Written

"When you've read this letter, make sure it's read in the Laodicean congregation, too," Colossians 4:16.

Paul! Why do you expect your letters to be read by others or by anyone at all? Who made you an arbiter of proper teaching? God. God did. God, through Christ. God chose Paul as his special envoy to announce Jesus as the Christ of God. Well. What's the proof? Paul's life spent in preaching Christ despite personal troubles, oppositions, beatings, jailings, miracle workings. He is a slave of Christ, his master. His master has ordered him, and he cannot but do and say what his Lord commands. So, what he has written is what the Lord Jesus wants the churches to read. And hear. And so we do.

We visit with a brother or sister today and share in the words Christ has spoken in the writings. And, in prayer together, we give thanks to God that we may know how to live out faith into eternity.

Times

"Lord, I trust you, I have said, 'You are my God,'" Psalm 31:14.

Lord, Jehovah God: our times are in your hand. Our lives are in your hand! You save us from the evil one's grasp. You show us your kindness. You save us because of your love. We called to you, and you did not shame us. Your goodness is so great! You've stored it up for whoever fears you. Honors you. Respects you. You do good things for those who trust you. You protect us by your presence. You keep us safe in your shelter. And so we can feel strong and brave, because we hope in you. Praise you Lord!

We meet up with a brother or sister today and share faith in God. And, together gratefully, we declare: God is God, we have no other!

Truth

"When you talk, you should always be kind and wise," Colossians 4:6.

Yes. We must walk in wisdom. We live among outsiders making the best of God's timing. We speak grace as we respond to anybody. Our language must show our lives given in obedience to Christ. We know that this is the Jesus Way. So why is it that when folks speak politics, suddenly, it's OK to repeat lies, to tell despicable stories gleefully about the opposition, to express vile hatred, to sling mud and muck with our tongues? This, brothers and sisters, should not be. We did not so learn Christ ... if we heard Him.

We walk with a brother or sister to share in the mystery of the Good News. And, together thankfully, we make the most of the time God has given us to speak grace, love, and truth.

Listening

"Keep on keeping on in prayer," Colossians 4:2.

Tenacious. Persistent. Steadfast. Constant attendance. On watch. In prayer. On watch with prayer in thanksgiving. Being watchful to give God thanks. Yeah, ok, but why? Because God's listening to us. He's listening for us. He wants to hear what we have to say. He wants to hear us pray for the preachers to speak through God's open doors. To speak the word of Christ. To blurt out the mystery of Christ, alive in us! To unpack the mystery so that people see God's work in Christ clearly.

We join with a brother or sister today to pray for open doors in our town and around the world. And, together, we pray giving thanks to God who gives us eternal life in Christ.

Lordship

"Wives, submit to your husbands ... Husbands, love your wives," Colossians 3:18, 19.

Why, why, why?! Because you are serving the Lord, Christ. Wife: Submit to him for the will of Christ, not because you are forced to it. What if he's a jerk? Do what is fit for the Lord. Husband: Love her, do not get soured against her. What if she won't submit? Love her. Never get harsh. It's the same for everybody. Kids: obey your parents. Why? for the Lord. Fathers: Don't pick at the kids, don't vex them. Slaves: obey your earthly masters. Why? for the Lord. Masters: do the right and fair thing about your slaves. Why? for the Lord. All we do in word or deed, all, forever and for always, in the name of the Lord Jesus.

We visit a brother or sister today to share in our common submission to the Lord Christ. And, together, we give thanks to the Lord that he has an inheritance awaiting whoever trusts in him.

Control

"But over and above all: Love," Colossians 3:14.

Yes. Most important. Put on love. No, not like pretend love. Like, get dressed in it. Love holds everything together in perfect harmony. And, too! The peace of Jesus must control our thinking. God called us into one corps. And, too! We say thank you, Lord! Christ's word must live in us richly. We teach his word to each other in his wisdom. We sing praises, and hymns, and spiritual songs to encourage each other. We sing, giving thanks to God. In fact, everything we do, everything we say, is about the Lord Jesus. And about giving thanks to God through him.

We meet a brother or sister today, and sing a song to praise God for his love. And, together, we say: Thank You!

Renewing

"You've been dressed with the new life," Colossians 3:10.

The new life? Yes. With a new self. What new self? A new self that God keeps renewing. He created the new self, and he renews the new self. Brand new. Freshly minted. What process does God use for this? Us being impressed with his image in our lives. Impressed with compassion. Kindness. Humility. Meekness. Patience. Tolerance. Forgiveness. Impressed by no human culture nor nationality nor religion nor status. Instead, new life. Impressed by Christ. Christ is all. Christ in all.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we see the image of Christ renewing in each other. And, together, we give thanks for our new life that taps into the nature of God.

Disgrace

"Lord, I give myself to you," Psalm 25:1.

Yes, O Lord, we trust in you, in you alone! You will not disgrace us. The Foe will not gloat over us. You never put to shame those who trust in you! (Rather, you shame foolish rebellion.) You tell us your ways. You show us how to live. You guide us in your truth. We want you to teach us, O Lord, Jehovah God! You are the God of our salvation! We wait for you. You always remember to love us. Because you are good. All the time.

When we visit a brother or sister today, we take time to tell of God's grace in our lives. And, together, we offer thanksgivings of praise for his guidance and care.

Inconsolable

"God's rage is coming," Colossians 3:6.

Wrath. Anger. Fury. Rage. We don't wanna be in its path. Wholesale slaughter and mayhem. Not pretty. Not at all. The aftermath? mostly smoke and ashes. inconsolable sorrow and wailing. Wow! What's all this fury against? Sexual immorality. Impurity. Passion. Evil desire. Greed, idolatry. You know, feelings and actions that deceive and destroy human souls. So. Says the Good Book: Away with all that poop! Jesus died to save us from the coming wrath! So. Aim above. Where Christ is.

We meet with a brother or sister today to encourage each other in the Jesus Way. And, together, we give thanks to God that his grace protects us from the rage.

Aim

"Aim at the things that are above," Colossians 3:1.

(Us to Paul) Paul, why in the world do you tell us to look up? (Paul to us) Because that's where Christ is, above! (Us) Yeah, sure, but we're here below on earth and gotta deal with stuff here. (Paul) No, no! God's still got secrets that he's not showing yet. A big one: you died with Christ, and have been raised up to where he is. (Us) Well, we don't see all that. (Paul) Right, God's hiding you with Jesus so that nobody sees the whole thing. Yet. (Us) Got us there, 'cuz we sure don't experience that. (Paul) Yeah, but God plans a big reveal when everybody sees Jesus show up in blazing glory; and when he shows up, so will you, you!, in his glory! Meanwhile, don't walk bending to what you see here below, but walk by faith in God's purposes. Set your minds on Jesus above. Not sight. Faith.

We visit with a brother or sister today, eyes scanning the skies. And, together, we give thanks to God for hiding us in Christ safe forever.

Qualified

"Don't let anyone disqualify you," Colossians 2:18.

From what? from the kingdom of Christ. Don't you dare let them say you're not in. Why not - maybe they're right? Because God, God!, is the one who qualified you. When? When he received you in your faith in his power to save! When he stripped off the body of flesh from your heart! When he raised you up with Christ from the dead! But, look, these other folks are so spiritual: they follow meticulous rules of religious discipline, they tell of wonderful spiritual visions, they're rigorously careful with foods and stuff. Perhaps so. Perhaps. Here's the judgement of Christ against such religiosity: worthless thinking, fleshly mindset, abandoning all God-supplied structures and ties for the body of Christ to grow and get strong. But. We remember: God himself has transferred us into the kingdom of Christ!

We find a brother or sister today and remind each other of God's faithful assurance. And, together, we give simple thanks to the One who has delivered us.

Erased

"God erased the handwritten charges that indicted us," Colossians 2:14.

Yes he did. What charges? The charges that listed our sin. The charges against us. The charges that the court would examine inexorably to find us guilty (because we are), worthy of judgment and of sentencing to death. But God ripped those charges right out of the judicial proceedings! He took that accusation and nailed it to the cross with Jesus! Yeah. That's what God did. Jesus' sacrifice paid the price for our redemption. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. And how do we know this? By faith in God's promises.

As we meet with a brother or sister today, we forgive each other for any and all wrong. And, together, we bring thanks to God for erasing our sinful guilt completely in Christ.

Simple

"You were raised with Christ through faith, by God's work," Colossians 2:12.

Amazing! Buried with Christ, raised with Christ! Is this for real? How do you know? How can you know? You go in the water, you come up out the water. What changed? Did we get a good feeling? Is there just something that happened that we can't say in so many words? Is that how we know we've been raised? Is that confidence all about our emotional/feeling/affective state? We know because we feel good? Well, maybe. Yet. Here's how the Good Book says we know: by faith. Faith. Trust in God's work. Faith in God who raised Christ up from the dead.

We find a brother or sister today to express joy in God's joining Christ in us to life! And, together, we give thanks that he receives our simple trust in him worthy of his mighty power to save.

Expanses

"The heavens tell the glory of God and their vast expanses announce his handiwork," Psalm 19:1.

O, Lord, our Lord! We look up to hear all creation preaching out loud what you have done! All day long we hear their talk. Throughout the night we hear their declaration of your glory! They don't speak in English or in Hebrew or in Samoan, or in whatever. Yet, it's a loud speech in silence. A clear silence whose message reverberates around the world. And through it. They speak of you, O Lord, and of your harmony. Your law. Thank you for reviving our souls. Thank you for making us wise. Thank you rejoicing our hearts. Thank you for enlightening our eyes. Thank you for your testimony. For your precepts. Your commandments. Your rules. You give great rewards as we honor you! O Lord, our Lord, we join the heavens in your praise!

When we visit with a brother or sister today, we look up into the skies and hear their sermon. And, together, from the congregation, we give our voices to sing the confession of praise! Thank You!

Buried

"You are filled full in him, the head of all rule and authority," Colossians 2:10.

We have been filled up by the fullness of Christ himself! How cool is that? But wait. When did God fill us up in Christ? Well, the Good Book says it was when God stripped off our fleshly body in the spiritual circumcision of Christ. Hmm. So, when did that circumcision happen? Well, what does it say? God worked his work when we died and were buried together with Christ. Yeah. And then we were raised together with Christ, filled with life! So ... when did we die and get buried and get raised with Jesus? When we were buried together with Christ in baptism. That's what it says. Happened in baptism with Jesus. That's when. By faith. Always. By faith.

Meeting today with a brother or sister, we share the joy of life's victory in Jesus. And, together, we give thanks to God for filling us up with such abundance in Christ.

Strips

"You were circumcised without a hand-made circumcision," Colossians 2:11.

(Paul, is this OK to talk about in mixed company? awkward, awkward, awkward!) So. Circumcision was cutting off the foreskin from the male's sex member. (Consequently, it never applied to females. Ever.) Every male Jew had undergone this physical ritual and by it belonged to the commonwealth of Israel. Some taught that Christian men had to be circumcised, too. But no! Cutting off physical flesh contrasted with the spiritual circumcision of one's heart, to freedom from a fleshly, sinful way of life. Christ sets aside the hand-made physical ritual. He does call for circumcision, yes, a circumcision of the heart, not of skin. This circumcision, made without human hand, but made by the hand of God, is for both men and women. God strips off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ.

We meet today with a brother or sister having been set free from the power of sin by the power of the gospel. And, together, we offer grateful, clean hearts in service to God.

Uncovers

"All of God lives in Christ, in his very body," Colossians 2:9.

Now that's an amazing line! Mysteries hidden throughout the ages, God uncovers them in Christ. Yeah. And. And! Get this: We humans have come to full and true life! In Christ. God placed Christ ruler over everything. Nothing's left out. (well, except God himself. let's not get weird here.) So. We walk in the Jesus Way. Rooted in him. Founded in him. And. We don't let anybody smooth talk us into some aborted religion from the world's demonic fog. No. Instead. We be strong in the faith of Jesus. Yeah. And we give thanks that God gives us immortality in Christ.

We visit with a brother or sister today to strengthen each other's faith. And, together, we give thanks to God for giving us life in his son.

Reach

"To reach all the riches of full certainty of understanding," Colossians 2:2.

The goal: to get the wealth that complete confidence brings. So how do we get this confidence? We get it by understanding. By knowing God's big secret. His mystery. What secret? Christ. (again). Christ! Every hidden treasure: treasures of wisdom, treasures of knowledge. All the things God had hidden away from the mind of humans. These are found in Christ. When we understand that, we get the mystery of the cosmos. So. We don't listen to smooth, deep-sounding talk (but is just a bunch of lies). No. Instead, we know for sure God's work in Christ.

We meet today with a brother or sister, our hearts knit together in love. And, together, firm in our faith in Christ, we praise God!

Band

"Him we proclaim," Colossians 1:28.

Christ. We announce Christ. We preach Christ. Christ. (Who is the we that goes around broadcasting? Oh, it's Paul, Timothy, Tychicus, Onesimus, Luke, a bunch of others - it's a band of preachers Jesus sent out to make the Announcements. Anyway.) So, what are they telling? Christ. God's big secret. The richness of Christ in his people. They fill up empty people completely with God's word. Why? So that these people be filled with instruction. Taught in all wisdom. Become wholly mature. Fit to be brought into the Presence. In Christ. Word of God.

As we meet with a brother or sister today, we listen to the teaching of Jesus. And, maturing together, we give thanks to God who grows us up into a people ready for his presence.

Portion

"You are my Lord; every good thing I have comes from you," Psalm 16:2.

You, O Lord, are all we need! You are our chosen portion. You take care of us. We have a wonderful inheritance! We bless you - you give guidance and counsel. We feel your leading at night, too. Your closeness gives us confidence. We rejoice, gladness overtakes us! We even feel satisfaction to know you will not leave us in death! You open up the way to life for us. Being with you fills us with happiness. You place us forever in the delights of your right hand.

We meet with a brother or sister today to tell God's wonderful presence. And, together, we give thanks to the Lord for his sweet guidance and protection into beyond time.

Glory

"This teaching is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time," Colossians 1:26.

Whoa, now! A secret truth? A mystery? Hidden since forever ago? Yes. God has secrets. Secrets that nobody, but nobody, ever imagined. Not his highest council. Not powers and authorities. Not the devil. Not humans. Nobody. A mystery about what? About his deep love for all human beings. About immortality. But no longer a mystery now. God's broadcasting the secret. How? Through his preachers who preach his word. Come on now! What's the mystery? Christ. In us. Christ, who died for us. Christ, resurrected for us. Christ, our hope for life. In us, humans from every walk of life. Christ, in us! The hope of glory.

As we meet up with a brother or sister today, we recognize Christ alive among us. And, together, we give thanks to God for letting us in on his secret for immortality.

If

"You must not be moved away from the hope the Good News gave you," Colossians 1:23.

And why not? Because Jesus has made us God's friends. (Though we had been enemies.) So Jesus presents us to God as holy, blameless, without any accusation. Well, that is, he presents us to God like that as long as we let him. If we will not trust him with this, he doesn't force goodness on us. We're not bound to believe in him against our will. But. Our choice: We will not become faithless as those who will not believe. We will keep on in the faith, strong, sure, anchored in the hope of the message we heard. It's about faith in Christ.

We meet with a brother or sister today and encourage each other in the faith of Jesus. And, together, we give thanks for receiving hope to press on into the presence of God.

Ready

"You were God's enemies," Colossians 1:21.

You? That is, us. That's us. We were God's hostiles. Aliens to God. Our minds set to do evil deeds. Was truly us. Was. But no longer. Not now. God offered new terms of endearment. Jesus made peace with us. How? (because we got good? Hardly!) How? By his blood that bled from his wounds on the cross where we hammered the nails in his hands and his feet. And beat the thorns into his head. And bloodied his back with the lash. He reconciled us to God in his body of flesh by his death. Jesus let us beat him mercilessly so that he could show us off to God as a people holy, blameless, and without guilt.

We meet with a brother or sister today amazed by God's generosity. And, won over together by Jesus' sacrifice, we kneel before God in grateful praise, ready to do his will.

Church

"He is the head of the body," Colossians 1:18.

He, who? God's son. Jesus. That's who, he. Jesus is the head. Head of what? The body. Head, body. Go together, right? Of course he's the head of the body! What body? Surprise (!) : the congregation. A gathering of human souls comprises that body. Jesus is their head! The gathering of all sorts of peoples, seen and unseen. His body. An organic structure held together in Jesus. His real body through whom God reconciles everything. Everything? Everything. In heaven. On earth. All reconciled. At peace. Through the blood of Jesus' cross. Jesus: in First place before anything. Any thing, in all creation. Foremost. He.

We gather with a brother or sister today integrated into the whole, the body of Jesus. And, together, his church, we sacrifice praises to God into forever.

Icon

"He is the image of the invisible God," Colossians 1:15.

He, who? God's son. His human son. His human son, Jesus, whom God has made both Lord and Christ. His image. Image? Yeah. Icon. The human being, Jesus, is God's icon. Not a statue. Not a painting. Not pixels. Jesus. The human being. The human son of God. (the son, in whom all divinity lives.) He is God's icon. See Jesus, see God. See Jesus, see the God that you can't see. See Jesus, see God who made earth and sky. See Jesus, see Creator of all you can see and of all you can't see. See Jesus, see the glue of the cosmos. See Jesus, see the consistency of the universe. See Jesus, see God's plan to reintegrate degenerated chaos. See Jesus' blood sacrifice, see God's heart making peace in all creation.

As we meet with a brother or sister today, we drop to our knees in wonder. And, together, overwhelmed, thankfully, we say: Wow!