Gathered Inheritance

Here is a guide to devotions for each week of the year. The priests ofold tended the fire in the tent of meeting, where the people offered their giftsand rededicated themselves to God. Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross,we no longer worship with burnt offerings. Yet we must tend and preserve thespiritual fires. Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, and many others have fanned theflames. Jesus Christ is still the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Yet we must stirthe fire to understand this Truth better as we build on the illumination ofprevious generations. As the world changes, we apply God's Word to new challenges so that allmight know Christ as Savior and Lord. Since the Holy Spirit encourages andinspires us, we will not run out of fuel for our task. Our faithful forebears moved beyond fear and rejection of their worldand embraced the love of God. Out of that love flowed their genius. Churchfathers and mothers such as Origen, Bonhoeffer, McDonald, and MotherTeresa have promoted love for God, God's people, and all of God'screation-at some risk, yet always in hope, building on God's promises. God's saints are flashes of lightning in the sky. The darkness is never thesame again because their light reveals what life can be in Jesus Christ. Onthese pages Ignatius, Nee, Tolstoy, Guyon flash across the sky. This gatheredinheritance brings memory, possibility, renewal.