The following Bible passage, reflection, prayer and action are taken from Surefish's Daily Readings, which can be found here

Arise! Shine!

Your light has come

Something to read

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn ...
Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun shall no more go down,
or your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever.
Isaiah 60:1-3,18-21 (NRSV)

Something to think about

This chapter of Isaiah is flooded with light. Considering the darkness into which the Jews had sunk during exile in Babylon, these are words of remarkable transformation and hope. Salvation would come to God’s people, but this salvation would embrace all other nations as well.

Peoples and governments would be drawn to the God of the Jews not because they were conquered by violence, but because of the attractiveness of his kingdom.

This is a missionary call, but not a chauvinistic vision of Israelite or Christian supremacy in any political sense. The nations come to God gladly because they have seen his light. They see the peace with which God’s followers live, and want to share it.

They see the justice with which his followers treat the poor, and want to copy it. They see that the presence of God transforms lives, and want to experience it. Darkness is still in the world but the light has been switched on. God’s people are called to show how compelling that light is.

Something to do

Write ‘Arise! Shine!’ on a piece of card. Put it next to your bedside light so it catches your attention when you wake up on the dark mornings between now and Christmas. Let it be a challenge to pray that your actions will make you a missionary to the attractiveness of God among the people you meet that day. (And also let it persuade you to get out of bed!)

Something to pray

O Lord Jesus, stretch forth thy wounded hands in blessing over thy people, to heal and to restore, and to draw them to thyself and to one another in love.
Amen
A prayer of the Church Mission Society for the peoples of the Middle East

Image of the day

In Senegal, groundnuts are sieved in a nut producing village close to Mekhe. Christian Aid/ Harriet Logan/Network

Advent Calendar:
December 16

Isn’t about time to put the Brussels sprouts on to boil? A much maligned vegetable (I personally can’t stand them, but certain people I know list them in their top five vegetables – bleurgh), it has its own festival in New Brunswick, may have its origins in China, makes aphids smaller, and is quite spectacularly good for you.

However, if you really can’t stand them, you may be a supertaster. To get your own back, play Attack of the Sprouts.

Advent tip of the day:
DIY wrapping paper

Save money and trees this Christmas by making your own wrapping paper. Use old wallpaper, newspapers or magazines instead. If you have some spare ribbon or tinsel, tie around your gift for a festive feel.

Use Christmas clip art or Photoshop to create your own wrapping paper, or if you’ve got kids, get them to make their own. You can also wrap up your gifts in the Kid’s Christmas drawings. Alternatively use the free cotton shopping bags you’ve been collecting all year.

Amazon gift idea – 15 Piece Toy Pan Set

It’s never too early to learn to cook – or pretend-cook, anyway. Start with the 15 Piece Toy Pan Set and they’ll be cooking the whole Christmas dinner before you know it! Use the link to buy the gift and raise money for Christian Aid as well.

Eco gift idea – Snake Draught Excluders

Who says Christmas presents can’t be fun as well as useful? Pick one (or get all four) of the Snake Draught Excluders made from vintage fabric and stuffed with a biodegradable filling. Use the link to go to the site and search for the gift, and raise money for Christian Aid as well.

Today in history

Today in 882 John VIII distinguished himself by becoming the first Pope to be assassinated. He was poisoned and clubbed by members of his court.

John XII became the worst Pope ever today in 955 at the age of 18. Amid the greatest spiritual revival ofthe Middle Ages, he converted the Papal palace into a brothel and raped visitors to his church. He is reported to have consecrated a bishop in a stable and castrated clergy who criticized him. He died in bed (not his own) of a stroke, in his mid-twenties.

This was the day in Calvin’s Geneva that annual elections for pastors were held.

St Eusebius became the first Bishop of Vercelli today in 340. A friend of Athanasius - in whose cause he suffered kidnapping by Arian opponents - he is the suspected author of the Athanasian Creed.