Arise and Shine

Brrrr. A very cold Manitoba morning. Thank goodness the sun was shining bright. This gave us at least a little sense that things were not as bad as they seemed. One by one the band and I arrived at the Big Red Church. We chatted over cookies and coffee. The the band began rehearsing the selected songs. When they were done we began the recording of our service.

Here us our video:

The Texts for This Service:

Isaiah 60:1-3 / Luke 4:16-21 / Psalm 100

Isaiah encourages us to rise as the light of God shines in and around us; this shaping us to be vessels of God's glory. All while the earth and its peoples are covered in deep darkness. God is with us and we make present his goodness. This will attract peoples from all nations. Rulers will be drawn to the light rising in us and this will bring hope for healing. Luke presents Jesus at the outset of his work on earth. On the Sabbath day he reads a passage from the prophet Isaiah. The text speaks of God's spirit being in Jesus to announce good news for the poor, release for all who are kept captive, allow those who are blind to see, and set those who are oppressed free. When Jesus completes the reading of Isaiah all who are present are fascinated. Jesus responds by saying that the prophecy of Isaiah is now being fulfilled. Psalm 100 is a call to celebrate the presence of God. We are to follow God's way with gladness and joy in our hearts. We are reminded that God has shaped us to be who we are. We are the people of God. This leads us to enter the community of faith with gratitude. Thanksgiving is the key to our right relations with God. We are reminded that God is good and God's love will last for all time. God's faithfulness continues to all the generations of our human being.