Reading for December 1st is 1 John 1...
My thoughts on this reading...
By the time that John wrote this series of three letters, we believe that he was a very old man, possibly as old as 90. It's why he speaks of those he is writing to as his little children at times. He's at this point kind of that grandfatherly figure writing to those believers in the Christian Church. In his Gospel he starts out with the account of creation and the Word, who was Christ being present and that through Him all things were created. He does much the same in 1 John, speaking of that which was from the beginning. So John says that the things he has seen and heard, he is now making known to his readers, so that they too may be part of the fellowship of believers, and that it will complete his joy. If you read the end of John's Gospel, he gives the reason he is writing, so that they may believe and it is offered here in a little different way, but the message is the same. He then goes on to speak of the light and darkness and walking in the light, which is also something that he speaks of in the first chapter of his Gospel. It' good to know the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sin. He then begins in verse 8 and 9 to offer familiar words because they are a part of confession that we use in our liturgy for some of our worship service. So, don't say you don't have any sin John says, because you're fooling yourself if you think so, and the truth in not in you! But confess it and God will forgive! Don't after all try to make God out as a liar by saying you haven't sinned.