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| Image by Gilles Gonthier |
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A GREETING
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
(Psalm 143:10)
A READING
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
(John 1:6-13)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
(Psalm 61:2)
A REFLECTION
We need to step out and feel the way, how the Spirit guides. The wind and current come from behind to usher us forward. God is saying we must walk first, not follow, and feel the allure of the Spirit along the way, to trust that the fresh perspective will come as a wind or current from behind. We know this when we respond to what deeply nourishes the heart.
- from The Soul's Slow Ripening
by Christine Valters Paintner
VERSE OF THE DAY
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
(Psalm 23:6)
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| "John the Baptist," by Jack Baumgartner |
In any relationship of following, there is someone who goes before, who is leading. We think of ourselves as following in the discipleship of Jesus through our baptism. But how can we also be the ones who go before God to help make the way easier for others? In the stories of countless prophets, the prophet feels the call of God to leave behind what they have known and move to another place. They are following God's call but they are also going before others who might do the same. The relationship between following and going before, means that those who are natural leaders can offer their gift in the form of making a difference in the lives of others. Going before others requires us to listen to the movement of Spirit in our lives. Rather than waiting for someone else to get going first, we can hear the Spirit calling us into an action, and we can move into that particular activity or decision.
Going before God requires courage. It means trusting in God's goodness and desire for our well-being despite the hardships we may face. We go before God knowing that we are accompanied by God as much as when we follow the leadership of others.
In the story of Celtic Christianity, many monks went out into new lands entirely on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Saints like Columba, Kevin (and others we will come to know in the Celtic story) set out for places where no one had been before. They went before God listening to Spirit. In the Christian story, John the Baptist comes to prepare people for Jesus. Today's reading tells us that he is "not the light but came to testify to the light." In both Greek and Hebrew, the word for light also carries a meaning of being luminescent or giving off light. John was neither light nor darkness, but a powerful spiritual presence.
In our own world, we need those among us who are willing to go before and those who are willing to follow. Who are you in this scenario? When have you followed in the call of others and when have you led change?
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| Image by Andy Simonds |
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LC† Come Holy Darkness is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year. Thank you and peace be with you!