Living in the Spirit
July 14, 2016

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-28

 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. –Colossians 1:15-20

I heard an interview with Alton Sterling’s son, Cameron, this morning. Alton Sterling was the man killed by police recently in Louisiana. Cameron was talking about breaking down in tears while his mother was interviewed. He said that when he placed his arm around his mother to comfort her, he felt another’s arm on top of his. When he looked, he saw no one and realized that it was his father’s unseen arm. Knowing that his dad would be with him in spirit, if not physically, was an amazing revelation. His tears expressed gratitude for the love that surpasses physical life. This teenager expressed empathy for the children of the slain police in Dallas, and he begged that we all just try to get along. This young man knows the love of Christ, the image of the invisible God, Paul describes in our scripture today.

We need to invest some time and energy in reconnecting with this Christ. Spend some time with him on the mountain reacquainting ourselves with the beatitudes. (Matthew 5). Hear his call to discipleship again by the sea of Galilee. Renew our commitment to leave our comfort zones and work to make the whole world a comfort zone of love for all one neighbor at a time.

We need to learn for a teenager with a broken heart.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we get so caught up in the busyness of our lives that we forget who we serve and why we serve you. Renew our faith, O, Lord. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.