Sharing the Light

I took a hike the other day. I went to a favorite and familiar place and walked along a trail that came alongside a creek flanked by tall trees that stood like sentinels.  The sun was overhead shining down through the canopy of branches and leaves with bright shafts of light that were greeted by the lowly plants along the bank of the creek.  One, bathed in the warm light, stretched out its leaves and raised its flower head to seize the moment of relief from dark and damper days.  

Hungry for light. Thirsty for warmth. The plants and I stood there beside the living water -- renewed, grateful.

We hunger for the light. We are thirsty for the warmth of assurance in the midst of a cloudy, confusing, and conflicted world beset by change and decay.

Daily we hear news rife with scandal, we discover another limitation of body or mind, we are reminded of impending consequences.   

We hunger and thirst for God. 

Blessed are they that come to know that the hunger in us is God’s hunger for us.  

Blessed are we who come to believe that the thirst in us is God’s thirst to love, to welcome, to bless, to heal.  

Pentecost Sunday

June 4, 2017

Prayer of the Day

O God, on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Today I attended the first day of the annual assembly of the Lower Susquehanna Synod. This afternoon we were reminded of the deep hunger and thirst that exists in the world and that God is looking to the Church to attend to this. We are called to be God's mission to love and bless the world.

On average, we learned, a Lutheran invites someone to worship once every twenty-one years, If current trends continue the church faces a crisis of survival (as we know it) in the next 5 to 10 years. In the last 30 years, the average Sunday worship attendance in our churches has decreased by over 50%. This is not a sustainable trend. 

Rooted in the Word of God, we are called to reach out beyond our comfort zone and witness to the Light of the World. Will the Church rediscover an urgency to faithfully follow Jesus in lives of service and commitment? Can we together share the light of Christ?

What impediments exist that cause us to stumble?

I would like to initiate a deep study and exploration of the Acts of the Apostles. Prayerfully consider your willingness to engage in such a study with me. Let me know if you would like to learn more. Once I hear from several of you, we can determine a time and place to make a start. I look forward to hearing from you.  email me at: cakfrye@gmail.com or call 717-253-0322.