Wide-eyed wise men wake from a day's rest and scan the heavens to find … ahhh yes, there it is … that celestial wonder-the guiding star. And their trek continues-from palaces rare, through raging deserts, past jealous Herod, to Bethlehem, and The Child. "God is Light," St. John reminds us, "And in Him is no darkness at all." Good news for these dark January days. Good news indeed, when it seems we, like those ancient monarchs, awake at dusk and trek through dimly lit terrain toward the dark uncertainty of the future. In this dark month, we celebrate the God who is LIGHT!  This January we will have many opportunities to explore what the light of God in Christ means for us.

January 4th is the Second Sunday after Christmas. During the twelve days of Christmas we continue to sing and be radiant over the goodness of God. We celebrate the light that the darkness has not overcome, Jesus Christ our Lord. That light is made known to us in the incarnation, God sharing our humanity in the Word made flesh. In communion, the Word is made flesh in us as well, that we may go forth from worship to share the light of Christ in our daily lives. The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the embodiment of God's grace-truth and love for the whole creation. Who do you know that needs God's love?  What better way to show them that love than to invite them to church?
Wide-eyed wise men wake from a day's rest and scan the heavens to find … ahhh yes, there it is … that celestial wonder-the guiding star. And their trek continues-from palaces rare, through raging deserts, past jealous Herod, to Bethlehem, and The Child. "God is Light," St. John reminds us, "And in Him is no darkness at all." Good news for these dark January days. Good news indeed, when it seems we, like those ancient monarchs, awake at dusk and trek through dimly lit terrain toward the dark uncertainty of the future. In this dark month, we celebrate the God who is LIGHT!  This January we will have many opportunities to explore what the light of God in Christ means for us.
January 4th is the Second Sunday after Christmas. During the twelve days of Christmas we continue to sing and be radiant over the goodness of God. We celebrate the light that the darkness has not overcome, Jesus Christ our Lord. That light is made known to us in the incarnation, God sharing our humanity in the Word made flesh. In communion, the Word is made flesh in us as well, that we may go forth from worship to share the light of Christ in our daily lives. The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the embodiment of God's grace-truth and love for the whole creation. Who do you know that needs God's love?  What better way to show them that love than to invite them to church?
January 6, 2004, The Epiphany of Our Lord, brings the twelve days of Christmas to an end and begins a season that will focus on God's revelation in Jesus. The day is filled with surprises, mysterious visitors, and exotic gifts. God's story leads us through unexpected twists and turns, and the mission of God's people introduces us to faith partners we have never expected. Will you make the journey to the Christ Child?  Zion Lutheran Church invites us to come worship him at 7:00 pm.
January 11, 2004, The Baptism of Our Lord, is the first Sunday after the Epiphany. Baptism is the beginning of a new story. It was for Jesus; it is for us. God claims us as sons and daughters, fills us with the Holy Spirit, and promises to travel the path with us-path that will bring us home. We have invited all who have been baptized since last January to be here. Jesus' ministry is inaugurated with his baptism. In our baptism we joined that mission. Are you pointing to Jesus as John the Baptist did?
January 18, 2004, is The Confession of St. Peter. On the rock of Peter's confession of faith, said Jesus, he would build his church. That apostle's simple yet world-shaking proclamation is the basis for all Christian unity. No matter what our differences (and we pray that they might diminish), we proclaim that Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God." This will also be the Sunday we celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the merger of Grace Lutheran Church and Peace Lutheran Church into Grace and Peace Lutheran Church.  How will we make confession of Christ that brings Grace and Peace to Peoria and the World?  Remember we, like Peter, need to watch out for Satan and not let him take control.
January 25, 2004, is The Conversion of St. Paul.  Within the season of Epiphany, a time of light and mission emphasis, we lift up today the moment when Saul was blinded by the light of Christ and directed onto the path that would make him Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles. Christ has promised to give us, like Paul, words and a wisdom to testify to him. Fittingly, this festival marks the conclusion of the week of prayer for Christian unity that was begun with Peter's confession.  Today also marks our annual meeting where we have the opportunity to make a real difference in the world as Paul did, and we can express our unity rather than dissension-the choice is ours.
You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, So that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.