Monday March 4, 2024

Today is Monday, March 4 and we are reading through the first chapter of the Gospel of John.

Holy and loving God, I long to experience your abiding presence. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, enable me to hear the message you have for me today. As I read from the Gospel of John, speak to my heart and mind in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-9,14

Today we begin a journey through the Gospel of John. We will read, study, learn and pray through this foundational Christian text during the spring season. We begin in the prologue of John which sums up exactly what we believe about Jesus. He is the Word of the Father now “in flesh appearing” (as sung in the favorite Christmas hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful). He is the divine Logos, the Word of God that was with God and was God. He was preexistent from the beginning of time, entered the human story and put on human flesh. The Word became incarnate. Jesus is this Word. The divine came “in person.” The Son of God “stooped down” into our earthly existence to be with us.

Fred Rogers, the beloved host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was an ordained Presbyterian minister from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, not far from my hometown. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood first aired on PBS in Pittsburgh in 1968 and continued until 2001. The locals from Pittsburgh remarked upon meeting Mister Rogers that he was very tall – over six feet. You couldn’t tell that on TV. A family recalled meeting him once as he was coming out of the elevator at the PBS television studio. Excited for the opportunity, the parents greeted him and reached out their hands but Fred Rogers didn’t focus on them. Immediately he “stooped down” and talked with their young son and daughter. He overcame his height, got down on their level and completely focused on the children. The kids had his absolute and complete attention. He “stooped down” to be a part of their world. Jesus is like that. Jesus “stooped down” to be a part of our world to focus on us, attend to us, know us, dwell with us and be one with us. To love us. That is the kind of Lord we have.

Ask: How has Jesus “stooped down” to be a part of my life and share in my journey? How can I invite Jesus to be a part of the comings and goings of my upcoming day?

Pause and Pray

Holy and Loving Lord, thank you for meeting me where I am and “stooping down” to be a part of my daily existence. I am grateful for a beloved Savior and friend who walks with me and talks with me throughout my day. You are with me in success, joy and celebration as well as challenges, disappointment, sorrow and fear. I know I am not alone because you are with me, my intimate friend, constant comfort and trusted guide. Amen.