“I have appeared to you for this purpose.”  Acts 26:16  These are words about Paul’s encounter with the risen Lord.  Jesus says in a very deliberate, non-coincidental way to Paul and each of us –  Your whole life is to be led by Me; you are to have no aim but mine.  Mine.  When we realize this choice, when we have this encounter with Jesus and if we are just a little bit spiritual at all and think about what Jesus wants of us, we sum up enough gumption and deliberation to stick our necks out.  We look above, and we stretch to say, ‘Yes Lord.  You are mine.  I have chosen you too.  I am because You are.’  In this new year, we stand side by side as a church with our necks stretching up.
Artist Lisa Ober