"And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown'. And he replied: 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way." - Minnie Louise Haskins

     A dear colleague who grew up at a small United Methodist Church in Oklahoma and attended Church camps throughout her youth, posted this quote on her wall on New Year’s Eve. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli is Lead Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington D.C. Ginger’s sharing resonates with me as we move into our season of worship, “Let There Be Light!” It may be easier to walk in light when it is fully around us. When the light is faint or just enough to cast shadows, then we may be unsure of which way to go. The light that God provides comes to us in the darkness. That is what I think it means to take God’s hand—for God leads us into a way that is light.

      For the next several weeks we will explore what it means to “walk as a child of the light… to follow Jesus.” (Kathleen Thomerson). Each week we will read of the scriptures of Jesus’ early ministry according to the Gospel of Matthew. Walking as a child of Light does not mean we never encounter or enter darkness. If we are going where Jesus goes, we will need to know what it feels like to take God’s hand in the darkness.

     As you prepare to come to worship, pray for God to lead you into the Light that is the love and peace of Jesus Christ. Just as we shared the light of Christ on Christmas Eve, we are called to share the love of God who meets us in the darkness. Do you have a friend or acquaintance who is struggling? Invite them to sit with you in worship.

     What new way will God reveals to us? Let us find it together, as God has hold of each one of us.

Pastor Carol