Sunday, March 18th Readings

This Sunday's part of the passage begins with the people around Jesus demonstrating their ignorance and ends with Jesus hiding from them. And in between there's some obscure instruction: they are to walk in the light while they have the light. But there is this remarkable promise buried in the passage.  Just before Jesus slips off and hides he mentions that if they walk in the light while they have light to walk in they will become children of the light. What that means is that consistently operating in the light leads to a condition in which we can count on the light to consistently operate in us.Being a child of the light means that you can be isolated from your faith community and still follow the path of obedience, separated from your Bible and still perceive and enjoy God's will.The really sad thing about this passage, though, is that Jesus promises to make us children at the same time that he promises to leave us orphans.It's a bittersweet grace, but it's still grace.
Call to Repentance
Proverbs 4:18-19 (page 990)

Call to Worship
Psalm 139 (page 974)

OT Reading
Psalm 119:105-112 (page 962)

NT Reading
1 John 1:5-10 (page 1898)

Message
Orphans and Heirs
John 12:29-36 (page 1672)