Ephesians

Good morning friends of Christ,
Sometimes an idea is laid upon my heart by the Holy Spirit.  As I was struggling, yes I said struggling, to hear a word from God for proclamation for Sunday, January 3rd, I began reading the second lesson for the day from Ephesians.  I kept on reading.  I've read it before, of course, but something this time struck me as incredibly important to hear and dwell upon.  So then, I decided to share it with you.  It will be a look into what God is doing in the church.

What is the church?  I don't just mean the building, with a tall spired steeple, an altar, a font, a center aisle for brides to come marching down. . . I mean the people- called by God to be holy. . . a people called by Christ to live differently, obediently to the will of God. . . a people filled with the Holy Spirit, let loose on the world in the name of the Triune God.

The Reformers said that the church is the place where the community of saints gather, where the gospel is preached and the sacraments are rightly administered.  (Augsburg Confession)  For us the church may be more of a local entity, but it's more than that.  It is not just a local community but a global one too; and even more than that -- it goes beyond time and space!  (I don't mean outer space though I suppose that is possible!)  It spans history!

So here we go with the first portion of Ephesians. . .

Ephesians 1.1-10

THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE Ephesians


Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,


To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:


 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
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Read this over a few times.  Dwell with it.  What spiritual blessings have you received?  Which blessings seem most prominent to you right now??  What does it mean to be spiritually blessed??
If you knew that you were chosen for something before the world began how would that change your attitude/will/desire to fulfill that chosen-ness?  To be made "holy and blameless before" God out of love is amazing, isn't it?  What does that mean to you at the core of your being?? What else in this passage catches your attention??