January 7th, 2022
This Friday's devotion comes from Brian Dunn. Brian loves to decorate for Christmas both at his house, and at God's house. This year on Christmas Eve, Brian and his family set up luminaries outside the church. While doing so, Brian was given a message from God that he is now sharing with us. Enjoy!
- Reverend Dave
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Luminaries on Christmas Eve are perhaps my most vivid and favorite church memory from my childhood. I remember Pitney Road and Church Street lined with gallon milk containers with lit candles in them, shining in the darkness of a December night as we arrived for worship. It’s a tradition I replicated at my childhood home with my dad and continue at our home with my kids to this day, so I jumped at the opportunity to bring this back to church as well this year.
The number one enemy of luminaries is always the weather, and every Christmas Eve is so different. This year brought mild temperatures, clear skies, and no wind which was great for an evening full of light. Christmas Day brought the dreaded rain, however, and I quickly envisioned the typical mess that likely awaited me. Bags destroyed, wet sand, and ruined battery-operated candles were what I expected. Instead I found all 50 bags completely intact, and although admittedly not as bright, all 100 candles were amazingly still lit nearly 24 hours later!
As I switched off each candle I couldn’t help but think of God’s power and the hope that Christmas brings. If a tiny battery can keep a candle lit for a full day even through the rain, surely Jesus is enough to keep us going each day, even well beyond the Christmas season. This pandemic has taken so much and drained us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But the one constant through it all has been God. He’s been right beside us every step of the way and His power hasn’t diminished. So as we enter a new year and face challenges old and new, please remember the luminaries from Christmas Eve, leading us not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus but also to tap into God’s power to allow us to be light in the darkness.
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” - Ephesians 3:20 NLT
- Brian Dunn
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