3/17/09

The bright morning sunshine

This picture of a sunrise from Iceland is amazing! There is a special quality about it that awakens the senses and begs the question: What is next? I remember the first time I presented a sermon; how nervous I was and thought I would never be able to speak in public again. To my complete surprise those who critiqued what I did had very positive comments. There were however, a couple of comments that blindsided me. I didn't know gee whiz meant Jesus' whiskers and that Golly wasn't much better. It was a real eye-opener, something like the following passage from the book of Ephesians.....
Eph 5:8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Eph 5:9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
Eph 5:10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Eph 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Eph 5:12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
Eph 5:13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,
Eph 5:14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." ESV
It dawned on me that some of the language that I had taken for granted as being acceptable really wasn't and I needed to change. If anyone has ever worked the graveyard shift, you know that when you come out into the bright morning sunshine it hurts your eyes for only a little while and then you see everything with a new clarity. When the SON OF GOD wakes you up, believe me, you see sonshine indeed! Then you really ask the question: What is next?