Church Stuff-More or less

Does the church make sense or do we make it too hard for people to come in? I think yes and yes and the task then is to make it easier. Maybe for someone out there, this will be the case. I write as a Lutheran (or, perhaps a Lutherpalian) although I might seem out of the mainstream from time to time. That's okay, isn't it? Let's blog on.

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Location: Northport, Long Island, United States

Contrary to what Google will tell you, I have been blogging for several year, right here. Look for Churchstuff-moreorless. life was a hell of a lot easier when you could talk to someone to get help. Now, you can't do it on the telephone, you can't do it on the internet. Life was easier and made more sense because people actually cared. Now they will screw you as quickly as they will help you. Unfuck the world.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Morning's devotion

John 12. 35Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. (NRSV)

John begins his Gospel by acknowledging Christ as the Light which darkness couldn’t overcome and here, as we near its end, Jesus picks up on the theme. Even though Jesus is no longer physically present in our world, his light remains. His light remains but the darkness still struggles to overcome it.

 

I write on the 41st anniversary of the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. He, too, had something to say about light and darkness. Dr King opined that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” They may have killed the man but they have not silenced him.

 

There are passages which come to mind concerning the approaching night. Paul exhorts us to work “for night is coming.” In all too many ways that night has been here, has always been here. Jesus uses the theme of light/darkness in several parables. All too often, we live and act as there is no light. We fail to remember that no matter how dark things might seem, the light remains if we indeed look for it. They have killed the Man, but they have not put out his Light.

 

Daily Prayer: Shine, Jesus, shine, shine your light so that we can see through our present darkness. Enlighten our spirits so that the darkness of our souls might be overcome. Amen

posted by John | 12:16 PM

1 Comments:

Blogger Pastor Joelle said...

There are times when even if you look for it, you don't see the light. Those are the times you have to believe and cling to someone else who does see the light. That's what community is for.

2:18 PM  

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