By the tender mercy of our God,
    the dawn from on high will break upon us,
 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79

When morning gilds the skies
my heart awakening cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer,
to Jesus I repair:
May Jesus Christ be praised! – Edward Caswall (1814-1878)

Light and Life to all he brings:

This morning, still thinking about yesterday’s post – fear, terrorism, and security #Brussels – I walked around the house one room at a time and I let the light in.

Most people call it “opening the blinds,” but I like to think of it as “recommitting myself to the light;” I think about opening myself, my spirit, my mind, to the new life and the possibilities that are inherent to any new day.

At this point I have already walked the dog, breathing in the fresh air and talking with God a little about the coming day. So raising the blinds puts a stamp of intention on my commitment to live as a disciple, a visual reminder of the new life that pours in to all that I am when I open myself – and the coming day – up to God’s promise, purpose, and plan.

Light flooding into the kitchen – “May I remember that you, Lord, are the bread of life, the living water, the astonishing wine.”

Open the blinds to the dining room (also known as Rebekah’s office when she’s working at home) – “May the work of ministry be a prism that redirects the stunning light of your love, Creator God, to shine exactly where it is needed.”

The windows in the family room gather up the light streaming in from the east – “Lord, bless this family, all over your world; here in Wake Forest, raising the grandchildren in Richmond, adventuring in Uzbekistan.”

Filling my study with the promise of a new day – “May every word I write speak light and hope and grace into lives around the world; may your light illuminate my thoughts, my words, my phrases, my articles, this blog, and my books…”

As I approach the end of a most remarkable decade in my life, I find myself more and more committed to what I am beginning to think of as “The Ministry of Light.”

Every new morning stands as a unique opportunity to invite peace, promise, purity, and purpose into the new day; this day; this one-of-a-kind opportunity to stand as witnesses to everything evil cannot ever overcome.

“What has come into being in [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:3-5).

Peace and promise – DEREK