Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day. – Elanor Farjeon

When Rebekah and I moved to North Carolina we were thankful for the years we had enjoyed in the Sunshine State and at the same time happy to leave Florida behind. But one thing we will always miss and always appreciate when we visit is the Florida sky.

The timing was good then, this weekend in Jacksonville, when the sunrise invited us to celebrate the first Sunday in Advent with such a beautiful invitation into newness and light.

I immediately thought about the following words about Jesus from The Song of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79): “The rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Jesus is like the rising sun, offering light and guiding us into the path of peace.

This is the image I would like to offer on this the first day of December. This is the path to Christmas, the path of peace, flooded with light from Jesus, who is the rising sun.

Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s recreation of this – (and every) new day. – DEREK