We live in a world of separation. Humans too often build walls to keep out anyone who is different in almost any way. We separate based on skin tone, politics, nation or region, gender, sexual orientation, education, and almost any other lifestyle descriptor.
The church isn’t immune to this separatism. I’ve often heard this quote: “Sunday morning at 11 AM is the most segregated hour in America.” I don’t know if that is true or not, and I’m not sure what it means even if it is true. I understand that there are different worship styles, and it’s fine with me if people prefer one church or worship style over another. But when anyone is unwelcome in any church, there is a problem.
And this isn’t news. From the beginning of the church, there have been racial problems in the church. In Ephesians 2.11-22, Paul takes the church in Ephesus to task for their racial division:
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. (New Living Translation of the Bible)
The message of the Bible is that those who were excluded are now included. Those who were foreigners are now full citizens. There is no longer a wall of separation in the church. All Christians are members of God’s holy family, and together we are a holy temple where God’s spirit lives.
Sound good? Have you felt like an “outsider” and want to be an “insider”? God’s house is open to you. Come see us on Sunday.
This clip is from the 1998 movie Les Miserables, based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name from 1862. It may be the best illustration of God’s mercy I’ve ever seen. The bishop offers unmerited acceptance and friendship to a paroled prisoner that he’s never met before. He shows kindness by first inviting Jean Valjean into his home to share a meal and giving him a bed for the night. But he shows an amazing kindness when Jean Valjean robs and attacks him. Rather than seeking justice or retribution, the bishop freely forgives Jean - and goes beyond forgiveness by giving him silver on top of what he had already stolen!
But that’s fiction, right? That doesn’t happen in real life, does it? I mean, I can’t imagine showing that kind of forgiveness, can you?
And, yet, it’s a beautiful illustration of God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, God’s grace. It happens every day in the most real life that there is. The Bible says it like this:
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Epheisians 2.8-10, New Living Translation of the Bible)
God’s salvation is a gift, pure and simple. It’s not something we earn, by being good enough. It’s not something God gives us as a reward for acquiring points. God’s favor comes as a gift when we believe. Like Jean Valjean, we’re left amazed at God’s mercy when the chains fall off and the accusers are sent on their way.
May you and I revel in God’s mercy in our lives and imitate God’s forgiveness as we relate to others around us.
Are there people in your life who pray for you? I am blessed to have people in my life who pray for me every day - my parents, friends, and colleagues. Every so often, I get an email or a text message from a dear friend just to say, “I prayed for you today,” and I find that so encouraging. It tells me I’m not alone. It tells me that my friend is thinking about me, that my friend cares for me. It tells me that faithful people are bringing me to God’s attention, and that’s a good feeling.
In Ephesians 1.17-19, Paul tells the Christians in Ephesus about his prayer for them. He’ll remind them several times in this letter that he prays for them, but I find this prayer fascinating. He prays:
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.
The way Paul phrased this prayer really resonates with me. I like the image of the eyes of my heart being enlightened. In this case, Paul prays that this enlightenment will show them three things: the hope that comes from being called by God, the inheritance that we have as God’s adopted children, and the incredible power of God at work through us. Hope, Inheritance, Power: I call this the HIP prayer.
As I look around Chapel Hill, I see a lot of people in need of hope. Folks struggling to pay the rent, battle-scarred addicts, broken-hearted lovers, unappreciated workers. God’s message is one of hope.
I see people who need to feel loved and appreciated. God adopts us as his children. He doesn’t let us in by the skin of our teeth and allow us to gratefully sit in the corner. He welcomes us to his home, his table, full-fledged children - heirs. God’s not going to die - the inheritance isn’t about something we’ll get someday. The beauty of it is that we have the rights of heirs in his household. We share the blessings of heiresses and heirs, beloved sons and daughters.
I see people in need of God’s power at work in their lives. God’s incredible power to change our hearts and our lives - far beyond what we could do on our own - is freely available to His children.
Where does this prayer catch you? Are you in need of hope? Are you longing to belong to a family? Are you weak and in need of power? God is eager to share all of these blessings with you.
I pray that the eyes of your heart will be open, and that you will see the Hope of His calling, the riches of His Inheritance, and the greatness of His Power at work in you.
Sometimes, we make mistakes that turn out well. The sticky note was actually invented by mistake. You may read the story here, but the short version is that an inventor at 3M was trying to make a super strong adhesive, and ended up with a super weak one - a while later, another 3M scientist discovered a new use for the adhesive, and the rest is history.
Some folks are tempted to think that Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins was an attempt to fix a mistake. God created humanity in his image, but because of our sin, He needed to correct the system - a sort of cosmic Plan B.
We see in Ephesians 1.3-8 that this isn’t the case:
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
Even before He made the world, God loved us and had a plan for our lives - a plan to live in harmony with Him.
God doesn’t make mistakes. There is no Plan B. God loves you and wants you to be part of his family - and he is willing to pay the price. Are you ready to be an adopted brother or sister of Jesus? There’s no time like the present.
If you could ask God one question, what would it be?
The Alpha Course at The Well gives you the opportunity to ask those hard questions. No question is too hard, too simple, or too hostile. Nothing is off limits. We promise a non-judgmental, no-pressure atmosphere as we explore questions of life and spirituality together.
Each of the eleven weeks of the Alpha Course, we’ll share a meal, watch a video, and then discuss the video. Everyone’s opinion is of equal value and is welcome - it’s a discussion, not a debate.
Does this sound interesting to you? Check out our Alpha page for more information or to sign up for this free course.
