Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. . .” [John 8:12] Bible experts tell us that this “I AM” statement from the Lord took place during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. One of the main ceremonies during this feast was the “Illumination of the Temple” in which four enormous stands with each holding four golden bowls were set up in the Temple’s Court and these 16 golden bowls reached by large ladders were filled with oil. They used the old clothes of the priests for wicks—when those huge lamps were lit at night, the light shined all over Jerusalem, a great blaze that lit up every courtyard in the city and burned all night long. But everyone knew that light was going to soon flicker and die.
Against this scene, Jesus stepped forward and proclaimed “I am the light of the world. Those who follow me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” [John 8:12] Take a moment to think about our sun. We tend to take it for granted, because it comes up every morning like clockwork in the eastern sky. But this huge star is really amazing; its 93 million miles away, and 864,000 miles across—one million earths could fit inside. That boggles the mind. And the sun is hot. At the core of the sun the temperature is 28,799,540 degrees Fahrenheit! But, without the heat and light of the sun, of course, life as we know it could not exist on the earth. The sun is essential & amazing.
But the real Light of the world is infinitely more essential—The sun is amazing—But, the real Light of the world is infinitely more amazing. The “Son”, Jesus Christ is the real Light of the world and those who follow Him are promised they will never walk in darkness! But what does that mean? Join us this week at Sedona United Methodist Church as Rev. Fred Mast continues a sermon series of the seven “I Am” sayings of Jesus this week in a message entitled, “Shine Jesus, Shine”.
Sunday mornings we enter the spirit of worship at 9:30 am featuring uplifting music, special times of prayer, and passionate life changing messages that will move you closer in your relationship with Jesus Christ and others. Sunday school offered for children kindergarten to 6th grade.
Immediately following worship, you are invited to stay and join us in our Fellowship Hall this week for a very special fellowship time featuring our “Celebrating the 50’s Ice Cream Social” along with our normal delicious goodies and snacks, beverages, and always great hot coffee. This is the friendliest and most welcoming fellowship time anywhere!
We offer several weekly book and bible studies: Tuesday’s join us @ 1:30 pm for a new study based on the series “The Chosen” at The Gathering Place in West Sedona; and Thursday’s Women’s Bible Study at 9:45am. We offer so many great missions, ministries, and fellowship opportunities at Sedona UMC.
Visit our website at us on www.sedonaumc.org and “Like” us on Facebook. We are conveniently located at 110 Indian Cliffs Road off the Back O’Beyond roundabout on Route 179 in Sedona. All are welcome at Sedona UMC—Come and grow with us! Invite, pick-up, and bring your friends and family.
