HRPC Office

Isaiah 43:1-7 & Luke 3:15-22

There is something special about being directly addressed by someone else as “you”. If someone is using “you”, he or she is acknowledging your presence, and is very likely looking right at you, connecting with your eyes. Maybe it is: “You” have done a great job on this test. I love “you”. “You” are my best friend. Thank “you” for helping me shovel the snow. Also, using “you” is a way to indicate a relationship between the two of you, that you matter to that someone and that someone matters to you. Using “you” shows that the content of the interchange is of value to both participants. It matters to you what he or she says, and it matters to him or her how you respond. “You” signals a relationship. Sometimes that relationship is not so warm and fuzzy: “You” hurt my feelings. “You” are mistaken in your political views. I have had enough of “you”. Certainly, being identified as “you” can be either a boost or an attack. This morning we will focus on the boosting part.

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Luke 24:13-17/Acts 2:43-47

As you can see, the light is growing on our path here in the sanctuary. We continue to follow the path to Christmas, approaching the light of Christ. Last week we focused on getting started on the path, on setting aside time to stop and breathe in the midst of the typical flurry of activity in these weeks leading to December 25. To put that into practice, a group of us spent an hour yesterday morning on a yoga practice that invited prayer, paying attention to our bodies and souls. This morning we focus on sharing the path. Who do we share it with? We share the path with God’s Holy Spirit, with people, with all of creation. In what ways do we share the path? There are multiple ways that the path can be shared with others—spending time with one another, supporting one another through difficult times, going through common experiences, whether pleasant or unpleasant. And there are multiple ways that we share the path with God. God is with us, we know that from the psalmist, who experienced God’s presence while traveling the valley of the shadow of death. We know that from the name given to Jesus, “God with Us”, or Emmanuel. We know that from Jesus’ promise at the end of the gospel of Matthew— “I am with you always, to the end of the earth.” Everywhere, on every path, God walks with us whether we acknowledge it or not.

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