Grace and peace on this Saturday. It’s been good to spend the week with you. I’m glad we can finish it together in the Pastor’s Workshop.
This week we’ve been working on “Shine a Light”. Our Scripture texts have been: Genesis 1:1-3, John 1:6-9, and Matthew 5:14-16. We’ve seen how the God who creates Light in the beginning, incarnates Light In Jesus Christ (the Light of Life), and then calls us to let our light shine. As we reflect God’s one True Light with good works of love others are blessed and God is glorified. It’s a powerful progression!
Saturday is a day to “prepare with prayer”. It’s a time when we rest and also get ready. In the Pastor’s Workshop we know that “Sunday cometh”. Tomorrow is a “big day” as we gather for worship (even if it is around our screens). We want to be ready in every way!
So as you “prepare with prayer” what are you lifting to the Lord? What are your hopes for our worship tomorrow? How are you asking God to use our Scriptural texts as spiritual truth to guide us in the week ahead?
Here are a few of my prayers for this message:
· I pray we know the Light of Christ is a light of truth, revealing God’s gracious will.
· I pray we know the Light of Christ is a light of beauty, refracted In a “rainbow” of diverse and beautiful acts of witness.
· I pray we know the Light of Christ is a light of life, renewing our lives with hope and joy.
· I pray we reflect that Light of Christ by our good works in ways others are renewed in hope and joy.
· I pray that in all our acts of witness and love the glory goes to God.
These are a few of my prayers. What are yours? … for yourself? … this message?... our worship?...the week ahead?... The school year before us?... How can you “shine a light”?
Since it’s a day of rest I don’t want to keep us too long. I invite you to pray. And as you pray “give it all to God” (it’s God’s anyway). And then rest, knowing God is working bringing God’s answer for God’s glory.
In that blessing I hope you have a great Saturday. And I look forward to being with you tomorrow in worship, in the Master’s Workshop.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for the gift of this last week. Thank You for the time we’ve spent together and the work we’ve done. We lift it all to You. We ask You use it to shine your Light of Truth, of Beauty, of Life, and of Glory --- the Light of Christ. It’s an incredible blessing to believe that the very God who said “Let there be Light” calls us into good works of love so we might participate in shining Your Light. Use our witness to Your glory through Jesus Christ, the One True Light and our Lord of Love. In his holy name we pray.