Living in the Spirit

November 20, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 1:15-23
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

This is such a powerful scripture for times such as these. In some sense, I think we are living at a demarcation from one span of faith development to another not unlike the reformation. How we deal with it matters. While we complain about the principalities and powers here in the USA, we have been afforded a strong reminder during 2020 that if we believe in democracy, we ultimately own the role of being the principalities and powers. When we do not do our part, we allow the lesser gods of the world, like greed and lust for power, to rule. We, too, must pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation. We, too, need to have the eyes of our hearts enlightened. We, too, need to remember who we serve and who called us to be the Body of Christ in the world and how powerful Christ is. When we align with his leadership, we can overcome the world.

First, we must seek self-revelation. How much of our being is shaped not by Christ but by those same lesser gods? I watched a PBS special about the making of the musical Fiddler on the Roof recently and was reminded of the temptations we all face described in the song, If I Were a Rich Man. We have all experienced it as we dream what we would do if we won a huge lottery pay out.

Second, we must rediscover Jesus Christ and his teachings. Coming to the end of a very challenging year with hope on the horizon of a vaccine that will address the pandemic, is a great time while we are still sheltering at home to immerse ourselves again this winter in the sermon on the mount, Jesus’ parables, and how he dealt with people. While we study, we should pray for wisdom and revelation.

Prayer: God of Mercy and Justice, enlighten our hearts and our minds as we prepare to face our changing times. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.