I have been involved with and a supporter of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League since I served my first congregation in Oklahoma. I made it a point to attend the meetings of our local society as well as the Spring and Fall Zone events each year. My wife, Cheryl, has been even more involved with this organization on every level. We love the heart and purpose of the LWML – sharing God’s love in Christ with the world.

I tell you that to set the stage for this. Cheryl and I had a policy: We don’t volunteer each other to do things. It took us almost 20 years to come to this agreement, but we learned the hard way that we should not volunteer the other without checking first. After we had come to this agreement, my dear bride was serving on our LWML zone. About 10 days before the Spring Event, right after I had finished the labor-intensive Lenten and Easter services, she said, “Oh, by the way … I said you would have the opening devotion for the Spring Workshop.” There was a bit of blood in my mouth, I was biting my tongue so hard. After all, we had an agreement. But I calmly asked, “What’s the topic?” Her reply was, “I don’t remember!”

I was reminded of the little boy who had just heard the story of how God made Eve from the rib of Adam. He came home the next day with a serious look on his face. His mother asked what was wrong, and he said, “My side hurts. I think I having a wife!”

What follows is the devotion I used at that LWML event back in 1999:

Once upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect. One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help. There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their vehicle. Soon they were driving along delivering the toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated, and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived the accident. Who was the survivor?

The perfect woman survived. She’s the only one who really existed in the first place. Everyone knows there is no Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man.

**** Women stop reading here, that is the end of the joke. ****

**** Men scroll down further ****

So, if there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the perfect woman must have been driving. This explains why there was a car accident.

By the way, if you’re a woman and you’re reading this part, this illustrates the point:
There is no perfect Woman, either. They don’t follow instructions.

About this time, some of you may be wondering if there is a point to all of this. I assure you that there is. Yesterday I did find out that the theme for today has to do with looking to the light. There is a song by Michael Card that has the refrain, “Open your Bible and look toward the light.” So that is what I want to do now – point you to the light.

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Paul is quoting from several OT references: Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:20. He is reminding us of something we remind ourselves of each day: No one is perfect. We are all sinful. We don’t seek God, but rather hide from Him. That is our sinful human nature at work in us. We hear the admonition:

Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

And we know we have not accomplished it. Paul admitted that of himself in Philippians:

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

So then why are you ladies here on a Sunday afternoon? In know some of you may be wondering that yourselves about right now! But the Good News is that there is something other than our sinful nature at work in all of us: The Spirit of God has worked faith in our hearts, leading us to know the forgiveness and new life that Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection Thanks be to God! You have made that forgiveness and life your own through faith. The Scriptures speak of the perfection of Christ being put on you.

Colossians 1:28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

That is how I want you to begin today. Set aside any pretense of perfection or superiority that comes from within yourself. For the time being, lay down the problems and distractions that would keep you from hearing the message God has for you here today. With humility and gratitude, let this afternoon be a time when we all “Open our Bibles and look toward the Light.”