the same one tattooed on my arm; the tree planted by the river in Revelation 22; the tree that bears fruit each month to provide for all; the tree whose leaves are for "the healing of the nations."

Today, I am choosing to trust in the second tree, and the promise of the empty cross. Today, I am seeking shade under the tree that heals the nations. Lord, have mercy on us all...

PRAYER:

Holy and most wonderful God, teach us this day to define our lives not by death but by the life promised eternally through Christ our Savior. Amen.

Old Trees Still Bear Fruit

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. Psalm 92:13–14 (NKJV)

Paul wrote: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. 1 Thessalonians 3:12

REFLECTION:

I love the Psalm 92 passage above, because I can immediately think of people I know who show me the beautiful truth of those words.

I think of Juanita Ruh, Bill and Gert Roots, Dorothy Bein, Elmer and Betty Eggert, Ellen and Myron Patt..(and this isn't an exhaustive list, of course...but just the first few names that come to mind!)

I think of the ways these and others definitely feel ROOTED in the narratives of the Scripture. They understand from the Exodus that God is about freeing people from slavery to anything that holds them bound. They understand from the resurrection that forgiveness releases people to be who they have been created to be, so they don't hold grudges easily. They understand from the early church that the Spirit blows where it will, and most of the life of a Christian is just trying to "catch up" to and participate in what God's already doing in the world.

These individuals, and so many others, are "planted in the house of the Lord." They flourish, even when our age-ist culture says they are 'too old" to be worth anything. They bear fruit. They ARE fresh and flourishing. They enliven, sustain, and provide for those of us who are younger than they. I am so deeply grateful for their history, certainly...but I am also deeply grateful for who they are right now, and who we are as a church because of them.

Today, may it be all our prayer that whatever limitations we face...be they physical, emotional, situational, financial...whatever...may our prayer be that God help us stay planted; help us flourish; help us bear fruit for others; help us be fresh and flourishing. That's my goal for today...but I'll only pull it off with God's help.

PRAYER:

God of comfort, may we seek to abound in your love and develop an attitude and an ability to recognize what is most important in our life: our relationship with you. May we follow your calling to become better disciples and learn to love all. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

Beneath The Surface

Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest. Jeremiah 5:24

God has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. Acts 14:17 (NIV)

REFLECTION:

It has been raining a lot this week. The ground is soft and muddy beneath my feet.

What strikes me this morning, however, is what's happening invisibly beneath the surface. Even as I sit and type this devotion, all that water is nourishing the ground, making the soil rich for the coming spring. On a cellular level, billions of things are happening that will make flowers and grass and leaves possible in just a few short weeks. There is a flurry of activity just beneath my feet, preparing for new life.

I find myself wondering this morning; can I trust the same thing is happening in my heart? That even the rain, even the hard times, are watering me...and that God is busy with a flurry of activity beneath surface, ready to bring out new life in me and in the world?

Yes, I can trust that. So can you. In just a few days, we will wave our palm branches and shout "Hosannah!" Back then, they didn't know that a different kind of kingdom was emerging that what they expected. But now we know. Now we know that God's kingdom doesn't come through force or might; it comes through new life...it comes in a million ways on a million days...it breaks in wherever new life is needed.

So...can you sense it today? The flurry of activity beneath your feet preparing for Spring? Can you sense the flurry of activity in your heart preparing you for Easter morning? Can you sense that new life is coming? Can you sense it is already here?

PRAYER:

Creator God, in all seasons of life, we give thanks for your presence, love, comfort and guidance. Teach us this day to serve your kingdom with greater enthusiasm, and in doing so fill our hearts with joy. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

I Pledge Allegiance...

The Lord said to Elijah, “I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal.” 1 Kings 19:18

Jesus said to his disciples, “You are those who have stood by me in my trials.” Luke 22:28

REFLECTION:

The name "Baal" in the Bible is often used as a generic term to refer to various "false" gods of the cultures and people surrounding the Israelites. At times, it refers to the Canaanite sun god, and at other times seems to be used to refer to the main male god of the Phoenicians. For the sake of brevity, let's just say that in the Bible, "Baal" is a symbol of what we worship that is NOT the one, true God revealed in the history of Israel and the person of Jesus.

Because of this, I am thinking this morning about the other gods we worship...and about one in particular. The self.

In a consumer society, the self is a god, and fulfilling the needs, wishes, and whims of the self is held up as the highest good. Why else would we rush right out to buy the next newest thing, except that fulfilling our desires has been hammered into us as the reason we are alive? Why else would parents get into fights over this year's Christmas toy craze, except that being a "good parent" in our culture's eyes often comes to mean "fulfilling your children's wishes and desires"?

I could write a ton more about this tendency of ours, but we see it. We feel it. Making sure we, and those we love, have the "best" is often understood to be the best thing we can do with our lives. Sure, we wouldn't necessarily SAY this outloud, but it is how we act...having "enough" to fulfill consumer desires is what makes us feel like good parents, good spouses, and good friends.

Ironic, isn't it, that we have made the celebration of Jesus' birth the time of the year when our consumer tendencies reach a fever pitch? That we celebrate God showing up in a poor, backwater town by reveling in our own riches?

So I am thinking this morning about the two kingdoms that vie for our allegiance. The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of self...

The kingdom of self tempts me to think that my wishes, my desires, my needs, my struggles, etc...are the only thing that matters. This kingdom demands allegiance, and the others around me pay the price because I only have so much time and energy and it is going toward the kingdom I've chosen.

The Kingdom of God, on the other hand, demands perspective. Allegiance to this Kingdom means I have to see others, and their needs, as well as my own. It means working toward balance, even though we'll never perfectly achieve it. It means humility; acknowledging that no matter how hard we work, God still has to take over for us and that's OK.

Today, may we seize as many moments as we can to pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of God. It's more complicated than the other kingdom, but in the end it offers Life, Love, and Peace sufficient for the journey instead of an exhausting drive to fill our ever-deepening pits of need. May God give us the strength to see where this Kingdom is breaking in, and the strength to invest our time and our passions there.

PRAYER:

We seek our comfort through you, caring God. You know each of us better than anyone. Teach us today to rely upon you for all of our needs. In your grace encourage us to teach others and help those in need. We ask this in the name of our precious Lord and Savior, Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts

What The Light Touches

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day. Psalm 139:11–12

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

REFLECTION:

The verse from Psalm 139 above is one that has brought me a lot of strength over the years. Any time I have myself convinced that things are dark...any time that I am certain things will not go well, I read that single verse to remind me, like yesterday's devotion said, "fear is a trick."

Today, this verse makes me think of a concept in physics having to do with light...

Light travels silently through space until it finds something to touch. Only then do we "see" it.

In the darkness of space, light travels quickly and imperceptibly. It doesn't illuminate the empty space. It bounces off of the objects that come in its path, and that is how it is then seen.

In the Scriptures, we hear that God is Light, and that God is Love. And I think Love functions much the same way. It travels invisibly until it finds something to love.

All of this is in my mind this morning because I think as we look at the emptiness of our lives, focusing on what we DON'T have, what we are afraid of, what is NOT going "right," we see just empty space. We get to the point where we say our own version of, "surely the darkness shall cover me..."

But if we focus on the people in our lives; if we focus on the blessings in our lives; if we consider our own lives, and how blessed we are to have made it to this moment...if we focus on these things, then we are seeing the objects of love and the things that light touches.

Today, let us think on the people who surround us; the blessings that have brought us this far; the life we are blessed to have this morning. This keeps us from staring out into empty space and declaring, "there's no light!" Instead, we see God's Light and Love bouncing off everything and everyone around us. May we be given eyes to see that Light today.

PRAYER:

Thank you for the hope you bestow, the peace you bring, the love you pour out, and the joy you give to us all. We praise you most of all for the gift of your son Jesus. May he be the beacon of light that guides and inspires our lives. Amen.*

*Prayer taken from the Moravian Daily Texts