Tag: Christ lives in you.

Tuesday Morning, 05 Nov 2019 – Colossians 1:15-29 ~ “Christ lives in you.”

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening (A Collect for Peace – Tuesday)

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Colossians 1:15-29 (NLT)

Christ Is Supreme

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.
He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body.

As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Paul’s Work for the Church

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
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Morning Reflection:

“Christ lives in you.”

God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.
And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
– Colossians 1:27 –

In today’s reading, Paul begins by declaring the supremacy of Christ (v 1:15) and concludes by proclaiming that Christ lives in us (v 1:27). Let’s take a moment to reflect on what that means for believers.

  1.  The visible image of the invisible God lives in you
  2.  The predecessor and first-born of creation lives in you.
  3.  The originator and agent of creation lives in you.
  4.  The object and sustainer of creation lives in you.
  5.  The head of the church and first to be resurrected lives in you.
  6.  The preeminent one and fullness of God lives in you.
  7. The reconciler of all things to Himself and maker of peace lives in you.

Paul says that God wants us to know that because Christ lives in us all the riches and glory of Christ are for us as well. Why? So that we can be assured of sharing in His glory and not drift away.

Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.
– Colossians 1:23 –

Questions for consideration:

  • How does knowing that Christ lives in you affect how you live? Please explain.
  • How does knowing that Christ is supreme over all creation affect how you live? Please explain.
  • When you think of sharing in the riches and glory of Christ, what comes to mind? Please explain.
  • Do you think of yourself as holy and blameless, without fault, because of Christ’s death on the cross? Please explain.
  • How does knowing that Christ lives in you keep you from drifting away from God? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer: For Grace to Seek God in Every Way (Benedict of Nursia)

Gracious and holy Father, please give me intellect to understand you, reason to discern you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, a heart to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a tongue to proclaim you, a way of life pleasing to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant me a perfect end, your holy presence, a blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. Amen.

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“Driven to Our Knees” – Forever Be Sure

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

16th Ordinary Sunday, 17 July: Genesis 18:1-10; Psalm 15:2-5; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42 ~ seize the moment

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We worship the God who always has a welcome for us.

Opening Prayer:

Eternal God, you draw near to us in Christ and make yourself our guest. Amid the cares of our daily lives, make us attentive to your voice and alert to your presence, that we may treasure your word above all else. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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Praises” – Josh Baldwin // Have It All


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A Reading from the Old Testament: Genesis 18:1-10 (NLT)
[Sarah is rewarded for her hospitality with the promise that she will soon have a child, a great blessing.]

The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

hospitality to strangers

“My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

“Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 15:2-5 (NLT)

Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.

Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.

Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.

Such people will stand firm forever.
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“Psalm 15” – Diocese of St. Benedict


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A Reading from the Letters: Colossians 1:24-28 (NLT)
[There is nothing lacking in Christ, who lives in you.]

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)
[Jesus is welcomed at the home of Martha and Mary. He calls his hostess from busyness to simplicity.]

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary Johannes Vermeer, circa 1655 National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
Johannes Vermeer, circa 1655
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
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“Heaven Come” – Jenn Johnson // Have It All


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Intercessory Prayer:

God of truth and justice: hear our prayers and help us –

+ That Christians may welcome everyone in need of care…. Lord, hear us.
+ That hospitality may be a mark of believers…. Lord, hear us.
+ That all may find strength and comfort through prayer…. Lord, hear us.
+ That those on summer holidays may find rest and refreshment…. Lord, hear us.
+ That troubled people may have Christian friends to calm their fears…. Lord, hear us.
+ That the sick may be raised up by God’s power…. Lord, hear us.
+ That our loved ones who have died may dwell forever on God’s holy mountain…. Lord, hear us.

God of truth and justice, you cherish those who try to do what is right: hear our prayers and help us, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Glory To Glory” – William Matthews // Have It All

Benediction:

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen