Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ephesians 3: 14-21

Paul has been telling the Ephesians that the “mystery of Christ” is that all people, in all the world, “stand on the same ground before God.” (v.6 The Message)  Because of this, Paul offers this prayer, part of which we say at the end of our Eucharist service.

He prays that we may be strengthened  with a “glorious inner strength” as Christ lives within us.  I love The Message’s translation of the next bit: “I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.”   It sounds like the strength God will give enables me to keep my feet firmly planted - this reminds me of Jesus’s stories of building a house on a rock, and also of the seed that grows in good ground.  Love becomes both the ground and the nutrient, supporting and feeding, enabling growth.  I think of the many times Jesus and later Paul used the metaphor of the vine, of fruit, especially fruit of the Spirit.  The extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love reminds me of the cup brimming over, of the good measure, pressed own, shaken together, running over; God lavishing his love on us.  As a result I will be able to live life fully.

With such love working within us, God is able to accomplish much more than we can imagine - I wonder if I limit that result by not imagining wildly enough.  Do I sometimes assume that God cannot do something because it just doesn’t make sense, that it doesn’t “work like that in the real world?” What would happen if I imagined and asked for wonderful, love filled results, and did my part in living those results out?  

Glory to God, and His Blessings to us all.

-Ann Kelland