Psalm 66: 10 - 13

Daniel 3:26 - 27

2 Corinthians 4:6-7

Now, if you want a random set of readings, this is surely it!

So, which shall I ponder?  Given the psalm extract stops half way through a sentence, and the Daniel is so far out of context as to be pretty meaningless, I'll opt for the lovely verses from 2 Corinthians:

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

I think that perhaps of all the verses I've played with this week, it is in this one that something of the essence of joy is actually seen... it is in some ways part of the treasure held in paper cups (vessls of clay, disposable, cheap, throw-away).  It is a product of the light of God, i.e. Christ, within our hearts, transforming us.

Today I received a birthday gift through the post called a light jar - it sounds a bit odd perhaps, essentially it looks like a kilner jar but the lid contains a solar cell that, once charged, lights the bulb housed in the jar proper.  This is probably headed the way of cheesy sermon illustrations, but somehow maybe our faith allows us to be 'charged up', to have our joy refreshed and renewed?  Tomorrow lots of churches will be singing carols by the light of candles and torches, so maybe it's an appropriate point to have reached today?

Aware of our own vulnerability

The ease with which our fragile hopes are shattered

Our dreams destroyed

We offer our hearts to be filled afresh with joy

With the light of Christ

That the darkest darkness can never defeat

Wondering that you, great God,

Would place something so precious in us

And trust us

To be light jars in a dark world

Amen.