Let’s pray for opportunity.

Let’s pray for imagination.

Let’s pray for vision.

I heard Pastor Hannah, in a late September message, remind us that “we are ambassadors of Christ.” I heard her say “Christ is making his appeal through us.”

Hannah reminded us that “no matter where we are or what we’re doing – when we go to school, when we go to work, when we’re in our backyard – we are ambassadors of Christ.”

As Hannah was sharing in the sanctuary, I was in the basement classrooms with the children. They were working as ambassadors. They were helping Him make His appeal through Operation Christmas Child.

We put empty shoe boxes in front of the children and pointed them toward tables filled with school supplies and toys and balls and shirts and caps and socks. They jumped into the assignment with joy and energy and purpose and selflessness. All of them – preschoolers through sophomores in high school – filled multiple boxes.

As I watched them, I realized we are all natural ambassadors when someone points us toward opportunity. We like to share. We like to connect. We like to pray. We like to let others know they are loved and valued.

But it can be so hard to recognize opportunities. It can be so hard to create opportunities.

Lord, point us toward more opportunities. Lord, share your imagination with us. We have the energy and the selflessness and sense of purpose. We need your vision.

As the sun sets on Oct. 1, around 7:05 p.m., from wherever you are, with whoever wants to join you, let us join together to ask God to pour more of His Light onto our path as His ambassadors.

Lord, show us how we can move, collectively and individually. Show us who and where and when.

Show us how we can move as a church family.

Show us how we can move among neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and teammates.

Show us how we can recognize the alone, the afraid, and the uncertain. Show us how to grow our ministries and create new ministries. Show us how to move inside projects like the pumpkin patch and the haunted house.

Lord, we will respond. We want to be your ambassadors.

Amen.