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Let Your Light Shine
Greetings child of God; child of light!
What a wonderful
promise sister, “become children of God.” What a wonderful gift to God’s
children brother, “grace and truth.” What a blessed call to all God’s
children; to be light to all people – light the darkness cannot overcome –
light that shares God’s grace and truth.
We live in a day and age when darkness covers the land. We live in a time
when hate and fear not grace and truth seem to govern the world’s choices
and violence is the ultimate end of hate and fear.
People of the world are calling for light and searching for the way to end
the violence. You, brother and sister, know that way, Jesus, the Son of God,
and his Word of love and life for all.
Share the wonderful love of God, let the light of Christ shine in you.
Witness the love of God at work in you as others come to know through your
invitation God’s grace and truth in Christ.
You are a child of light who reflects the light of the world, Jesus the
Christ. Invite a friend to worship with you at St. John’s United Church of
Christ. Pray for them and witness your light and the light of your church
shine more brightly to God’s glory.
In our hymnal is a song titled, “I Am the Light of the World.” In the
refrain Jesus sings to you: “I am the light of the world! You people come
and follow me! If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you
were meant to do and be.”
Follow, love, learn and share!
May God’s love go before you, Christ’s blessing be around you and the
Spirit’s joy be within you.
--Larry J. Peacock,
Water Words 4 (Fall 1991).
Your servant in God’s Light ~ pastor john
1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All
things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into
being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,a
and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in
the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
9 The true
light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.b
10 He was in
the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not
know him. 11 He came to what was his own,c
and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who
received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of
God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh
or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and
lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only
son,d full of grace
and truth (John 1:1-5, 9-14).
[1]
36 While you
have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of
light (John 12:36). ibid.
And from the Gospel of Matthew …
14 “You are
the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15
No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on
the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In
the same way, 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).
ibid.
a Or
3through him. And without him not one thing came into
being that has come into being. 4In him was life
b Or
He was the true light that enlightens everyone coming into the world
[1]The
Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 . Thomas
Nelson: Nashville
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