From David Holtz, Executive Director at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria, Minnesota
Let’s Pray:
May the hope to which God has called you, the power of God at work in Christ and the Spirit of wisdom and revelation be with you all.
Therefore, the Lord himself, will give us a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse. From his roots a branch will bear fruit.
In that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples, the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the church. I am the root and the offspring of David and the bright morning star.
I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
All this also comes from the LORD almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent In Wisdom.
Amen
Today, it is time to inspire our world in the name of Jesus. Every day is the time! As members of the communities of the NE Synod of Minnesota, we have a call to do justice with and for our neighbors, love God, ourselves, and our neighbors, and inspire God’s light through Jesus into our communities!
So, what does this mean? I am constantly thinking about this type of question these days. With numbers falling each month in worship attendance in our church, or the longing for people to return to the church building, to the battle of Christianity in our mainstream media or political spheres, I am constantly trying to figure out, so what does this all mean or even better, now what.
I am reminded of an earlier bible text in Mark of the story around Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. Bartimaeus sought Jesus, wholeheartedly, as he walked by. He stopped begging and reached out vocally for God as he heard him walk by. Bartimaeus stopped his normal life and reached out to Jesus. You, the reader, STOP! Cry out to Jesus… “Son of David, have mercy on me.”
Once we cry, God comes to us, we regain our sight, we get up and we follow, just as Bartimaeus did. Or do we?
Friends, it is time to start following Christ! Stop longing for the return of people into the building and inspire them now to be lights of God in the neighborhoods. We are out there to serve.
Now more than ever, God’s work needs to be done in our communities each day. You know what it means to be a follower…so do it. Let the light that we talk about during this advent season brighten your day and give you the energy and passion to do what God has called you to do.
Let’s Pray…Dear God, during our longing, be the light, during our waiting, be the light, bring us to you, turn us to you, the light. Our journey is your journey, call us again each day to the light…Amen
