Monday 25 May 2015



Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 21 "But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, 22 by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first installment." 

Observation:

As followers of Christ of the Lutheran persuasion we posses this dogged, disciplined confession: that we receive salvation as God's gift freely offered. We have been given this gift to bear to the rest of the church universal and through it into the ends of the Earth. Our theology of justification is richly Christocentric; and that is almost unfailingly a good thing. Almost. 
I believe the shadow cast by this theological mountain darkens much of what God would otherwise bring to light for us about the invitation into life abundant (Sanctification) through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

Well, that's a mouthful, but what's my point?

 I wonder if paying more attention to the 

dynamic and expansive love travelling between the 

Father and the Son 

- gathering others in as She weaves back and forth - 

could enliven our experience of faith 

on a day to day basis.  

And, maybe that is the Holy Spirit's point too.

Passages like 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 invite and challenge us to move beyond our staid dogmatic assertions (even cherished ones like Justified by Grace alone through Faith alone) towards the messiness demanded to engage the real questions and problems of our neighbours and communities. 

Application: 


I am tempted to be an observer of faith, content to sit on the sidelines of life assured that salvation is a done deal. I cherish the security and humility of the faith tradition I have grown up in and I am not advocating throwing away this beautiful understanding of how God stoops to conquer and rescue. But, it seems to me that not too many people I know are wresting with a sense of insecurity with respect to salvation. Rather, the fundamental questions of our time are existential, asking not "how can I survive?" but, "what does it all mean?"
It's a move from head to heart that I sense God's Spirit of live inviting me to embark upon. Care to join me?

Prayer:

Veni sancte Spiritus! Catch me up in your grace and take me where you will. Amen.

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