Prayer Tip--The Narrow Gate and a Firm Foundation
Daily Scripture
Matthew 7:13-14 and 24-27 (NRSV)
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Prayer
GPS Insights
Jennifer Creagar
This week's Prayer Tip is by Jennifer Creagar, who serves as the Community Assistance Coordination Director in Resurrection's Congregational Care Ministry. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.
It’s May, but it may be worth remembering what Resurrection does every December just before we sing “Joy to the World.” As we focus on Kate Bowler’s mission to enable us all to be Joyous, Anyway, this prayer tip adapted from one written by Angela LaVallie Tinsley in 2017, may guide you to the deepest source of joy in your life in time of happiness or trouble:
Every year, we conclude each Candlelight Christmas Eve Service in the same way. We extinguish the candles on the altar and in the Advent wreath and turn off the lights. A single lit candle is carried through the Sanctuary as a pastor reads to us from John 1:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
When the candle reaches the chancel, we use it to light the Christ candle. Then one candle is lit from the Christ candle, then another, then another… until the whole Sanctuary is lit up in the glow of thousands of candles. It’s really something to behold. Although I know it’s going to happen, I am always in awe that one little flame can grow to illuminate such a great space.
Jesus came into the world as just one small light, but when we allow that light to shape our lives and we, in turn, share that love with others, we can light up our darkened world. No matter what our current challenges or pain, that light can bring us joy, anyway.
