{"id":2123,"date":"2020-12-30T18:33:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cnob.org\/?p=2123"},"modified":"2020-12-30T18:33:39","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:33:39","slug":"you-are-the-light-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnob.org\/?p=2123","title":{"rendered":"You Are the Light of the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cnob.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/photo-1521119714076-76db5cf68e0b.jpeg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2124\"   srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cnob.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/photo-1521119714076-76db5cf68e0b.jpeg?w=995&amp;ssl=1 995w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cnob.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/photo-1521119714076-76db5cf68e0b.jpeg?resize=300%2C216&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cnob.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/photo-1521119714076-76db5cf68e0b.jpeg?resize=768%2C553&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\" \/><figcaption>Gift Habeshaw, unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A number of years ago, my then minister, Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock, preached a sermon in which she talked about light. She reminded us that the light of Jesus\u2019 time was the light of an oil lamp not the light of a light bulb and certainly not the light of a spot light. Her point was simple, the light Jesus describes does not usually allow us to see the end of our journey or even the whole picture; often it only allows us to see the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>This year this image has taken on particular significance for me, not just in our need to live one step at a time, but also as a fitting description of most of us. Our lives are not typically grand bright shiny affairs, our light shines more like a candle or the oil lamp of Jesus\u2019 day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we come to the end of what is the strangest year most of us have experienced, I am most grateful for the small and gentle light that others have brought to my life. I am grateful for<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A phone call on a day when I was feeling low<\/li><li>A text telling me to check my front steps for a small gift<\/li><li>A kind word and recognition for the ministry we are trying to provide<\/li><li>An email letting me know that I am remembered<\/li><li>An adult beverage (socially distanced) in the backyard where for a time we can pretend things are normal<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This has not been a year for grand gestures; we have not been able to undertake large plans or impressive programs. Instead, as Jesus describes us, we have been asked to be the light of the world; the lamp on the stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we look forward to 2021, it is with great uncertainty, but even greater hope. In the midst of hope for a vaccine and the lifting of restrictions and a return to \u2018normal\u2019, our greater hope is to be found in our love for each other and in our Saviour who is the light of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy New Year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.&nbsp;No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.&nbsp;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. (Matthew 5:14-16)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A number of years ago, my then minister, Rev. Dr. Karen Dimock, preached a sermon in which she talked about light. She reminded us that the light of Jesus\u2019 time was the light of an oil lamp not the light of a light bulb and certainly not the light of a spot light. Her point [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,3,6],"tags":[92,90,91],"class_list":["post-2123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-christian-education-archive","category-congregational-development","category-w-m-s","tag-light","tag-new-year","tag-pastoral"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>You Are the Light of the World - CNOB<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnob.org\/?p=2123\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"You Are the Light of the World - CNOB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A number of years ago, my then minister, Rev. 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