Speaking in the Light -7-21

I am a big fan of the radio show, “The Prairie Home Companion” hosted by one of the most gifted storytellers that I have ever heard, Garrison Keillor. He has the knack of teaching wonderful nuggets of truths sandwiched between his personal yarns from every day life. Recently he shared this question as part of his Saturday night broadcast.
He with tongue firmly planted in cheek asked, “How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?” The following are his answers via the denomination that it represents:
For the Charismatic: It only takes one, for his or her hands are already up in the air…
For the Pentecostals: It takes 10. You need one person to change the bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness…
If you are Presbyterian: None. Lights will go off and on at predestined times.
For the Roman Catholics: None. Candles only please…
For the Baptists: At least 16. It takes one to change the light bulb and three committees of five to approve the change and decide who brings the dinner and refreshments to the changing of the bulb ceremony.
If you are an Episcopalian: It takes two. One to call the electrician and one to talk about how much better the old bulb was…
For the Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence…
If you are a Methodist: It is undetermined. But whether your light bulb is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb or tulip bulb. A church-wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring a bulb of your choice and a covered dish to the Pot Luck…
For the Nazarenes: Six. You will have one woman to replace the bulb while five men review the church lighting policy…
For the Lutherans: None. Lutherans don’t like change…
If you’re Amish: What’s a light bulb?
Hey, I like that. Whether your bulb is bright, dull or completely out, you are loved…You are welcomed…You are invited by the God who made you to let your light so shine so that others may look at your life and realize that you are not an accident of coincidental circumstance but a majestic masterpiece, hand designed by a Creator who knew what He was doing when He gave us you.
You have been born to be part of a community bonfire, set ablaze by a Lord who is longing for you heat up this world to warm the hearts of those who presently are trying to live and move and breathe in a frosty environment. Like Narnia before Aslan returned, it is always winter and never Christmas.
And we all know how awesome the bleak midwinter becomes when we adorn our world with the magic colors of December.
God created you in His image for a specific purpose and path. You are His unique bulb from God’s point of view. You are incredibly special and the only one of your kind and it doesn’t matter what shape, size, color or background you were manufactured in, you were born to radiate and beam.
If the power has gone out in your soul, then there is no better time than today for you to humbly come to the Lord and ask God to hit the switch in your heart and turn on anew what for too long has been turned off.
Refuse to ignore a holy burnt out fuse. Look up to heaven and ask for a holy “do-over!” You hooking up with the Hands that began it all is essential for you to lighten up again. You will never know life as you were intended to know it if you don’t keep a constant consistent connection to the true power and light company.
You will never shine as bright as you were created to shine if you don’t say goodbye to sin and just plug in. You will be a perfectly good light bulb sitting in the back of the broom closet when you should be twinkling in the chandelier in the main hall.
Today is the day for you to let Jesus do in you what religion is not properly equipped to do and that is to personally rewire and recreate your spirit so that you will never go out again without your high beams on.
How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb? Actually it takes none. It is impossible for us people to do what only one loving and eternal God longs to do in each and every one of us.
Change the bulb in me Lord and make me a beacon whose light will never fade away again. Shine on my family and let those little lights become as big as God always meant them to be so we can see what this thing called life is really all about.
Write Pastor Rudy pastorrudytlc@comcast.net