Scripture: Philippians 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Thought for the Day: I sometimes put myself in the shoes of a 1^st Century Peasant—the people most likely listening to the original letters and books about Jesus and his teachings, sovaldi long before there was a Bible. I like to imagine myself with them, no rx sitting under the stars by a campfire, ampoule listening to a devotional about a new Lord being born into the world—a Lord of liberation and light, of love and mercy, of equality and justice.  A Lord that will once and for all free us from all Lords, a Lord in whom we strangely, impossibly, find freedom for all humankind. It is a message of hope and unity for humankind; a message about allowing love, compassion, mercy and justice to guide us in our thoughts and actions. And it’s a message as powerful today as it was in the 1^st Century.

Prayer:  May I always follow the light of your loving embrace. Guide me, Eternal Holy One, as you continue to reveal yourself in this dimly lit world. Amen.