Rise, Shine, You People! ELW 665
Devotion
They shall call his name Immanuel which means, "God with us." The man possessed by a demon lived amongst the tombs of the unclean and Jesus went to him. This is a powerful witness.
"Rise, Shine, You People" states clearly, "Christ the Lord has entered our human story." For many who have been baptized as infants and lived all of life in the womb of the church, this verse is proclaiming nothing new.
To the many on the edge of the faith community who are living in the messiness of daily survival, this is shocking, life-giving, life-changing news. This Jesus does not wait on us; Jesus enters our story to offer hope, forgiveness, and new life is not a far off "sweet by and by," but today in the midst of life in the community of faith.
Prayer
Holy God, help us to share this treasure of grace that we are gifted with daily. Amen.