THE GOOD SHEPHERD: REST FOR A WEARY SOUL

WE ARE WEARY

Fr’s Brad and Shane have spoken the last couple of weeks about the struggles each of us have been facing. Many of us have been uncomfortable, a few of us have been close to despair.  

For myself I was frustrated, discouraged, and tired of waiting.  There are some pretty major life changes I’ve been praying about for sometime, and I desired to be obedient.  I thought God was going to move in a certain way in a certain time frame.  And He didn’t.  I was confused.  Then sad.  Then angry.

I am a sheep.  I am dumb.  and shortsighted.  and forgetful.  I’m prone to wandering.  And left to my own devices I will be devoured by the wolves.  I recently wandered, ever so carelessly away from the shepherd, and I felt the wolves nipping at my heels.  But I heard the voice of my shepherd, and as I turned, he whisked me up in to his arms.  Into His safety.

PSALM 23

Psalm 23 is so familiar.  Because of its familiarity we can miss the rich promises held within.

It is a psalm that is very dear to me. When our son Noah was born with a congenital heart defect, knowing we'd only have him here with us for a very short period of time, knowing the road we were on, I held onto the promise - yea tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil for thou art with me. It sustained me through those days with him, then on to the months of grief.

The Lord is my Shepherd is the starting place.  If we know who our Shepherd is.

John 10: 11 - 16

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

He has laid down his life for us.

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  1 John 3:16

What a wondrous truth that the God of the universe would choose to identify himself as a Shepherd.  Through out history being a shepherd was a lowly occupation.  We see in Samuel that David the youngest of brothers was delegated to watch over the sheep. When Samuel came looking for the King amongst Jesse’s sons, all but David were present. It wasn’t until they were all rejected that Samuel asked if there was another, and he was told that “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep”  

In Jesus time shepherds were a despised class because their work prevented them from keeping the ceremonial laws, and as they moved about the country it was common for them to be regarded as thieves.  They were considered unreliable and were not allowed to give evidence in the courts.

In The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 23/ Verse 1. "The Lord is my shepherd." What condescension is this, that the infinite Lord assumes towards his people the office and character of a Shepherd!

So Jesus the Messiah, Son of God sitting at the right hand of the Father having authority over heaven and earth chooses to be our shepherd, chooses to care for us...

He knows us.

He created us, we are his.

He knows us better than ourselves.

He calls us to himself.

He has come for us, wooed us to himself.

Our heart responds to his love.

We know his voice.  

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Matthew 9:36

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." Luke 15:4-6

What does the Shepherd do?

HE BRINGS US TO HIS REST

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

I shall not want.  

It is a fact.  

Because Jesus is our Shepherd everything we NEED is provided. But sometimes that's not enough. He may not provide what we WANT.

And left on my own I am so easily distracted, I wander off.  

Or I resist being dependent and obedient so I try to make my own way and provide myself.  

We are inclined to starve ourselves in the presence of the Lord’s good provision.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Green pastures  - physical provision

or rest

or spiritual provision - feeding on the Word.  

He MAKES us lie down.  

We feed on what is good for us.  

We can rest.

Jesus brings restoration and renewal.

He has to make us lie down.  But when we submit, it is sweet and filling and restful.

And the Lord leads us beside these "still waters;" we could not go there of ourselves, we need his guidance. Therefore it is said, "he leadeth me."  At those still waters we find refreshment.  We need to drink of the living water that alone will satisfy.

When Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well he said:

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Those still waters are living waters, giving life.

Our shepherd desires to bless us.  He is attentive every moment.  He cares for us with great affection.

REST IN REFRESHMENT, REST IN HIS CARE IN HARD SEASONS

But in life storms come.  There are seasons of struggle and grief.  

He has led us to still waters, has he not also led us to this valley.

The psalm says:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

Yea, though I walk," we still calmly walk with God. To walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed. (Spurgeon)

It is not "the valley of death," but "the valley of the shadow of death," for death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains.

We know the care and character of our Shepherd.  We know he is faithful to protect.

The valley of the shadow of death, whether referring to our final walk through death to Jesus, Or symbolic of our times of suffering in life, we keep walking.  

We do not have to fear, 

Jesus love cast out all fear, 

and he has broken the power of sin and death.

He is with us,

His rod corrects us,

His staff directs us.  

We find comfort in His presence.   

He has prepared us for this journey, we just need to stay the course.  

Listen for his voice.  

He will lead us safely through.  and in the midst of it ...

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Spurgeon says of these verses:

"Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!"

Even in the midst of suffering Jesus welcomes us to a feast.  Even as he prepared for his arrest and crucifixion he celebrated the passover feast with his disciples.  He sat at the table and broke the bread and passed the wine as his enemies were gathering. He does this for us now.

"Thou anointest my head with oil." "May we live in the daily enjoyment of this blessing, receiving a fresh anointing for every day's duties. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil." Spurgeon

In the old testament Anointing with oil is a sign of consecration, each priest was anointed. Sanctified and set apart for the priesthood. In the new testament Spiritual anointing with the Holy Ghost is conferred upon Christians by God.  Anointing "expresses the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God.  

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:21 - 22   

So overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and grace and mercy David exclaims: “My cup overflows”

In the care of our shepherd there is an endless supply of blessing on our behalf.

Goodness and mercy follow him always—"all the days of his life"—the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins.  (Spurgeon)

He brings us safely home.

"And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."  

We know that this is certain because we are sons of God.  Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.

Revelation 7:16 - 17

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

So, where are you today?  

Is the Good Shepherd calling your name to bring you into the flock?

Have you wandered off and He is wooing you back?

Are you resting in His green pastures and by the still waters?

Are you walking through a valley?

In the midst of the valley are you feasting at the table He's prepared for you? Is your cup overflowing?

 

Can you say "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of the days of my life and I will dwell in His house forever?

Each week in a very tangible way we walk through this Psalm together as we gather.

We welcome our Good Shepherd and we acknowledge He is present.

We find rest and refreshment in His Word.

We are reminded He has overcome death and that he is with us in this life as we walk through its reverberating effects.

We feast at His table.

He reminds us He has set us apart, we are Holy.

By the end of the service our cup overflows in joy as we sing:

For us and for our salvation You came from heaven to earth

For love You carried the cross, crucified for the life of the world

Alleluia! What a Savior!

Alleluia!
PURCHASE

Dad and Me, Thanksgiving 2013

The last days  

sweet and hard 

too many words, not enough time

One last hug

holding his hand till the very last

praying, constant praying

laughter and tears

quiet moments reading him the promises

death leads to life

but for us left behind there is a void

but a year has passed

trips to Publix on Sunday still make me sad

March madness reminds me of him

oh how he'd love Magnolia

and all of the great grand babies yet to come

and sometimes I just need my Dad

but he lives what I hope for

his faith has been made complete

he sees You face to face

and one day I will too

  

We Are the Sheep of His Pasture

Jubilate Deo. Psalm c. 

O Be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth from generation to generation. BCP 1928

I have been reading Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, the latest selection by my book group. Hardy has long been one of my favorite authors, and the audio version I'm listening to is delightful. The protagonist is a young farmer/shepherd Gabriel Oak. Much of the story revolves around his relationship with a beautiful young woman, Bathsheba Everdene. But throughout the novel we see Gabriel as the shepherd, the one skillfully, compassionately and lovingly caring for his flock. Early on Hardy describes his care of a newborn sheep:

"He returned to the hut, bringing in his arms a new-born lamb, consisting of four legs large enough for a full-grown sheep, united by a seemingly inconsiderable membrane about half the substance of the legs collectively, which constituted the animal's entire body just at present.

The little speck of life he placed on a wisp of hay before the small stove, where a can of milk was simmering. ... The lamb revived by warmth, began to bleat, and the sound entered Gabriel's ears and brain with an instant meaning, as expected sounds will. Passing from the profoundest sleep to the most alert wakefulness with the same ease that had accompanied the reverse operation, he looked at his watch, found that the hour-hand had shifted again, put on his hat, took the lamb in his arms, and carried it into the darkness. After placing the little creature with its mother he stood and carefully examined the sky, to ascertain the time of night from the altitudes of the stars."

Shepherds are ever mindful of their flock. Ever present, aware of their need. Rescuing those in distress. Caring for the weak, the lost, the broken, and returning them well and whole to the flock.

Jesus is our shepherd.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Matthew 9:36

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  John 10:11 - 16

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." Luke 15:4-6

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17

We are like sheep. We need a shepherd. When we are lost we need found. When we are wounded, we need healing. When life is difficult we need His comfort. We always need his presence.

I Need Thee Every Hour
 Words: Annie Hawks

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord; 
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby; 
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
O I need Thee every hour;
I need you Lord, O bless me now, 
My Savior, I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain; 
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain
I need Thee every hour, teach me Thy will; 
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One; 
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son

I need Thee every hour, I need Thee every hour,
I need Thee every hour, I need Thee every hour.



And Jesus calls to us...

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Matt 11:28

Today let's not despise our weakness, let's delight in our ever-present shepherd, resting in Him alone. Trusting in His care.

Loves The Reason Why You Brought Me Here

Loves The Reason That You Brought Me Here
Preached at Four Winds Mission  2/1/15

Preparing for my trip to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago with Erin, Shane and Kevin, I confess I wondered why I was going. It was a conference about worship, and I’m not a worship leader. It was unexpected to be offered this opportunity. But God has been doing some crazy wonderful things in my life, and in my heart and I jumped at the chance to follow his leading into the unknown. By day one I was so thankful. I was so overwhelmed by His love and grace for bringing me to that place at that time. There was a sense that it was divinely appointed. This gratitude swept away the last vestige’s of regret that it took so long to get to this place in my life. For a moment I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.


One of my favorite songs right now is by Andy Gullahorn, it’s called Why You Brought Me Here. It starts out saying:

I know I’ll get an answer
that I won’t understand If I ask
that your intentions be made clear
I know your plans are greater
And in that greater plan
Lie the reasons why you brought me here


The words of this song give me comfort because it reminds me of the reality I often forget;

Life is not a random string of circumstances.

We are part of the larger story of redemption by our loving Father. Often we don’t

understand. We aren’t God. We can’t see the larger picture. We thank God when our lives

are happy and comfortable, then we’re confused and angry when we’re blindsided by painful

and difficult situations in our lives. We are not alone in our myopic vision:

I​n Deuteronomy 8 Moses reminds Israel of who their rescuer and provider is:
15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, 

Despite miracle after miracle being done on their behalf, in their years in the desert they had forgotten that their God had saved them. He provided for them every step of the way. Moses knew they needed to be reminded.

But their story didn’t start with their suffering in Egypt. And in looking further back our perspective shifts from Gods intervention into a specific circumstance to a wider view of how he is at work in our w​orld. Hundreds of years before, when Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, this evil act was used by God to go before and prepare a way for Israel. When famine came to Israel and they had to seek the mercy of the leaders in Egypt, Joseph was there to provide. Egypt became a refuge and new home for Jacob’s family, their children and on for many generations. But this was never meant to be their permanent home. For a time life was good, food was plenty, they were treated well by the Egyptians. But a time came when things changed and they were no longer guests but slaves, and life became hard and dangerous and they cried out to the Lord for rescue. It was time for them to leave this place that was once a refuge and move on to the land that God had for them so that the next chapters of God’s story of redemption could be revealed.

This is our story too. Like the Israelites in Egypt we settle into the routine of life. What God has provided as blessing we take for granted, and when it is threatened we cry out for help. But is it really God we want, or do we just want our peaceful life to return?

Because of God’s great love for us he disrupts us. He reveals our longing and need for Him. He meets us and moves us on to life much richer and deeper.

This is the Gospel.

Gods love brought us redemption, reconciliation with Him when we were His enemies. That same love woos us back to him when we wander, wakes us when we fall asleep.

The verses about Gods love for us are familiar. We may have read them so often the weight of it is lost on us.

John 3:16 16 “For God so loved the world,fn that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Eph 2:4­5 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

One of the most beautiful pictures of the gospel in literature is In Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, Les Miserable. The hero of the story, Jean Valjean spent 19 years in prison for the crime of stealing a loaf of bread to save his sister’s son from starvation. He had nothing and no where to go. He ended up at the door of Bishop Bienvenue’s.

Jean Valjean was welcomed into the Bishop’s house from which, fed a meal and given a place to see. In fear and desperation he fled in the middle of the night, taking the Bishops silver with him. He was apprehended by the police returned to the Bishop’s house to answer for his new crime. 

The Bishop declared the silver to be a gift freely given, and then threw in two silver candlesticks that the Bishop claimed Jean Valjean had left behind in error.

Bishop Bienvenue removed Jean Valjean’s chains of “hatred, mistrust and anger,” and ransomed his soul from evil to reclaim him for God.

This act of grace led to Jean Valjean’s salvation. He went on to care for the helpless and victimized. The grace that Jean Valjean received he extended to others.

This is the goodness of God that we’ve each experienced. Sin forgiven. Declared righteous on the basis of someone else’s life. Given abundant blessing.

W​hen God in his mercy illuminates our sin and brings us to faith in Christ, we understand and believe that we are unable to save our selves. Christ alone is our salvation. How amazing that God our Father loves us, has made a way of reconciliation with him, and pursues us.
And sends the Holy Spirit who renews us...

In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and

believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 1​4 w​ho is the guaranteef​n​of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,f​n​to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:13

Why then do we start to rely on ourselves to live out our life of faith. We try to continue what Christ started in our own strength. We just need to do better, try harder. And when we fail, or the hard things of life hit, we become discouraged and angry. We can be so busy doing for Jesus that we stop being with Jesus.

We are not alone. Paul confronted the Galatians in 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected byf the flesh?

Our flesh will always choose independence, self will and self sufficiency. It is what led Eve in the garden to eat from the tree. It is what Moses warned the Israelites about in the desert (Deut) “17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

But our spirit knows we were created for God, we are not meant to be separated from Him. We long for him. And the battle within us rages on.

Rev. Ashley Null says:
What a heart loves, the will chooses, the mind justifies.

What we love is what we will choose and we will find a way to justify it.

With grace God is revealing to me daily the things I love more than Him, These are not bad things, evil things, but they often are the things I look to for life. Jesus alone is the source of life.
So despite the fact that we are the prodigal sons, the one who wants his inheritance to squander on the pleasures of life, and/or the the son who does his duty, and seeks to earn favor by his obedience. Our Father loves us so much that seeks us out, he hikes up his robes and in humiliation runs far off to embrace us. I picture myself lifted off of my feet, washed in the kisses and joyful tears of a Father so delighted to have his child with him.

And still the love of Christ pursues us.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go ­ Scottish Pastor George Matheson
1. O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe, That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be.
2. O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, That in thy sunshines​blaze its day May brighter, fairer be.
3. O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain, And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust lifes​glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be.
And our heart responds with love.


We can love God because he first loved us 1John 4:19

His love, moves our heart to love Him and our desire and longing is for Him. to be with Him.
When I started visiting Four Winds, I came as many of you, wounded and broken. I felt abandoned by God. invisible and unloved. The first Sunday here I was overwhelmed by the love of this body, especially the children. That alone seemed reason enough to have ended up here that morning. Then Father Brad got read scripture. And he read the verse in Jeremiah that I had been holding on to, that was my last thread of hope:

Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfarefn and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

And in that moment I thought maybe God hadn’t forgotten me. And that hope in my heart, refreshed my faith.

As I came back week after week to receive God’s love through his people, the Father gently whispered that He did see me, that He did love me, that He had not left me. His love reignited the flickering flame of my love for Him, and in the process brought healing and joy.

And I know my story is not unique. WE have all been wounded. We have been broken.
We do suffer. But our suffering should not take us by surprise. We read of the suffering of Israel in the old testament. How did Paul and the other disciples suffer for Christ? They even tell us it is part of our journey. Romans 8:14 ­ 18 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.  For consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.


But Gods love makes us travel down roads we don’t want to go to places we don’t want to leave. (A. Null)

In God’s great mercy he’s brought us here, He’s brought us healing through the love of Christ, poured out in this body. It is no accident that you are sitting here today. How has God brought healing and restoration in your life? How is He continuing to work through our pain and brokeness? Praise God that everyday we get to encounter the Love of God anew. And we are called to extend that love and grace to others. We delight in loving God, but we are called to so much more.

Jesus said in Luke 10:27 27 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

What will it look like for us to love our neighbor? We can start by entering into the work God is already about. Welcoming the broken. Being present and praying. Loving them well, which takes time, and a lack of agenda. Bringing joy and hope into our community.
It also means loving and supporting artists and welcoming them here. Art and Beauty can be used of God to reach the guarded broken hearts in our communities. Art will connect with the internal longing for life and peace. The unidentified longing for God. Caring for artists will transform not just their individual lives, but will encourage and equip them to be a source of transformation in our culture.

Artist and advocate Makoto Fujimura reminds us:
“The arts provide us with language for mediating the broken relational and cultural divides: the arts can model for us how we need to value each person as created in the image of God.” He goes on to say;
“Create we must, and respond to this dark hour. The world needs artists who dedicate themselves to communicate the images of Shalom. Jesus is the shalom. Shalom is not just the absence of war, but wholeness, healing and joy of fullness of humanity. We need to collaborate within our communities, to respond individually to give to the world our Shalom Vision. “

Our brokenness, will lead to wholeness, because of the love of God.

Andy Gullahorn finishes his song saying;
It hurts to be so broken
But its bearable somehow
As the grounds to prove I’m worthy disappear 
I’ve always heard you loved me 
And I think I know it now
It’s a reason why you brought me here 
Love’s the reason why you brought me here
Love is the reason that God brought you and me here.

Our lives our intricately wound in the tapestry of Gods story. At this place and time the threads of our life are intersecting and being used to create a beautiful representation of the gospel. The most beautiful works of art contain light and dark places. The light and color more brilliant against the contrast of darkness. God is the Master Artist, each thread is securely in His Hand. He weaves a tapestry that brings Him glory and in the process brings life to the world. Brings life to us, brings life through us.

There is a prayer that is part of the liturgy for this 4th Sunday after Epiphany. 
It is I think the perfect way to close.

O God,
you spoke your word
and revealed your good news in Jesus, the Christ.
Fill all creation with that word again,
so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations 
and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples,
we may become one living body,
your incarnate presence on the earth. Amen.