This week at college we have been celebrating those saints who have inspired us, the every day saints, mums and dads or others who have been significant in our faith journeys, it has been great to take time to do this.
My faith journey has led me to this point and ordination as a deacon in July next year, something I would have thought as crazy 10 years ago. I have been so blessed to have many saints in my life, not least my parents who have prayed for me supported me, put up with me, but most of all loved me and shared Jesus with me. My testimony is not one of I once was a drug addict or alcoholic who has been transformed but the story of one who has had God's light shine into my life. As I have grown up I have looked further into the light and realised i have still needed to be changed and transformed, I haven't got there. It is the grace of God alone which has opened the windows of heaven.
I recall one day being told by someone at church(they were having a bad day to be fair) that I hope your halo dosent choke you Paul. If I boast in anything other than in Jesus Christ then it is me once more at the centre and all this is is a smug, self satisfied life. God has come that we may have life and life in it's fullness in abundance. So often when we proclaim good news it sounds anything but, yet recalling this weeks posts:
- Light brings warmth, it reveals and brings life.
- Prayer to me seems to be ideally suited to the image of light
The passage I started with John 1 seems to continue to be at the front and centre of my reflection.
Light is great but it can create in us feelings of vulnerability, fear and shame. But this light we have been looking at is not a light which seeks to destroy but is also life.
In the Bible we see light in various forms as something which leads, Moses was led to a burning bush, the children of Israel followed the fire by night (fire by night)...the wise men followed a star a lamp on a table and tongues of fire fell on those gathered in the upper room. In all these cases (if you forgive my use of fire as light) we see God leading people to life. My prayer is that we might be bearers of light.
Father of lightsyou never change and in you there is no darknessOpen our lives to the true light of the worldHoly Spirit fill our lamps with oil so we might bring your light with us wherever we goIn Jesus Christ's name
Amen
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