January 7th-10th - Let's Play!

Theme
Stop


Readings
Genesis 16:1-24:51-Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old
Matthew 6:1-8:17-Today's trouble is enough for today.
Psalm 7:1-9:20-I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart...
Proverbs 2:1-3:6-In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

God's Word
Stop and listen. I will guide you.

Story
It was an odd day. It began as a cloudy summer day. It was warm enough. It had reached into the eighties that afternoon. As I took my usual walk, I couldn't help but to stop by the creek and look at a container I had seen. I found a glass jar that was unmarked. It looked to contain what appeared to be blood. I opened the jar and dipped my finger in the red sticky substance. I lifted my finger to my nose to see if the drop had an odor. It looked like blood. I was fairly sure but not positive that this was blood. An odd discovery, finding a jar of blood by the creek. Then I noticed to my left, what seemed to be a tiny altar set up. There were traces of dried blood on the altar. A sacrifice of some sort had taken place. A life had been given on this altar. As I set the jar on the altar I accidentally spilled the jar of blood and it was absorbed into the ground. At that very moment, the sun went dark, and it was instant night time, even though it was only about 3 p.m. or so. It was odd that day. I walked home in a panic.

The reports were all over the radio. The sun had stopped shining all over the world for some odd reason. This was wreaking all kinds of havoc to civilization. The world was beginning to get very cold and temperatures were dropping rapidly. This was such a domino effect that I was sure that the end of life was at hand. What I couldn't figure out was how this all happened. Was the spilling of the blood merely a coincidence? Did I, in some way, cause the sun to stop shining by the spilling of the blood? Was the blood what kept the sun shining? Did the blood bring light into the world and sustain life? And what about the altar? What place did it possibly take in this thing? Or was I just playing tricks with my mind?

So I came up with a plan. I figured that a life had been given on that altar. A life whose blood filled that jar. A life that brought light to the sun. A life that sustained life. But whose life was this? And surely if I had spilled this blood and the light had gone out, I caused the life to die. I changed life into death by what I had done. How do I reverse what I had done? I must give my life to bring back life. This was surely a paradox, to give away life in order to bring life.

Once I realized the meaning of the blood, the altar, the light and the sun, I began to realize the source of the sacrifice on this altar. The source of this sacrifice on this small altar brought light and life into this world. I must be willing to give my very life to this source on the altar. I must be willing to suffer, to sweat and to give my own life for this life which was given on this altar. And the very moment I realized all this, right before my eyes, I saw the jar once again full of blood. I saw that very same blood on my hands, and I was ever so sorry for what I had done. I knelt in that very place and confessed my spilling of the blood. I confessed my place in this whole thing that had happened. Then...

I saw the light of the sun reappear. I felt the warmth. I felt the wind begin to blow and I felt life flowing in me once again. I must be willing to give my life to get life. And I realized the life in that blood; I realized the power of that light; I realized that blood and that light active in me.

Prayer
Lord, I come to You in the darkness of my sin and see Your blood on my hands. Forgive me for turning from You. For You graciously gave Your life, You gave Your blood to take the place of mine. I give my life to You, knowing that at times I will gladly struggle. I give my life to You, knowing that You have already done the hard thing. Take my blood and make it clean. Take my life and use it for Your will and Your way. I come to You this day, knowing of Your blood and Your Light that brings warmth to my world and sustains me to eternity. ---Amen