By the tender mercy of our God, the
dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
(Luke 1:78-79)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
These final words of the prophesy given by Zechariah, the
father of John the Baptist, capture well the spirit of the beginning of our new
church year with the seasons of Advent and Christmas. As we celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus, we
also look forward with anticipation to Christ’s next coming. We celebrate the hope that is found in Christ
for those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. We rejoice that evil, war, and death have
been overcome by Christ and do not hold the final say.
I find myself reflecting on all of the ways that God has
been a blessing in my own life, offering me light in the darkness and guiding
my feet into the way of peace. Whenever
I have been lost in the darkness, God has provided light for my journey – light
which I have most clearly seen through the church and my loved ones. Any time I have wondered where I should go
next in life, God has illuminated my path with wisdom and love and guided me
into the way of peace.
As a congregation, we stand at the beginning of another year
of ministry together. While my journey
intertwined with yours part-way through this past year and will untwine again
part-way through this coming year, it is my hope that our journey together is
rooted in Christ’s light. We have an
opportunity to reflect together on the ways God is calling us to be light for
those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. We have an opportunity to be advocates of
God’s Kingdom of love, life, and peace in this world full of hate, death, and war. What will that look like for us collectively
and individually? I look forward to
discerning that answer together with you.
God’s peace be with you,
Vicar Mike
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