• Light Walking

    Psalm 4, Isaiah 26:1-13, Matthew 5:13-16

    “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us anything good?’ Let the of your face shine on us LORD.”
    Psalm 4:6

    “I long for you in the night; yes, my within me diligently seeks you…”
    Isaiah 26:9

    Yesterday, we read about being the light of Christ. In the context of yesterday’s reading, it is the light of Christ that shines peace onto and into a world of darkness. Today is Monday. People went to work or school or out into the public. Did you? Did you that you are a bearer of Christ’s light of peace? Or were you the person that hid the light underneath the basket.

    Have you ever walked around with a lit candle (or candles, if we’re talking birthday cakes)? Think about walking and the . If you walk too , the candle goes out. If you put your hand in front of the candle, the light going ahead of you is blocked. Lastly, if you stare at the candle while walking to watch and make sure the candle doesn’t go out, your eyes begin to hurt, and you can temporarily blind yourself.

    Too fast? In this day and , it is far too easy to go too fast. Too fast driving, too fast living, and, most importantly, too fast to have deep relationships.

    Hand in front? If you prevent the light from guiding and informing your path, you will up someplace other than wants you.

    Staring at the candle? Too focused on doing “all the right things” (the light is good) causes one to focus not so much on something bad. It also blinds us to what is around us and the need to do something about it. What’s the point of bringing the light without sharing the peace?

    1) We each have one of those areas where we are focused on doing stuff and forget people. Where are you being too fast in your ?

    2) We all struggle with weakness and temptation, and so try to protect the light of Christ we have. Yet, if we spend all our efforts protecting it, it does not its purpose. How are you trying to control things that is keeping God from working through you?

    3) Focusing on the flame? Being like Jesus, is not staring at the light that he gives, but doing what he did. You are not Jesus, however, you’re going to make a mistake. You’re going to make a mess. Focus on carrying the light into the mess of your life and the lives of others. Where do you need to spread the light, rather than focusing on your understanding of the light?

  • Too Busy To Live

    Too Busy To Live

    Exodus 5:7-9; Romans 8:5-8, 12-17 Recently, there was a song going around the internet called the “Rich Men North of Richmond”. It mostly speaks to the anguish of a working man who is striving and working and is not making ends meet, and, yes, there are some digs that many are questioning, and sometimes just…

  • Beautiful Words and Songs

    Beautiful Words and Songs

    We aren’t called to only enjoy well played and sung songs.

  • Wise in Whose Eyes

    Wise in Whose Eyes

    We are often presented with the wisdom of Solomon. Yet, Solomon retained his freedom to make choices contrary to God revealed instructions.

  • Wise Wisdom

    Wise Wisdom

    Theoretically, each should should be evaluated by their past successes and failures, yet, it just doesn’t seem to actually work that way. We Christians are often complicit in this. While we are called—whether by James, the wisdom of Solomon, or the Psalmist—to be wise, we often succumb to the world’s temptation to follow the arrogant.