Light and Darkness on Despair

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In this season of Advent, we celebrate

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 103:17, Zephaniah 3:14-17, 20

Pastor: In this season of Advent, we celebrate that Jesus has come, and that He promises to come again! When He comes, He will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the ...

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A Light in the Darkness

Author

Caroline Cobb

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-13

“They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.” (Isa. 8:22) In The Two Towers , the second novel in Tolki...

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Peace Among Nations Prayed

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 1:1-5, Isaiah 60:1-3, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16, Psalm 27:1

Pastor: Let us pray to the God who has given us the light of day and the Light of eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son. Lord, make the beauty of Your Light shine brightly on us so that it m...

liturgy

Prayer for All Needs (Excerpted)

Author

Clement of Rome

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 1:, Isaiah 45:7, 1 Samuel 2:6-7, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Psalm 146:7-9, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16, Colossians 1:13, Revelation 4:11, Ephesians 5:8, Acts 26:18, 2 Timothy 1:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Luke 1:51-52, Luke 4:18-19

*This is the earliest known prayer of the Christian Church outside of scripture May he who created everything keep the number of his chosen people, throughout the world, up to the strength he...

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The Effects of Light Deprivation

Author

Joan Chittister

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 5:8, Isaiah 9:2, Psalm 27:1, John 1:5

Psychologists tell us that one of the most difficult conditions a person can be forced to bear is light deprivation. Darkness, in fact, is often used in military captivity or penal institutions to bre...

liturgy

In this dark time of year, God, we long for your coming.

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 60:1-3, Psalm 34:5, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16-18, Romans 8:23-25, Romans 15:13, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Hebrews 10:23, Psalm 23:4, 1 Peter 5:9-10

In this dark time of year, God, we long for your coming. When darkness falls upon the world, we long for your peace. For healing, we wait. For justice, we hope. Strengthen our hearts, that we may be s...

liturgy

Hope Through Divine Light

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

John 8:12, Psalm 27:1 , John 1:5, Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 5:14-16, Proverbs 3:5-6, Ephesians 5:8-9

All-gracious God, you promise that your light drowns out darkness, yet the darkness is so persistent. We cannot see in front of us, so we look to our own knowledge and ways. Forgive us for turning to ...

liturgy

Gracious God, we confess the darkness and cold in our lives.

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Malachi 3:1-4

Leader: Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another. All: Gracious God, We confess the darkness and cold in our lives. Like barren trees in winter, we d...

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Author

Brennan Manning

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Psalm 34:18, Ephesians 5:13, Romans 8:28, Galatians 6:2

In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light fo...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Zephaniah 3:14-20

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Zephaniah 3:14-20, 2 Kings 22:, Isaiah 7:null

Check out our video discussion of the text with the author, Austin D. Hill. Click here to view! Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Zephaniah’s Context The book of Zep...

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The Terrible Darkness of Mother Teresa

Author

Mother Teresa

Keywords

Scripture

1 Kings 19:1-18, Job 3:1-26, 30:20-23, 42:1-6, Numbers 11:10-17, Matthew 26:36-46, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Psalm 13:1-6

Many of us assume that our spiritual heroes do not have to experience the same inner-wrestling that we do. Mother Teresa, beloved across the world is one such figure we might “assume” didn’t have to d...

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Beyond the Darkness of Their Blindness

Author

Frederick Buechner

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 50:15-21 , Exodus 16:2-15 , Jonah 3:4, Psalm 103:8-12 , Matthew 20:1-16 , Luke 15:11-32

One of the biggest challenges in the Christian journey is grasping the heart of grace. Oftentimes there is an internal battle between our theology and our lived experience. In this short excerpt, Fred...

Quote

Author

Norm Rice

Keywords

Light and Darkness

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.

lectionary

Third Sunday of Advent

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Zephaniah 3:14-20, 2 Kings 22:, Isaiah 7:null

Check out our video discussion of the text with the author, Austin D. Hill. Click here to view! AIM Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Zephaniah’s Context...

liturgy

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:78-79

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. RESPON...

Quote

Author

Puritan Prayer

Keywords

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells. And the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine; Let me find thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, ...

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Achulophobia: The Fear of Darkness

Author

James Merritt

Keywords

Scripture

John 8:12

Years ago, my wife and I traveled to Kentucky where I went to seminary and decided to stop and tour Mammoth Cave. The trip marked my first and only time ever to be in a cavern like this, and I’ll neve...

Quote

Author

Brennan Manning

Keywords

The men and women who are truly filled with the light are those who have gazed deeply into the darkness of their own imperfect existence.

Quote

Author

Francis of Assisi

Keywords

All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.

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Star: A Poem

Author

Eugene H. Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 9:2, Psalm 119:105, John 8:12, Malachi 4:2, Luke 2:25-32

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh:a star shall come out of jacob. Numbers 24:17 KSV No star is visible except at night, Until the sun goes down, no accurate north. Da...

Quote

Author

Avery Brooke

Keywords

Scripture

John 8:12-20, Psalm 136:, John 1:1-14, Psalm 27:, Isaiah 60:1-5, Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 1:3, John 11:40, Matthew 4:12-17

When I looked for God in the light, God was not there. When I faced the unfaceable, I found that I had joined God in the darkness. And so, paradoxically, the darkness had become light.

liturgy

Light for Those in Darkness

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 1:78-79

By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. RESPO...

Quote

Author

Og Mandino

Keywords

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.

liturgy

We are a people that prefer the

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-5, Colossians 60:1, Psalm 27:1, 1 John 1:7, Ephesians 5:8

We are a people that prefer the darkness. The darkness hides that which we wish others dare not see and that which we loathe about ourselves, our twisted thoughts, perverted practices, and foolish fol...

Quote

Author

Victor Hugo

Keywords

“This light of history is pitiless; it has a strange and divine quality that, luminous as it is, and precisely because it is luminous, often casts a shadow just where we saw a radiance; out of the sam...

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Entering the Darkroom

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 139:12, Romans 5:3-4, Isaiah 45:3, Ephesians 2:10

While we are now surrounded by a never-ending number of pixels with our smartphones, there once was a time where the process of developing photographs took something much more significant than pointin...

Quote

Author

Carl Jung

Keywords

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.

liturgy

Walking in Darkness, Light Found

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 53:5, Genesis 1:1-5, John 1:1-14, Matthew 2:1-12, Psalm 27:1

Pastor: As in the time of Isaiah, there are times when we are walking in darkness. Let us ask God to light our hearts with the light of the Epiphany star. May its brightness dispel the darkness of o...

liturgy

Light Guides Our Steps

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 9:2, John 1:4-5 , Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 1:78-79

Leader: God of promise, God of Mystery, you have sent a messenger to awaken us. All: May the promise of your dawn awaken our hearts and minds. May the light of your promise g...

liturgy

Stand Firm Against Devil's Schemes

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-9, Luke 1:79, Psalm 23:4, 2 Chronicles 20:15-17

Pastor: Satan and the powers of darkness seek to divide and destroy. And all too often God’s people either run from the battle in fear and defeat, or pick up the wrong weapons in the fight, relying ...

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