Day 4

Come, true light.
Come, life eternal.
Come, hidden mystery.
Come, treasure without name. 
Come, reality beyond all words.
Come, person beyond all understanding.
Come, rejoicing without end.
Come, light that knows no evening.
Come, unfailing expectation saved.
Come, raising of the fallen.
Come, resurrection of the dead.
Come, all powerful, for unceasingly you create, refashion and change all things by your will alone.
Come, invisible whom none may touch and handle.
Come, for you continue always unmoved, yet at every instant you are wholly in movement; you draw  
     near to us who lie in hell, yet you remain higher than the heaven.
Come, for your name fills our hearts with longing and is ever on our lips; yet who you are and what 
     your nature is, we cannot say or know.
Come, Alone to the alone.
Come, for you are yourself the desire that is within me.
Come, the consolation of my humble soul.
Come, my joy, my endless delight. 
~Symeon the New Theologian, 949-1022

Scripture:  1 John 5:1-21

Observations: 1: Those who believe in Christ love God and those who love God love God's child. 2 How do we know we love God, by loving God's children and obeying God's commandments. 3-5: The commandments are not burdensome and they help us to overcome this world and you can only overcome if you believe in Christ. 6: Christ came by water and blood, not just water. (Christ did not come by baptism alone but by baptism and sacrifice). 7-8: Three things testify to the truth Spirit, water and blood. 9-10:  We believe a person' testimony; however, God's testimony is greater and will make a liar out of a non-believer. 11-12: The testimony is eternal life which is the Son. 13: Believe so that you might know. 14-15: Our confidence is that if we ask for what is according to God's will, God hears us.  16-17: We need to pray for all sins, and sin that leads to death. And we should pray especially for those whose sins have not led to death.  18-21: Those born of God keep safe from sinning and beware of idols.

Application:  Some times I wonder if I am loving others as God wants me to.  How do I be mindful that everyone is sinful, including myself; not coming across judgmental while still bringing awareness to individual sins, and then empowering people to overcome their sinfulness as a community and not individuals on their own.  How can I empower others to live according to God's will without being a strict officer of the law, but recognizing the intention of the law being a close relationship with God that in time produces fruits of the Spirit.  Beyond these wonderings, I realize that it is important to pray for others no matter their situation and that is why it is so important to have prayer partners within a congregation.  Overall, just keep returning to God and loving helps me to live in the water and the blood.

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you for all that you have given me.  Thank you for allowing me to be in ministry to all the world and may I continue to do your will.   Thank you Lord.  Amen.