To Shine

I’ve still been listening to Christmas music this week (and no, our tree and our decorations are not down yet). There is one song that I keep coming back to, “Always Carry You” by Matt Maher featuring Amy Grant (you can listen to it on Youtube).

At one point in the song Amy begins a spoken section:

What would it be like to never be afraid,

to be brave enough to live the way we were meant to live;

TO SHINE (spoken by a choir of children)

Maybe it is just having celebrated Epiphany (Three Kings Day) with the stunning image of the wise of the world coming to a baby called Jesus and bowing in worship and its miraculous star (angel?), but the idea of shining just sticks with me.

I love the night sky and, in the winter, when I take my nightly walks, I truly enjoy seeing the moon and the stars, particularly the constellation Orion. My mind is often drawn to Philippians 2:15. The New International Version reads: “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky…” and goes on to say this comes by clinging to the Word. This is a brilliant (pun intended) picture to me. Paul uses the idea of being “children of the light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5) and Jesus says we are to let our “light shine” (Matthew 5:16).

One reason I really like the image of a star shining, is because it feels somewhat passive, a star doesn’t “will” to shine, it is the nature of a star to shine. Jesus’ idea of letting our light shine includes that sense as well. He is, in effect, saying, “You will shine if you follow me, don’t do things that get in the way of it.” This can be pressed too far, certainly there is the involvement of my mind, heart and will. But it is also helpful for me to step back from the effort of making myself shine (as if I have the capacity to do this on my own) and rest in the Spirit’s shining through me as I simply walk by faith.

I am reminded of the account of Moses after he had been in the presence of God – he radiated the glory of God. Will we choose to be close to Christ, regularly and often, so that we too may simply reflect His wonderous, glorious self to others?

Pursue Christ – He is enough,

            Pastor Jeff

New Mercies

Welcome to 2025! It’s a new year and offers an opportunity to “reboot.” Some people make New Year’s resolutions, some people make fun of New Year’s resolutions. Some people take advantage of the new calendar to set goals. I hope you do. We are change oriented people. Let me pause so that truth can sink in. There is a lot of talk about how “people” (and that really means us) resist or don’t like change. There is certainly some truth to that, however, it is equally true (and maybe more true) that, as Christians, we have dedicated ourselves to an ongoing process of change. In theology, we call it sanctification, which we usually interpret to mean growing in holiness.

The change of calendar is kind artificial, but there are rhythms built into creation by God Himself. These rhythms offer opportunities to pause, reflect, and realign. The most obvious is the rhythm of night and day. In the middle of the book of Lamentations – a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem – Jeremiah writes these words of hope (Lamentations 3:22-24):

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”  

Did you catch that? The mercies of God are new every morning! This is a poem, but the meaning is clear, God continues to offer mercy to us. And the rhythms of His creation provide a tangible opportunity to reconnect with Him and the mercy He offers us. So new year, new mercy. New day, new mercy. New moment, new mercy. With God being so rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), what goals are you going to set in this new season? In particular, what goals are you going to set to be more like Christ, to engage with His mission more intentionally, and to delight in Him more fully?

 Pursue Christ – He is enough,

            Pastor Jeff