Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Lights in the Darkness"

December 4, 2014

Read Romans 13:11-14
"The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off
the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12

During this time of year the nights grow longer. That makes being
a kid riding in a car pretty tough. Though it certainly helps when
video and DVD players and iPods light up the night. I remember
as a kid when the only thing we had to brighten those long dark
night trips were the Christmas lights we'd see every once in a while.
(Of course, we always had to argue about who saw them first!)

From time to time as we make our way along God's path through
this Advent season we catch glimpses of the light of our heavenly
home.These hints come to us as a favorite hymn or song in worship.
They also come as a renewed awareness of the forgiveness,
acceptance, and peace God offers through the pastor. They
especially come as that wonderful taste of the heavenly feast when
we celebrate the Sacrament of Christ's body and blood.

These glimpses thrill our hearts and remind us of the wonderful
place waiting for us. The lit candle on the Advent wreath-and the
three that remain to be lit in the coming weeks-remind us how little
time is left to prepare for the day that is rapidly approaching. Paul
reminds us of this same fact in today's reading.

Like a beautifully lit house at Christmas time, Jesus shatters the
darkness and fills us with the warmth of His glorious light. He is
the Light of the world who came into the darkness and vanquished
it through His suffering, death, and resurrection. And each of us
who were reborn in His image in Baptism shine like stars in this
dark night of sin, giving those who do not yet know Jesus Christ a
brief glimpse of God's love through our words, attitudes, and actions.
How brightly are you shining in the crowded store aisles, in the long
checkout lines, in the jammed parking lots, and on the busy roads?

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, we would be Your lights, shining brightly in this
dark and selfish world. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may live
as You choose, bringing the light of Christ's love to this dark world.
In Jesus' Name. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

"Enjoying the Ride Together"

Read Romans 13:8-10.
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no
wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the
Law. Romans 13:9B-10

I'm sure my parents would have loved a video or DVD
player in our station wagon when I was a kid. Instead,
they had five boys sitting in the middle and back benches
as we headed down the road to Grandma's. Sometimes
we'd sing songs to pass the time or play little games
along the road, but usually we played the stop-touching-
me or stay-on-your-side-of-the-seat game. Of course, that
was about the time Dad threatened to turn the car around
and head back home.

In our church family, we often act like brothers and sisters
squeezed together in a car. We bicker and fight with each
other; we complain about the most insignificant things; we
insist on our way and pout when we don't get it. Meanwhile,
our unchurched family, friends, and neighbors wonder why
anyone would ever want to be a part of family like that. How
many times do we make our heavenward journey miserable
for everyone, wondering if it would be better to go it alone?

That's where Jesus shows the way. When His disciples
argued about which of them would be the greatest or tried to
get the best seats in heaven, Jesus showed them His humility
and restored their unity. Even when the religious establishment
-- the Jewish leaders -- misjudged Him, plotted His death, and
stood by His cross heaping their scorn on Him, Jesus was
quick to pray, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do" (Luke 23:34b). And through His suffering and death
at their hands, Jesus won our full pardon from His Father in
heaven.

In this week's Epistle reading, Paul shows us another way to
travel together. He calls us to remember Christ's sufferings and
death for us, and to strive to live as our Savior did -- loving our
neighbor as ourselves.

As we make our journey toward the house of the Lord, we are
not traveling alone. We are part of a caravan, a multitude of
wonderful believers traveling along together, each guided by
Christ up to God's house. God has chosen every one of us.
He has gathered us together to use our unique skills and
talents as one body. If we travel together in joy and peace,
learning to appreciate one another, our journey will be so
much more thrilling, and we'll be the kind of caravan other
people will want to join. God grant us this peace and
harmony for Jesus' sake.

THE PRAYER:

Father in heaven, open our hearts to truly love and forgive
each other. Grant us a deep appreciation for each other,
that combining our gifts and talents, we may bring glory to
Your Name, and bring many to join us in heaven. Through
Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Isaiah 2:3-5.

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house
of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that
we may walk in His paths..." Isaiah 2:3B

Several years ago I was scheduled to preach at a church in
central Illinois. I had planned out my path along I-70 and left early
enough to arrive a half-hour early. But after about two hours I
discovered I had missed the I-70 exit sixty miles back and was
driving north toward Chicago on I-55! By the time I realized my
mistake and got turned around I ended up arriving at the church
30 minutes after the service was supposed to have started!
Thankfully, my Christian brothers and sisters had a sense of
humor!

Whenever you are driving, especially on a long and unfamiliar
trip, you want to be sure you are on the right path! When I was
a kid we relied on maps, but again, you could end up on the
wrong road for hours without realizing you were on the wrong
path. But today one of the best ways to travel is to have a GPS,
a Global Positioning System.

The guiding voice from this little box gives you turn-by-turn
instructions and tracks your progress. If you get off the right
path, it patiently tells you the best way to get back on the right
path again. But that's not all a GPS can do for you. If you get
tired and need a rest area or a motel along the way, a GPS can
find one for you. If you get hungry, a GPS will give you a choice
of restaurants and guide you to the one you want.

If we want to complete our Advent journey and reach the heavenly
"house of the Lord," we need a sort of spiritual GPS. At our
 Baptism God washed away our sins, made us His own children,
filled us with His Spirit, and set us on the right path for Jesus' sake.
To keep us on that path He gave us His Word and Sacraments.
Through the Law the Holy Spirit alerts us when we have wandered
off the path into sin, and through the Gospel He guides us back to
the right road by turning us in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ
who saved us from our sins through His death on the cross.

That is why it is so important to read, hear, and study the Word of
God in our home devotions and to gather together at church. For as
Jesus speaks to us through His Word, and feeds us with His body
and blood, He keeps us on our heavenward path. This provides us
spiritual rest and nourishment along our way as we journey up to
the house of the Lord!

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your holy Word to guide
us along our path. Open our ears to hear our Savior's voice and
follow His ways. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)