School is officially back in session next week but today we started our new school year routine. Sandy went back for teacher in-service and I went back to using my desk full-time after a summer of using the youth room as my office. This year I have decided to pack a lunch and take my lunch time at the office as often as I can. Sure, I’ll visit schools and eat with students some days and I’ll have occasions where I’ll have a lunch meeting but if I can save a buck (or eight) here and there more power to me.

My hope is to watch sermon podcasts or listen to leadership lessons while I eat each day but today… I needed to rock out to the second (SECOND!) encore from U2360: Live from the Rose Bowl on DVD. My soul gets fed in all sorts of ways.

I listend to Ultraviolent (Light My Way) which dovetailed quite nicely with my morning scripture meditation from the Sermon on the Mount.

First from Matthew 5:

“Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile.” (Matthew 5:29 MESSAGE)

From Ultraviolent:

Oh sugar, don’t you cry
Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes
You know I need you to be strong
And the day is as dark as the night is long
Feel like trash, you make me feel clean
I’m in the black, can’t see or be seen

Baby baby baby light my way

It is impossible to overcome the foul stench of sin and unrighteousness we find ourselves in. Sin takes us for a joyride only to drop our rotting corpse on top of the trash heap. We are left exposed to the world- our sin, our humilation, our choices- open to ridicule and contempt. That’s when the grace of Jesus comes, picks us up, covers us with his righteousness. (1Peter 3:18)

Sin leaves me feeling like trash. Only Christ makes me clean. Light my way, Lord! Light our way!