Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of 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.
Thought for the Day: I was rereading a little history of our denomination, including a book entitled Disciples at Prayer (William O. Paulsell). In it, he looks at the spiritual development and different historical movements within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). A theologian by the name of John Thompson (1960’s) explained how our task as Christians is not to prove that God was active in the first century; the task is to affirm God’s presence in our current time. I am fascinated by the history of Christianity, specifically the early church. What I learn is inspiring, but Thompson is correct. We can never prove that God was active in the past. In fact, attempting to prove it is a significant waste of time. At the end of the day, faith is not to be proven, but lived. It is not to be charted and graphed, but demonstrated. There is much to learn from the past, but even with a time machine, our firsthand account of early Christians would still lead us back to the statement, “There is nothing to prove, only to appreciate.”
Prayer: I do not wish to prove your existence with any formula, except for the formula of faith which is my life. By your Spirit, O Gracious God, help me to make it so. Amen.
