4th. May. 2022. Daily Devotion.
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27
No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers. Muhammad does not indwell Muslims. Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists. Hugh Hefner does not inhabit the pleasure-seeking hedonist. Influence? Instruct? Entice? Yes. But occupy? No.
Yet Christians embrace this inscrutable promise. “The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you.” The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening.
We are Jesus Christ’s; we belong to him. But even more, we are increasingly him. He moves in and commandeers our hands and feet, requisitions our minds and tongues. We sense his rearranging: debris into the divine, pig’s ear into silk purse. He repurposes bad decisions and squalid choices. Little by little a new image emerges. “He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son.” (Rom. 8:29) M. Lucado
Lord Jesus, let me always remember that you are in me. Amen.
Be a bright flame before us, O God, a guiding star above us, a smooth path below us and a loving shepherd behind us, each day and each night, now and for ever. Amen. Columba of Iona (521-597)
Eternal God, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.”
We pray for a fresh vision of the life of heaven
that renews our passion to see your kingdom here on earth.
May we be captivated anew by heaven’s breath-taking beauty: beauty revealed in glorious worship; worship flowing from a great multitude; a multitude united in celebration of rich diversity; a diversity that embraces all nations, tribes, people, and tongues. And so then may our lives re-shape this world.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
Growing in wonder
God our Father, may the vastness of your creation that we can begin to see through a telescope, remind us of the abundance of your love. May the lowliness of the smallest creatures and cells that we can see through a microscope, remind us of how insignificant – yet special – we appear to be. May our vision each day of the world around us remind us that you so loved the world that you sent Jesus, your Son, to be one of us. In all that we observe, open our eyes so that we may really see and grow in wonder and appreciation. Amen.
Deep compassion
Father, fill our hearts with deep compassion for those who suffer, and may the day come quickly of your kingdom of justice and truth. Amen. Eugène Bersier.