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Prayer
Speak, Lord, for I am listening.
A Story
A church member spoke to her pastor on the way out of Worship Service one Sunday. “Pastor,” she said, “something is wrong here in this church.” “Why?,” inquired the pastor. “I never feel the presence of God here?,” spoke the woman. “Okay,” replied the pastor, “it seems to me that if you consciously bring Christ here in your heart, then, surely you will sense His presence here. Why not try that?" The lady did and, amazingly, sensed God strongly in that place.
If God seems absent from some place, possibly I am not taking God there with me.
Scripture: Colossians 2.6-7, 9-10
6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. … 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Comments
What an amazing Scripture is this! And, what an amazing affirmation of the nature of Christ Jesus: “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
St. Paul, as always, is not content with our knowing or celebrating Christ. He will not let us just have a theology of Christ or worship Christ. He will not let us rest content with being at a distance from Christ. Rather, he links theology, or thought about God, with each one of us, in a practical manner.
St. Paul sets us up for an amazing truth. He does this by setting the context in Christ. He understands to make any true statement of the True Christian is always a Christological one. He knows the Environment for the True Christian is always an in-Christ one.
St. Paul says that “in him” we each have “been filled.” “In him” we have been brought to “fullness” or “completion.” This means “in union with him” or “in union within him.” John Main writes of these words addressed to each of us, “‘Live your life in union with him’ is the Christian invitation. Not to admire from a distance, not even to worship from afar but to live ‘in union.’” Main calls this the “redemptive invitation” of the Gospels. (Moment of Christ, 36)
This has been termed in Christian theolgy "Christ mysticism." Emphasis is on union with Christ, seeing St. Paul speaking to that through the frequent us of "in Christ." There is a mystical aspect to the life of every Christian, a life of union with Christ, that can flower into a fuller expression we can call "Christian contemplation," or "Christ mysticism."
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Much redemptive teaching is about Christ saving us from sin. That is not enough, and exposes a major failure in forming disciples of Christ. Redemption is not a mere legal transaction. Redemption is much more. Redemption is not founded on an angry God needing appeasement. Redemption is the invitation of each one of us from a God who loves us so much that the God wants us to live in His very being--live in His very being--, and that happens in the Word, Christ. The crucifixion of Christ is not the sign of an offended God, rather, the cross of Christ is a freeing act, for it is the open and universal invitation of the Father, who in Christ was Himself deeply saddened by the suffering of sin upon us and creation, the One who is expressed as Love through the self-giving of Jesus Christ.
Love draws us to the Source, and Love absolves us of guilt feelings and of sensations of unworthiness. We draw near to God, for such Love attracts us. God died for us and lives for us in Christ, thus within us each, for God could and does see our beauty. God desires us. And, God is about freeing the hidden beauty and bringing it into communion with His Beauty. Therefore, this Love, not our sin or guilt, is the root of our ongoing salvation. This salvation is a growing freedom to allow more and more deeply the living in union with God, through Christ, and in the Presence of the holy Spirit.
Reflections
What is your view of the crucifixion of Christ? How does that agree or not with the view I present above?
How does the death and resurrection of Christ speak to how you aspire to live your life?
Spiritual Exercise
Read and prayerfully meditate on the passage cited above from Colossians? Is there some part of the passage you find difficult to accept as true? Is there some part that seems to be especially mysterious? Is there some part that speaks especially to you? Explain your responses.
Affirmation for Today
I am filled with Christ.
OneLife supports the work of Compassion, a ministry in the name of Jesus to children of underdeveloped countries. Please explore the Compassion website at www.compassion.org/ and prayerfully consider sponsoring a child. Thank you.Brian K. Wilcox
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