Let There Be Light
“You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
Sunday’s service was about (salt and) light. Pastor David spoke about this in his message. The choir sang an anthem entitled “Let it Shine!” and the lyrics of the hymns included words like “this little light of mine” and “It only takes a spark to keep a fire going…”
Last week our church hosted almost 20 unhoused women for dinner, conversation, a cozy bed, and breakfast before heading back to Cass Community Center. This ministry and its outreach offer support to homeless women in transition who are seeking new futures. While one week is not a huge amount of time, it does require intense planning and preparation in order for it to be successful. On Tuesday of last week, the power went out at 1 AM and quickly the church was COLD. There was a flurry of “Plan B” discussion. Memorial Church, scheduled to bring in dinner that evening, graciously offered to host dinner at their church but could not host guests overnight due to the fire Marshall’s restrictions. We knew that something would need to be in place by 4 PM in the event the power did not come on. There was no alternate plan and we prayed fiercely for answers. God responded. Power WAS restored by 4:00 and we were able to host our guests for dinner and overnight as planned.
Admittedly we worried our “light would be hidden under a basket”…we feared our plans would be ruined. But, God had our backs – and as the lights and heat came on we rejoiced and gave thanks that we could carry on. After a brief setback, we “lifted our lights” …so they could continue to shine. While our week offered comfort and hopefully peace for our guests, we as God’s children, realized the privilege of helping others. It was our time to shine that light – and thankfully we could do that.
Marcia Wright
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