Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9.2 (NIV)

Today’s Reading

Read the verse through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’

John 8.12 (NIV)

Have you ever been anywhere that is truly dark? Where there is no light at all? I have, once or twice, in caves deep underground. One very special experience was in the glow worm caves in Waitomo, New Zealand. We travelled into the cave on big tyre-like tubes (and wet suits, thankfully). Inside the caves, we turned off all the lights. It was completely black – and then as we drifted into the glow worm section we started to see little pinpricks of light all over the tunnel walls. It was so beautiful!

Thankfully in the cave we couldn’t get lost – we were drifting along the underground stream, and had experienced guides at the front and back of the group.

The startling thing about these words of Jesus it suggests we all walk in darkness, stumbling around, lost and helpless, without the light that only he brings. I have to say sometimes it can feel like I’m stumbling around in life, not really sure what I’m doing, making things up as I go along. And when I look back on my life, those times have almost always coincided with times of spiritual darkness, when I’ve felt – and even been – far from God.

But this is a precious promise. Jesus doesn’t say we ‘might’ or even ‘probably’ have light: whoever follows him will have the light of life. Why? Because he is the light of the world. His job, his role, his mission, his delight, is to shine.

Friends, there’s a lot of darkness around in the world and within each of us. The only light that makes a difference, the only light that lasts, the only light that overcomes all darkness – even the darkness of death – is the light of life, which is only found in Jesus.

My prayer is that we would all find and follow the light of Jesus this Christmas.

Prayers

Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.

Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:

Price Family (Ash, Elsie, Emilia, Matt)

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

We also pray for: Lonely & Bereaved People

Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.

Church Family Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.

Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6

May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.