Living in the Spirit
Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:1-14
July 8, 2022
For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. –Colossians 1:9-14
We are surrounded by some meaningless and some mean distractions in our lives and in our elections. Candidates will say what they think you want to hear to get you to vote for them whether they agree with what they are saying or not and whether the job they are running for has any input into the situations about which they harp. It no doubt started with racism. For years now gun and abortion stances have been added. As some lose their power new ones are identified. The lgbtqia2s+ community is a major target now. I voted in the primary for a man whose only ad I saw once. He stood with his hand on the back of a chair shared his name, and said he was running for the US Senate. He would work to provide jobs that pay a living wage, good public schools, affordable college, access to health care for everyone, and a safe community. He added no bells and whistles and showed no ugly pictures and half-truths about his opponents. He lost but I thank him for doing the right thing, for taking the higher ground. I wish his example would be followed by others.
I have always loved the hymn, Higher Ground, and believe that is what Paul is calling the people of Colossae to reach for and that calling includes us, too.
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Refrain:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught a joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground*.
Prayer:
Lord, lift me up, and let [us] stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant [our] feet on higher ground. Amen.
Refrain and first three verses of the hymn I’m pressing on the upward way by Johnson Oatman, Jr. see at https://hymnary.org/text/im_pressing_on_the_upward_way
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.