How Dark Is Dark?

I'm in my office. Outside a storm rages. Rain. Thunder. Lightening. Dark angry clouds. It's a Snoopy kind of night.

Thing is, I can't see any of the storm blowing around outdoors. For today my office windows were covered in sheets of dense plaster, the first stage of my pastoral domain (otherwise known as the pastor's hangout) being converted to one of our "new" libraries.

I don't mind telling you, it's kind of strange to be "in the dark" in such a dramatic way. All joking aside (you know who you are who will take stabs at me being "in the dark" on a regular basis....),  when I opened the door to my office this evening I was struck by the lack of natural light. Kind of the way I've been struck by the heat and humidity when I open the house door in the mornings. It hit me, and there's a significant part of me that's mourning my loss of natural light until I see it again in my new office....you know, the little one that's about the size of a confessional. (I've been assured, by the way, that it will feel much bigger once it's completed.)

Jesus tells us in John 8, "I am the light of the world...whoever follows me will have the light of life." Each week in worship we pray for those who live in darkness: those whose lives are burdened with hardship and sin and forces beyond their control. Life is tough! And following Jesus is not always easy! When I was very young I sang an old song about the walk of faith that is strewn with sweet smelling rose petals. I don't know about you, but more often than not, my walk of faith has been strewn with banana peels. The kind that make you slip, that make you realize you're not as sure-footed as you thought you were in life.

"I am the light of the world." Such good news for a dark and stormy night.

What's that? No thunder, no rain. I think the storm is over. Time to take a peek outdoors. That means I have to get up.

The Storm is over, but what a beautiful sky God has left for us to enjoy!

Here are a few pics from today's activity with the Building Project.

Members of the Facilities Team talking about tile color for the Fellowship Hall.

Malinda Johnston, Vicky Germroth, Susan Garman, Pat Thomas and Ray Powell

The light in my office begins to fade...

Still more light fading, as sheets of plaster are hung.

The last glimpse of natural light......

These guys are smiling, apparently happy that I will no longer be able to take pics from my office window.

The natural light is gone.
Thank goodness for the light of Jesus Christ, who is Light himself!