April 30, 2008
Colossians 3:1-4
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.”
We see it happen in every generation. Picture it in your mind. It is a beautiful sunny day at the beach with the waves lapping against the shore. People are sunning themselves, playing volleyball, flying kites in the perfectly gentle breeze. Others are jogging and walking down the beach and then there are the little children. They run into the surf with their rafts. They drizzle wet sand to make their sandcastles just perfect. With adult supervision and with their buckets in hand they squat down searching for perfectly shaped shells that they can carry home as beach mementoes.
This passage is pretty self-explanatory. We’ve made a decision as Christians to live our lives with Christ as our compass. Because of that we make a choice to live in a certain way—based on spiritual values. We have turned away from the values of our society and we are called to live in ways that reflect God in the face of that society.
The last time I walked on the beach I decided to return to those childhood adventures of searching for shells. I kept looking for ones that were perfect and unbroken. They were hard to come by. In fact, I couldn’t find any! What I did find was a sand dollar that was almost perfect. A side of the sand dollar was chipped off. Most people would look at it and call it broken, not worth retrieving and yet I couldn’t help but pick it up. It reminded me of myself. It was mostly together but there was this broken place that would eternally keep me from perfection.
That’s the point. We can choose to focus on living lives of perfection but we will never reach them without Christ. With Christ and with lives that are dedicated to seeking to live as Christ did, we will find ourselves looking like the sand dollar. To the human eye, we will always appear broken but Christ redeems us and retrieves us so that the world can look at us and see something beautiful in our broken shells.
Do you live that way? When others look at you, what you think they see—a broken shell redeemed by Christ? Maybe you have wanted them to see you spotless and perfect. How does God want you to be seen in this world? What will it take to live a life that allows God’s glory to shine through you?
At the heart of these verses are all of these questions from which Paul seeks to elicit answers from the Colossians and now centuries later . . . from us. What will your answers be? Amen.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Rooted in the humility of Christ?
April 23, 2008
Colossians 2:16-23
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idol notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belong to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!?” These are all destined to perish with use because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
On Monday evening, I sat with many of you at the Claude Broach Lectures and listened as Dr. James Howell, Senior Pastor of the Myers Park United Methodist Church spoke to us about a number of thoughts. Among them was the idea of rightness and as he spoke I could not help but hear a regular mantra of mine echo in my mind. “It is better to be kind than to be right.” I don’t always live by that mantra as my family will be the first to tell you and I’m not sure that the Apostle Paul ever fully lived by it himself.
This passage is testament to that fact. Paul is very straightforward here as he tries to set the Colossians straight. Some teachers had arisen in the community who were teaching such things as rigid dedication to strict dietary and sexual celibacy policies so as to grow closer to God. They taught that access to God would only come by using angels as their intermediaries and that only through an ascetic lifestyle that incorporated fasting would they ever be able to truly be seen as a worshipper of God or even enter God’s presence for that matter.
These were things that Paul couldn’t let slide—to him, at this juncture, being right rather than kind was imperative. In Paul’s view, these folks had best not miss the absence of one very crucial feature in the teachings of the cultists among them. That crucial feature was none other than Jesus Christ! Jesus is the one who was God’s tangible example of Godself. Jesus is the one who will be the mediator for God’s people. If Christ is the head of the church, then why should the church ever look to angels as intercessors?! For Paul, these teachers had gotten caught up in particularities and minutia (which is what liberal and conservative fundamentalists do!) and they had missed that the ultimate concern is really about the motives of our hearts. If we are really living faithful lives, we are dedicated to humble living. We are able to make ourselves subservient to Christ and to each other and in that subservience is where we live out God’s kindness. This, for Paul, was the ultimate indicator of true life in Christ.
If we believe that to be the case . . . if we agree with Paul, then I think we each must test ourselves. Does our religious perspective have its roots in the humility of Christ? Are we able to submit our lives to God? Are we able to offer submission to others as we interact with them and in what situations do we find ourselves expecting others to submit to us?
That phrase keeps echoing from my Monday evening thoughts—“It is better to be kind than right.” The Colossian teachers didn’t seem to be living by that lesson; Paul had to forego the lesson to get the Colossians back on the right track but the bottom line to his message is that if we make ourselves subservient to each other then we do so first out of our humility and submission to God in Christ and secondly out of our desire for kindness over rightness. Maybe this is our challenge—to become self-aware enough that we can submit ourselves to each other so as to practice God’s kindness and give up our need to be right. In so doing, we will find love. May we find that love this week! Amen.
Colossians 2:16-23
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idol notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belong to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!?” These are all destined to perish with use because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
On Monday evening, I sat with many of you at the Claude Broach Lectures and listened as Dr. James Howell, Senior Pastor of the Myers Park United Methodist Church spoke to us about a number of thoughts. Among them was the idea of rightness and as he spoke I could not help but hear a regular mantra of mine echo in my mind. “It is better to be kind than to be right.” I don’t always live by that mantra as my family will be the first to tell you and I’m not sure that the Apostle Paul ever fully lived by it himself.
This passage is testament to that fact. Paul is very straightforward here as he tries to set the Colossians straight. Some teachers had arisen in the community who were teaching such things as rigid dedication to strict dietary and sexual celibacy policies so as to grow closer to God. They taught that access to God would only come by using angels as their intermediaries and that only through an ascetic lifestyle that incorporated fasting would they ever be able to truly be seen as a worshipper of God or even enter God’s presence for that matter.
These were things that Paul couldn’t let slide—to him, at this juncture, being right rather than kind was imperative. In Paul’s view, these folks had best not miss the absence of one very crucial feature in the teachings of the cultists among them. That crucial feature was none other than Jesus Christ! Jesus is the one who was God’s tangible example of Godself. Jesus is the one who will be the mediator for God’s people. If Christ is the head of the church, then why should the church ever look to angels as intercessors?! For Paul, these teachers had gotten caught up in particularities and minutia (which is what liberal and conservative fundamentalists do!) and they had missed that the ultimate concern is really about the motives of our hearts. If we are really living faithful lives, we are dedicated to humble living. We are able to make ourselves subservient to Christ and to each other and in that subservience is where we live out God’s kindness. This, for Paul, was the ultimate indicator of true life in Christ.
If we believe that to be the case . . . if we agree with Paul, then I think we each must test ourselves. Does our religious perspective have its roots in the humility of Christ? Are we able to submit our lives to God? Are we able to offer submission to others as we interact with them and in what situations do we find ourselves expecting others to submit to us?
That phrase keeps echoing from my Monday evening thoughts—“It is better to be kind than right.” The Colossian teachers didn’t seem to be living by that lesson; Paul had to forego the lesson to get the Colossians back on the right track but the bottom line to his message is that if we make ourselves subservient to each other then we do so first out of our humility and submission to God in Christ and secondly out of our desire for kindness over rightness. Maybe this is our challenge—to become self-aware enough that we can submit ourselves to each other so as to practice God’s kindness and give up our need to be right. In so doing, we will find love. May we find that love this week! Amen.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Fullness of Christ
April 16, 2008
Colossians 2:9-15
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by Christ having been buried wiht him in baptism and raised in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the corss. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
To unpack this in a VERY simplistic way this comes down to the functionality of Chrisitan living. For Paul, that meant that we live in the fullness of Christ. Christ was completely divine and completely human. By virtue of our dedicated relationships to Christ, we are now privileged to share in that fullness. What made that fullness possible for us was Christ's death and subsequent resurrection on the cross. It was that event that elicited the forgiveness of our sin and freed us from the strictures of the law that God's followers prior to Christ had to observe. We then received the ability to strive toward modeling his living.
The passage probably raises more questions that it offers answers and thus I would encourage you to take hold of Biblical commentaries and investigate the passage for yourself.
The predominant question is, though, what does it mean to be in the fullness of Christ? That is a question that you will have to answer for yourself.
For me it means a cessation of anything that stands in the way of my relationship with God. My relationship with God is nurtured in those early morning hours of reading spiritual things and meditating/listening for God's direction. It is found in the stillness of nature. It is found in the ability to focus on the present moment and seek to see the holiness in that moment. If I miss those times, then my day and its experiences are the less for it. My life is thus less full and my joy is diminished.
Paul understood it in the sense of "putting off" of old ways. The Greek phrase would have suggested a quick and thorough break--a sort of stripping off of every old way of life to embrace new life--life that would bring growth and lead one more toward the fruits of God's spirit. The fullness of life would then be found in such things as love, joy and peace that could only come from that divine connection with God.
In your day to day existence, what does it mean to claim the fullness of Christ? Whatever it means for you, I hope that you will claim it this day and know the fruits of God's Spirit in their fullness. Amen.
Colossians 2:9-15
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by Christ having been buried wiht him in baptism and raised in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the corss. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
To unpack this in a VERY simplistic way this comes down to the functionality of Chrisitan living. For Paul, that meant that we live in the fullness of Christ. Christ was completely divine and completely human. By virtue of our dedicated relationships to Christ, we are now privileged to share in that fullness. What made that fullness possible for us was Christ's death and subsequent resurrection on the cross. It was that event that elicited the forgiveness of our sin and freed us from the strictures of the law that God's followers prior to Christ had to observe. We then received the ability to strive toward modeling his living.
The passage probably raises more questions that it offers answers and thus I would encourage you to take hold of Biblical commentaries and investigate the passage for yourself.
The predominant question is, though, what does it mean to be in the fullness of Christ? That is a question that you will have to answer for yourself.
For me it means a cessation of anything that stands in the way of my relationship with God. My relationship with God is nurtured in those early morning hours of reading spiritual things and meditating/listening for God's direction. It is found in the stillness of nature. It is found in the ability to focus on the present moment and seek to see the holiness in that moment. If I miss those times, then my day and its experiences are the less for it. My life is thus less full and my joy is diminished.
Paul understood it in the sense of "putting off" of old ways. The Greek phrase would have suggested a quick and thorough break--a sort of stripping off of every old way of life to embrace new life--life that would bring growth and lead one more toward the fruits of God's spirit. The fullness of life would then be found in such things as love, joy and peace that could only come from that divine connection with God.
In your day to day existence, what does it mean to claim the fullness of Christ? Whatever it means for you, I hope that you will claim it this day and know the fruits of God's Spirit in their fullness. Amen.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Rooted in Christ
April 9, 2008
Colossians 2:6-9
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily . . .”
One of the great joys of being Baptist is being able to interpret scripture for ourselves. Other traditions might snub us for that and maybe the Apostle Paul would have too. Who knows!
What I do know is that Paul was proud of what the Colossians had learned from Epaphras about Christ. They had developed a root system, a foundation, a contract that had served to guide them. Paul has given them encouragement in that living. Now, he must also give a bit of advice.
We know that the Colossians heard other philosophical teachings. Paul uses the phrase “elemental spirits of the universe” to make reference to the--earth, wind, fire, water, etc.-- elements that were often used by people as means to give meaning to life. Paul wants them to understand these other teachings as misguided and not to be redirected in their own faith by what others say. Scholar Ralph Martin notes three metaphors used by Paul—being rooted as a tree finds its solidity in the earth so that when storms come, it cannot be uprooted; built up as a house from its foundation so that it stands solidly; and established referring to a legal term in which a contract is established to be binding and therefore upheld. Paul wants the Colossians to understand that they have been rooted in one kind of soil—a healthy kind. If they abandon the teachings that have been their foundation, they contaminate their spiritual soil, as it were, and are less able to flourish in their faith. They have to be careful about what they choose to believe and they can know the truth by always referring to the basic tenets of their faith foundation. Christ is that basic tenet. He is the one human form who has demonstrated God’s spirit fully. Christ should always be their model.
In our day and age, it is still easy to be swayed in our faith by things that don’t point to God. But if we are careful about pouring ourselves into relationship with God, if we have the tools of discernment that come from that relationship with God, then we will know in our spirits what the truth is. This is Paul’s message to us. This is Paul’s challenge to us—that we thirst for God and so find God’s Truth.
I leave you with questions for reflection and hopefully spiritual growth: What is God’s truth for you? How do you live that out? How do you discern that truth in the face of elements of life that attempt to sway you? How do you hold fast to the truth that you know?
Whatever our answers may be, may God’s truth be our foundation! Amen.
Colossians 2:6-9
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily . . .”
One of the great joys of being Baptist is being able to interpret scripture for ourselves. Other traditions might snub us for that and maybe the Apostle Paul would have too. Who knows!
What I do know is that Paul was proud of what the Colossians had learned from Epaphras about Christ. They had developed a root system, a foundation, a contract that had served to guide them. Paul has given them encouragement in that living. Now, he must also give a bit of advice.
We know that the Colossians heard other philosophical teachings. Paul uses the phrase “elemental spirits of the universe” to make reference to the--earth, wind, fire, water, etc.-- elements that were often used by people as means to give meaning to life. Paul wants them to understand these other teachings as misguided and not to be redirected in their own faith by what others say. Scholar Ralph Martin notes three metaphors used by Paul—being rooted as a tree finds its solidity in the earth so that when storms come, it cannot be uprooted; built up as a house from its foundation so that it stands solidly; and established referring to a legal term in which a contract is established to be binding and therefore upheld. Paul wants the Colossians to understand that they have been rooted in one kind of soil—a healthy kind. If they abandon the teachings that have been their foundation, they contaminate their spiritual soil, as it were, and are less able to flourish in their faith. They have to be careful about what they choose to believe and they can know the truth by always referring to the basic tenets of their faith foundation. Christ is that basic tenet. He is the one human form who has demonstrated God’s spirit fully. Christ should always be their model.
In our day and age, it is still easy to be swayed in our faith by things that don’t point to God. But if we are careful about pouring ourselves into relationship with God, if we have the tools of discernment that come from that relationship with God, then we will know in our spirits what the truth is. This is Paul’s message to us. This is Paul’s challenge to us—that we thirst for God and so find God’s Truth.
I leave you with questions for reflection and hopefully spiritual growth: What is God’s truth for you? How do you live that out? How do you discern that truth in the face of elements of life that attempt to sway you? How do you hold fast to the truth that you know?
Whatever our answers may be, may God’s truth be our foundation! Amen.
Defending Our Faith
April 2, 2008
Colossians 1:24-2:5
“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me. For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”
In public speaking there are all sorts of forms of speeches. Some speeches are informational, some persuasive and they each require different elements to accomplish their goal. What we have here is a speech of sorts—one that seeks to speak a defense to someone else’s accusations. This is what is called an “apology.” Not an apology in the common vernacular but one that makes clear why Christianity is important to the one speaking.
The word was getting around Colossae that Paul wasn’t a real leader and the fact that he was suffering was proof in their eyes. They thought a true leader doesn’t suffer or show their suffering. What little they understood! From Paul’s perspective, how frustrating this must have been! Anyone that has ever suffered, for God’s sake and for the sake of a calling understands how difficult it can be when others don’t have the same frame of reference to understand why you do what you do.
It becomes necessary for Paul to outline for them and explain to them his defense of his situation. He first has to rationalize the sufferings. He has been called out to be a servant of the church and to help people understand who God is. That, in and of itself, is not an easy task. He, then, must help them understand that his purpose is to work toward unity and to embrace even the non-Jews so that everyone has the opportunity to understand the mysteries of God. Then he must exhort them that even though he wasn’t the one who founded their church, he is concerned to be able to embrace them as pastor and as one who reveals the love of God to them. He wants to have a relationship with them. In order for that to happen, they have to trust him and they have to develop a strong understanding of their own faith perspective. They must understand their calling in the faith and when they do they will move away from accusatory and prosecutorial perspectives to those that are focused on standing in the shoes of the other. It is so easy to judge others when we don’t know them or understand from whence they come. Paul is thus asking to not be judged until they understand his experience and what it means to him to be a Christian and to live life for God’s sake.
What about us? If we were put on the stand and asked to make a speech in defense of our faith, what would it sound like? What would our arguments be? Would we honor God? Ultimately, it seems that Paul wanted his life and the lives of others to do just that—honor God. So what does it look like to live a life that honors God? Whatever that looks like, may we find it for ourselves! Amen.
Colossians 1:24-2:5
“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me. For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”
In public speaking there are all sorts of forms of speeches. Some speeches are informational, some persuasive and they each require different elements to accomplish their goal. What we have here is a speech of sorts—one that seeks to speak a defense to someone else’s accusations. This is what is called an “apology.” Not an apology in the common vernacular but one that makes clear why Christianity is important to the one speaking.
The word was getting around Colossae that Paul wasn’t a real leader and the fact that he was suffering was proof in their eyes. They thought a true leader doesn’t suffer or show their suffering. What little they understood! From Paul’s perspective, how frustrating this must have been! Anyone that has ever suffered, for God’s sake and for the sake of a calling understands how difficult it can be when others don’t have the same frame of reference to understand why you do what you do.
It becomes necessary for Paul to outline for them and explain to them his defense of his situation. He first has to rationalize the sufferings. He has been called out to be a servant of the church and to help people understand who God is. That, in and of itself, is not an easy task. He, then, must help them understand that his purpose is to work toward unity and to embrace even the non-Jews so that everyone has the opportunity to understand the mysteries of God. Then he must exhort them that even though he wasn’t the one who founded their church, he is concerned to be able to embrace them as pastor and as one who reveals the love of God to them. He wants to have a relationship with them. In order for that to happen, they have to trust him and they have to develop a strong understanding of their own faith perspective. They must understand their calling in the faith and when they do they will move away from accusatory and prosecutorial perspectives to those that are focused on standing in the shoes of the other. It is so easy to judge others when we don’t know them or understand from whence they come. Paul is thus asking to not be judged until they understand his experience and what it means to him to be a Christian and to live life for God’s sake.
What about us? If we were put on the stand and asked to make a speech in defense of our faith, what would it sound like? What would our arguments be? Would we honor God? Ultimately, it seems that Paul wanted his life and the lives of others to do just that—honor God. So what does it look like to live a life that honors God? Whatever that looks like, may we find it for ourselves! Amen.
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