Sunday, January 3 A Great Light By: Lisa Cantrell Read Isaiah 9:2-7 This is a dark time of year. Daylight is in short supply -- darkness pervades our mornings and evenings. In contrast to the warmer, lighter months, this time of year can seem dismal and depressing. News reports seem to be an unending cycle of hatred, danger, evil and vitriol. Many of us mourn precious loved ones, or are saddened by separation from others we hold dear. While many around us are celebrating the joy of the season, for some it is anything but joyful. Some days it can be difficult to fight off the uneasy conclusion that we are permanently trapped in this desperate human condition. Yet over two thousand years ago, When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, so that we who were condemned under the law could be redeemed and adopted as His own. And while walked in dark- The people who a nightlight might remove ness have seen a the fear from a young child s great light; those bedroom, or a brightly lit who dwelt in a room may chase away the land of deep darkness, on them has blah feeling associated with winter, this was a great light light shone. a light so powerful that Isaiah 9:2 there was no place for shadows to hide. Even the night is bright as day! No matter how dark any particular day or time might seem, we can rejoice that The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. We thank you, Lord God, that even though at one time we were darkness, now we are light in You. Thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, who came to shine a great light into this dark world. Help us to walk as children of light and to encourage one another with Your Word. Amen. -42-
Monday, January 4 Reframing The Darkness By: Pastor Charlie Berthoud Read John 1:1-18 Tromso, Norway is north of the Arctic Circle and the sun doesn t make it over the horizon from late November through late January. You would think people would be really depressed there in winter. But a recent study (written about in The Atlantic ) found that seasonal depression is surprisingly low in Tromso. A researcher discovered that people look forward to winter and make the most of the dark time. They also enjoy the natural wonder of the Northern lights. The researcher suggests that people have reframed their mindsets and make the most of the dark time. We are often the last ones in the neighborhood to take down our Christmas lights. We keep them on at least through January 6, which is Epiphany, when we celebrate the coming of the wise men, and the shining of God s light shining around the world. I like to keep the lights on our back porch lit into February. Having Christmas lights on beyond Christmas time helps me to reframe my mindset and remember what John s gospel tells us: the light shines in the darkness. Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to be the light of the world. Help us to remember that the light is always shining. Amen. -43-
Tuesday, January 5 A Light To My Path By: Nan Schaefer Read Psalm 119:105 In Psalm 119, these words are spoken by a person seeking to follow God s laws, God s commandments, and he is seeking God s help in understanding the Word so he can follow them exactly, despite what the rest of his society does to him. To me, however, these words, familiar as a song sung fairly frequently by the Exodus Band, are meant to be a comfort in times of trouble. As winter approaches (and by the time readers are seeing this, we will be solidly in the middle of winter), many of us are rising in the dark to get ready for our day, and the sun has set by the time we get home. So if jobs are indoors, without windows, the day seems pretty dark. And every time we pick up the newspaper or look at news online or on TV, the world seems darker yet news of war, of suicide bombers, mass shootings in the USA, more greed and corruption among our businesses, politicians, and judges it all feels pretty bleak. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:105 Sometimes that darkness gets to me, and I feel like my feet are on sinking sand. I need reminders that God is with me, showing me the way. I do not often enough seek the Word to provide that lamp, and my way does not seem clear. If I stop, and listen for that Word, and open my eyes to the light, my path becomes much more sure and the ground stops shaking beneath my feet. I thank God for my family at Covenant who shares the Word with me and helps me to remember to stop and listen and open my eyes. Dear God, Give me the wisdom to seek your Word and your Light when my way seems dark and dreary. Give me the courage to face the challenges that darkness brings and to use your Word and Light to find the right path through the tough times. Amen. -44-
Wednesday, January 6 Being Light: Living By God s Gifts For Us All By: Doug Poland Read Matthew 5:14-16 As our annual celebration of the birth of Jesus draws to a close, it is appropriate to end with a passage that focuses on us, as disciples of Jesus. Matthew s message is as insistent as it is startling; You are the light of the world. Let your light shine. Let others see your good works. And finally, the promise that by doing so, others will give glory to your God. We have moved from the beginning of Advent, with the promise that God will send a savior to deliver us, to the close of the season, with the message that we are instruments of God s kingdom of justice and mercy on earth. Shortly and succinctly, the passage tells us how to do that: We are to let our light shine. But what exactly is our light? Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann has one possible answer. In Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now, Brueggeman suggests that engaging in Sabbath rest means breaking from the culture of contemporary society and instead embracing and living out our covenant with God. We do so, You are the light of the world... Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14 & 16 Brueggemann believes, when we cease our self-centered lifestyle of acquiring commodities for ourselves, and we instead start focusing on building relationships with our neighbors and working for the well-being of our community. As Brueggeman puts it: Sabbath is an arena in which to recognize that we live by gift and not by possession, that we are satisfied by relationships of attentive fidelity and not by amassing commodities. God who calls us to be light to one another, help us to live by the gifts you provide and not by our own striving to acquire more for ourselves. Amen. -45-