For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14

Good morning.  Did you know you are wonderfully made?  Yes, you reading this right now.  The Creator of the Entire Universe has made you, and you are wonderfully made.

Have you ever just stopped to think about this?  Have you ever pondered that fact that you are not only a creation of God, but a wonderfully made creation of God?

The Psalmist did and reflects on that in Psalm 139 (and others).  So sometime today take a moment and reflect.  Maybe as you meditate upon this fact, you could write something about yourself that reflects God’s creation.  Perhaps you could write a song, or a poem, or just a few lines.  Then give thanks to God for God’s wonderful creation…you.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

³⁹Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of his word. ⁴²They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42

This passage comes from the story of the woman at the well.  A Samaritan woman. 

When Jesus meets with her alone, it could be considered scandalous – for Jewish men would not meet with an unrelated woman alone, nor would they associate with Samaritans.

But Jesus breaks those rules – they are not of God, rather were barriers placed by humans, and when He breaks them, look what happens.  The woman returns to her village to proclaim the messiah, they invite Jesus to come and they learn from Him.  This village of Samaritans become followers of Jesus – because Jesus chose to reach out to them.

On this day we set aside to honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the civil rights struggle, we should remember what Jesus did, and always does.  Jesus reaches out to those others deem different.  Jesus reaches out to those others deem unclean, or unworthy, or any other negative connotation.  Jesus loves.

On this Monday of inauguration week, let us look to Jesus as our model.

Peace

Pastor Bill

With all the division in our nation, at the suggestion of a congregation member, I want a meaningful dialogue with people of all faiths and traditions on “The Great Seconds”, the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independance (all people are created equal) and the second Great Commandment (love one another as you love yourself) – from the Judeo-Christian background. If you want to take part in meaningful dialogue after viewing, please contact me at revbillwisneski@gmail.com.

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore.  Psalm 133

Unity.  Something that has been missing for a very long time in our nation.  It seems like I’m constantly talking about divisions between people.  And at times it seems like our nation will never heal.

But we always have.  No matter what happens, we have the capacity to overcome the divisions, work together and heal.

This is the same for the nation, for businesses, for industries, for the church and for households.

It takes prayer and it takes work.  And honestly the most important work is prayer.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land

(2 Chronicles 7:14).

Join me today in prayer for unity in our nation for the hard work needs to be done.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60:1

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

Since New Year’s Day, it has gotten darker in our neighborhood.  Many have turned off their Christmas lights.  Some of us will keep them on until January 6^th, the Feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate the arrival of the Wise Men (although we did that in worship yesterday). 

This shows the great dichotomy between secular and sacred Christmas.  In secular Christmas the decorations routinely go up the Friday after Thanksgiving (although many started earlier in 2020), the Christmas carols begin to play through November, and everything stops right after Christmas day.  The radio stations return to their regular format and you stop hearing about Rudolph, Frosty and Santa.

Sacred Christmas, however, really begins Christmas Eve when we light the Christ Candle and continues through 12 days until January 6^th.  Yet even that can be extended – the Vatican does not remove the Nativity until February 2^nd, the Feast of the Presentation (Luke 2:22-40) 

Personally, I find it interesting that many of the major world religions and cultures have a celebration of light around December (Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas and Kwanzaa as examples) but then we take the lights down during January – which tends to be dark and cold.  Last year I left up a string of white lights through January as a reminder that we are to spread the light.

And that is really the point here, it is not about when you put up or take down your Christmas decorations, rather about being the light of the world, as Jesus calls us (Matthew 5:14-16) and as the light of the world, we are to shine brightly.

As we begin a New Year, be the light.  Be the one who is different, who shines when others are dim, who sheds positive light when others are down, who spreads joy instead of despair.  Be the light of Christ, share the light of Christ.

May God bless us all in this New Year,

Peace,

Pastor Bill