Arise, Shine For Your Light Has Come

Today in worship we sang the last of the Christmas carols for a while: We Three Kings, The First Noel, As With Gladness, and Go Tell It On The Mountain, and our Chancel Choir sang Arise, Shine for Your Light Has Come by Allen Pote (Isaiah 60:1-6, I'll type it in below in case you want to read the entire passage).  

Dr. Michael Mooty once again gave a sermon worthy of the day, respectful of the Scripture, mindful of what is important and what is not in our journey of faith.  Forget that you have to memorize and correctly pronounce the names of all of Noah's sons, for example, but remember the gravity of words such as forgiveness, grace, mercy, faith...those words are important, after all.

Sometimes I forget that I need to watch what I say.  Although I try to do the right thing and speak nothing but praise, I get angry and blurt out things that are not necessarily pretty.  I forget that others have burdens that I cannot see, and I hurry them along, rush the conversation and don't slow down to hear what they are trying to say.  I often consider myself before those who need my presence or care and take care of myself first, not considering their problems and worries.   

Today, the Sunday of the Epiphany of the Lord, I promise to start afresh and make more of an attempt to be an instrument of peace and not division, to see pardon versus injury, to walk more humbly with my Lord, for where Justice is grammar, Mercy is poetry.

Here is a prayer we shared today in worship. I hope you find meaning in it:

Almighty God, look upon our lives

and cause all darkness and doubt to vanish beneath your gaze.

Look upon us and banish all barriers to faithfulness.

Fill our daily living with your Holy Spirit

so that we may this day and evermore

be led into paths of fruitful service to you.

Through Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Scripture referred to above is from Isaiah 60:1-6 : Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.  Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.  Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall come to you.  A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

pray for peace,
Kimmy