Transformation - Day 21

"Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.

Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.

And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”

HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.

Remember my chains.

May God’s grace be with you." - Colossians 4:7-18

It would be easy to gloss over Paul's closing words as he signs off on his letter, but there are treasures here.  For some reason, as I read through Paul's list of colleagues, I am struck by the great support he has in carrying out his mission and ministry.  Some of the names are recognizable - Luke, Epahras, Mark, barnabus.  Some are names only here.  All names written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  I am also truck by the list of Greek names.  Saul, now Paul early identified himself as Jew among Jews.  Now his identity is "apostle of Jesus Christ" - a mission that called him to expand his world, his food, his culture and out of this faithful call, the rich blessings that followed.

At the end, Paul writes, "Remember my chains."  I don't think Paul was feeling sorry for himself and was digging up sympathy.  I am pretty sure from other places that Paul shared of his transformation, that he wouldn't trade his new life in Christ for anything in his former life.  It flows from the supremacy of Christ - the essence of this whole letter.

Why would you settle for the world, when you can have the Pearl of great price?  the Treasure found in a field?

We have much to learn from Paul.  I hope this 21 day series has blessed you and called you to greater love for Christ.

Transformation - Day 20

"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone." - Colossians 4:5-6

What's your identity?  Who are you at your core?  When "push comes to shove," when "the chips are down," when you find yourself "in the middle of the storm,"  who comes out?

Paul says 'live wisely among those who are not believers."  Be a positive witness.  There is an assumption on Paul's part with these Colossians.  The whole letter assumes it.  You are Christ's.  You are more Christ's than male or female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile.  Your first identity is Christian and everything else flows out of that reality.

Would you say this is true of you?

Is your first call to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ? or a Raven's fan? an American? a republican? a democrat, mother? father, white, black? hispanic? asian? heterosexual or gay?  Methodist? Baptist?  When you are at work, does your job description call you to be other than a follower of Christ?

I remember in college and when I was a civilian engineer for the Navy, when surrounding by non-believers, I didn't always "live wisely," times when I compromised my faith in order to fit it in.  Today, my call as pastor forces me to think more about my life in Christ - my ambassadorship - and this is grace to me.  But I still have my moments, when the stress comes or the situation is beyond my control and I don't "make the best of every opportunity."

But I know who I am at my core.  I am a husband, West Virginian, a father, brother, son, former engineer, Methodist, independent, evangelical . . . .  But first and foremost, I am a follower of Jesus Christ and everything else about me, flows out of this reality.  If I have any hope of "living wisely," "making the most of every opportunity," "having gracious and attractive conversations," then I must first be connected to Christ where ever I am, whatever I am doing.  

A follower of Christ at the core.  May that be true of you and I.

Transfromation - Day 19

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should." - Colossians 4:2-4

Well after a day of exercising the mind, it's time to re-engage the heart - actually heart and mind. Notice how Paul calls on those in the church to pray - with an alert mind and thankful heart? The Greek here ("devote yourselves") is a strong call to persist in prayer, persevere, to never give up praying. Pray alertly or "wide awake" with thanksgiving. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Haven't we heard this before? What does that tell us?  I don't doubt any of us think we pray enough or do it well.  How can learn to pray as Paul encourages?

I sense that if we can get our prayer lives in order, much of the rest of our lives with fall into place. Do you have a system to prayer? a specific time? a way to be reminded to pray throughout the day? I have a deep longing to help you develop a persisting prayer life, to give you tools and teachings to help you connect deeply with Christ. This devotional blog is one attempt. We must continually spur one another on to live for and listen to Christ.

Why do we think we can live abundantly without Christ and his guidance? Why do we have such spiritual amnesia? I remain convinced that we really need daily contact in both our private devotion and in our relationship with others to give us grace to stay connected to the Vine.


And finally, as Paul requests prayer for his ministry so do I. Pray that God will give me many opportunities to speak about the mystery of Christ. Pray that I can proclaim this message as clearly as possible. Really pray for me!

Paul was in chains and he longed to be with these followers he knew only through Epaphras. I am blessed to be with you every week. Let's not take this gift for granted. Don't let your questions go unanswered. Don't coast though your Christian life without seeking the guidance you need to go deeper and grow deeper. God's blessed me with an education and a life call, not so I can "impress you with my knowledge" but to help you become all that God wants for you to be.  I long to have you become the Christ followers that God created you to be.

Transformation - Day 18

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.  

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven." - Colossians 3:18-4:1

Now Paul, who has been painting in broad strokes gets down to specifics - this is practically how you love others.

And right out of the box - controversy - for our our 2st century ears:  "Wives submit to your husbands . . ."  Tammy Wynette syndrome?.  So how do I unpack this in four paragraphs - whole books have been written on the subject of the role of women in church.  Okay I'm plunging in - on a very limited basis - because there are some great teaching moments on how to approach Scripture in this text.

First, note that immediately after the "submit line" Paul charges husbands to love their wives and never treat them harshly. I would suggest that this hearkens to a more mutually supportive role of marriage that had been found in his culture. (Paul in my mind really was a feminist for his day.) And it also has a longer parallel to the words Paul wrote to the Ephesians 5. In that practical application of "love lived out," Paul starts the conversation in 5:21 by encouraging everyone to submit. "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" before calling for wives to submit in  5:22.  (And even more critical, the word for "submit" is not found in this verse - it reads in the Greek "wives, to your husbands"  - the word  "submit" in verse 22 is implied.)  Now I want to show you something that is kind of subversive.  Notice how the paragraph headings are broken out in this New Living Translation?  Now notice how verse 5:21 is separated from the verse 5:22 in the New International Version.  In the Greek, there are no paragraphs let alone chapter headings.  It's a conspiracy! (or at least poor translation)

Okay -sorry.  I took you on a rabbit trail through Ephesians 5 but you can see how it informs this Colossians text.  This is one critical way to study Scripture.  Study the Word broadly - let one part of an author's writing help you understand what you are studying.  Proof-texting (looking at a text with blinders on) is illegal!

Which brings us to a second issue -again a complicated and some would say dangerous one.  The issue of universal versus local (cultural) truth in Scripture.  Now I am almost dreading opening up this can of worms, because I know they won't go back in the can.  But the gist is that we must also read Scripture with discernment to determine if a law or imperative is meant for everyone or was meant to be applied in the local situation/culture.

Case in point 1 - Paul says we should not eat food sacrificed to idols.  Okay. Check.  Easy.  But is there a deeper, universal truth behind those words? (answered another day)

Case in point 2 - Pork.  Kosher law for the Jews requires them to abstain from pork.  In Acts 10, Peter is given a vision by God of unclean animals and God says' "kill and eat . . . it's not unclean" and Peter just about gags.  But it wasn't about the pork.  It was God saying, "Peter, don't let your food laws get in the way of relating with Gentiles who need the Gospel."  Local truth to universal truth.

Case in point 3 - This very text in Colossians implicitly endorses slavery.  And there were Christians in the 19th century who used this and other texts to justify the owning of slaves.  Now slavery in Paul's day is far different than the systemic racial slavery found in American history, but in our day, we have come to recognize that all forms of slavery are inconsistent with a Christian ethic.  So was Paul endorsing slavery or simply guiding those who found themselves in that station, in that culture, on how to live out the Christian life as a slave.  I would suggest the latter and therefore this is a local truth.  But it also has universal implications for our day - how should an employee relate to his or her superiors for example?  (You really might want to spend some time reflecting on your work relationship based on this text.)

So is this muddying things up for you?  I hope not.  God gave us brains and He wants us to use them in cooperation with the Holy Spirit (and that last prepositional phrase is essential - with the Holy Spirit - we don't get to just randomly choose what we like and dislike in the Bible, or pick what is relavant or not based on our bias - Paul writes, "ALL scripture is God breathed . . .")

Okay, deep breath, just one final thought as you exercise your brain today and one question that I will leave unanswered.  Comment below if you want to venture into this.

If we Christians so readily dismiss this text on slavery (22-24) as culturally irrelevant (as local truth), why are so many Christians adamant about claiming the submission text (18) as universal and applicable (in it's raw form) for today?

Don't check your brain at the door of your church.  Acknowledge that you do have bias (we all do - cultural, historical and personal bias) and that you want God to revel His Truth to you.  God honors that prayer.

Transformation - Day 17

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." - Colossians 3:16-17

We've been talking about the radical exclusive claims of Christ as well as his radically inclusive invitation to connect to him.  These are not in conflict.

Paul said the message of Christ is rich, full, complete.  There is no other message like it.  No one else has come to rescue us from sin.

Our job is not to decide who's in or out, who believes or doesn't believe.  Our task is simply to invite others into the rescue that we've freely received.

So let this message, this rescue dwell in you deeply.  It will change you.

Then Paul gives some practical ways to get this message into your marrow, deep into your soul.

Teach and counsel.

Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

Keep thanksgiving in the front of all you do.

Some beautiful images here.

First. You can't teach and counsel yourself.  You need community - faith community - Christ community.  You can't do it on your own.  You weren't meant to.  God did not create church (not the thing we've made it but the thing God created) as optional.  Who will you invite to counsel you?  Who will you counsel? (and why do we find it so hard to have spiritual conversations when they are so essential to our spiritual formation?)

Second.  Reflect on God's good gift of music.  There's singing in heaven and you are invited to sing along!  What's on your radio?  your ipod?  Is it music that brings you into the presence of God?  The portability and quality of worship music is a tremendous gift in this new century.  And music and poetry penetrate the soul. They create "super highways" carrying God's Word right to our hearts.  (Same with most art - 

Leonard Sweet rights a lot about this.) Be sure to use this gift.  Make worship a lifestyle.  Then the corporate worship we share on Sundays will come alive!

And finally don't forget to sprinkle everything with liberal doses of thanks.  I've noticed if I'm in a bad mood or just down, intentionally thanking God for the good in my life changes my attitude.  Have you tried it?  Thankful people are healthier people.  Paul said, whatever is pure, noble, lovely . . . think on such things."  King David, in the midst of his own depression would write, "and yet I will remember . . ." and begin to think about all the ways God had rescued and restored him in the past.

Remember all this flows from the Message, the Word - Jesus Christ.  Let him dwell in you richly.

Transformation - Day 16

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." - Colossians 3:12-15

What a rich image - God chose you to be the holy people he loves.

You are chosen.

You are set apart (holy) for God's use.

You are loved.

If you can embrace this identity, your life will be changed.  It speaks to both God's grace in his choosing and loving you, but also his call to not leave you in sin, but to clean you up (yesterday), make you pure and holy.

It's our relationship with Jesus Christ that provides the impetus to change.

You are chosen, holy, loved.

And since YOU ARE, clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

(Be like Jesus)

Recognize that no one is perfect so stop expecting perfection.

Forgive, not ignore, those who offend you.  Be proactive in the grace department.

Jesus forgave you.  Remember the prayer that Jesus taught you - "Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."  Remember Jesus said that you can't find forgiveness unless you forgive others.  Remember he told Peter "seventy times seven" when Peter asked how many times to forgive.  GET THIS!

And Paul sums it all up - clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 

All you need is love . . . But not wishy, fluffy emotional love.   This is not a Kumbaya love fest.  This is love as a verb - love in action - serving, feeding, doing the tough work of investing in others, putting the interests of others above you own (THIS is NOT easy).

Time to get a VW van, buy some tie-dye tshirts . . . .?

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. 

Oh and by the way, always be thankful.

So where does God want you to start? Don't loss over this question.  Remember to replace a bad habit with a good one.  Learn to delight in making others better, in giving the compliment, holding the door, saying thank you and please, being a good listener, playing with the kids on the floor . . .

The Beatles can sing about IT, but remember where love comes from and that it's a VERB.

Transformation - Day 15

"So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But  now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. - Colossians 3:5-11


Paul sets out a list of thoughts and actions that Christ-followers are to have nothing to do with.  I will say it again and again and again - that Paul is not making up a bunch or religious "do nots" for their own sake.


Paul is practically saying - you are a new person - there is no reason to live like this.  Jesus saved you for a better life - a free life.

 A key point in this text is something that we should not overlook - "Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming."  It's a statement that reminds us that God does not take sin lightly.  I fear that often the church does take sin lightly.  Our "god" is all bark and no bite or a lovey-dovy Santa figure.  But God is holy and there is no place for sin to dwell in the presence of God.  This holy God loves us, sins and all, but he calls us out of that sin.  His love and holiness should motivate us to "clean up our act" or rather let God clean us up.

And that is the essense of what Paul points to next - "Now is the time to get rid of . . ."

I would suggest you read the list in an attitude of prayer.  It's called the prayer of examen.  Is there anger, slander, lying, filthy language, pornography, greed . . . in your life that God needs to remove?  Let God's Spirit bring to mind those places where you have missed the mark of God's will.  Confess, acknowledge them before God, seek mercy, and then rather than repeat, take the next steps to rid yourself of this dirt.  Find a spiritual running partner to hold you accountable.  Join a group.  Ask God for a good habit to replace the old - something you (and God) would enjoy more than the sin itself.

Come clean before God.  He knows your dirt anyway.  Let him clean you up.

Put on the new life.  "Be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and learn to be like him."

Can't you see that God expects change?  He wants to make you into the person He created you to be.  Why settle for a second hand- half human life?  God offers so much more.

Transformation - Day 14

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." - Colossians 3:1-4

Sunday today!  Resurrection Day.  The day God's people gather to celebrate what Jesus Christ has done for them and the world.  We've been "raised to new life in Christ!"

And because of this rescue, Paul says our perspective should change, our orientation should change, our thoughts should change. "Think about the things of heaven, not things of earth."

You died to this stuff, this life.  You live differently now.  Christ is your life!  You have a down payment for an eternal deposit.  And when Jesus comes back in glory, you get to shine to!

Does this describe you?  Why or why not?  What needs to change?  What does Christ need to transform?

What Paul is describing here wasn't the exception but the norm.  Life change is not optional.  It is essential.

It's Sunday - start shining!  See you in church where you can connect to the Vine.

Transformation - Day 13

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. - Colossians 2:20-23

Paul continues to be concerned for the Colossians - that they are being manipulated by Judaizers to turn from the pure grace of Jesus Christ to become Christian (Messianic) Jews.  Circumcision, dietary laws, ritual purity laws, etc  would be added on to the moral law to bring these Jesus followers into Judaism.

This is what Paul was hinting at in yesterday's text and what he spells out clearly in this one.

Your sin died with Christ (again an allusion to baptism). You've been set free.  So why follow this wordly, unnecessary stuff.  It's all a shadow to the reality of Jesus Christ.

And he argues, these things won't make you righteous.  You can't earn salvation or holiness.  They can't help you overcome evil - that's Jesus' job though his gift of the Holy Spirit.

Those in recovery acknowledge that they are powerless to change without power from the Power.  Why do we as Christ followers attempt to be good, do good, on our own?  And then what happens when we fail again?  What sins have you kept hidden? Where are you missing the mark?  embarrassed to confide in anyone?

What sin in your life are you attempting to conquer in your own power?  How's it working for you?  Didn't think so.  I know.  I've tried.  If you are struggling (and who isn't) with some area of your life that is still in rebellion to God, maybe you need to realize/remember how much you need Christ's power and that you need the gift of community (one or two trusted Christian friends who will walk the walk with you) and you need the Spirit working in you because Christ has already freed you - sin has no power over you - you died to that stuff.

I think AA has it right.  It's time for recovery.  Pray - what area of your life does God want to show you His victory.  Pray - who can you trust to walk with you through the valley of the shadow.  Pray - for courage to overcome and take the next step.

And I am here to help.  I don't bite.  We are all imperfect people.  But God doesn't want us to stay that way.

Transformation - Day 12

"So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it." - Colossians 2:16-19

I love Paul's language here.  All this tacked on religious baggage is only a shadow of the reality yet to come.  (CS Lewis, Shadowlands?)  The rules and regulations that we add on to our faith journey turn relationship into religion.  Rather than giving us freedom in Christ - His reality -  they restrict us, slow us down, because they are not the real thing - just a shadow.

Pursue Christ and his righteousness will be imbued upon you, like Moses whose face was found glowing after spending forty days on the mountain in God's presence.

Christ himself is REALITY.

 Again, all the goody two shoes stuff is not an end in itself or a ticket to heaven.  Self denial is not an end.

Fasting works when you do it because more than anything else you want to hunger for Christ.

Worship works when God increases and you decrease.

Prayer works when your desire is to spend time with God, not try to score some God-points.

Self-righteousness, pride has no place in the Kingdom of God.  Because the Kingdom of God is consumed with only one thing - Jesus.

So pious self denial, church attendance . . . even "don't drink-don't smoke" living is never the end.  And if it becomes an end, you will miss the End, the Omega.

You won't be connected to Christ, "the head of the body."

He's the One keeping everything together.

Spend some time, quality time, thinking about like with and without Jesus Christ.

How connected are you?  How have you let the shadows get in the way of reality?  Change.

Transfromation - Day 11

"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." - Colossian 2:13-15

(This is harder than I thought, but keeping me disciplined as well.  Thanks for the accountability although my "deadline" shifts far too much.)

I mean, I'm not perfect, but I'm a pretty decent human being. I don't murder, don't steal, keep lying to a minimum, say please and thank you, rarely cuss, haven't committed adultery, only speed seven miles over the speed limit (did I mention I keep lying to a minimum?), generally get along with everyone, mind my own business, live and let live, go to church, throw some money in the basket, don't drink, don't smoke (what do you do?) . . . Well I could go on, but overall I'm a pretty decent law-abiding citizen.

But Paul says that with or in spite of this goody two-shoes lifestyle, without Christ, I'm dead.

Dead. DEAD.

dead?

Christ made me alive.  Christ makes me alive. His life. His death. His resurrection.  The supremacy of Christ! (read Day 5's text again)

I could spend a lot of time writing about the cultural and universal baggage that pervades our neighborhoods and churches concerning the afterlife and our delusions over who's in and who's out. We do a lot of mental juggling and semi-righteous tumbling to give ourselves passing grades into heaven.  I'll stop here.

But Paul says we are dead without Christ, without the cross.  He's just saying things a little different than how Jesus said it himself. . .

"Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." - John 15:6

You believe Jesus?  No schizo prophet here.

Dead or alive? Connected or withered?

Transfromation - Day 10

"When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead." - Colossians 2:11-12

Paul, a Messianic Jew, is writing to Gentiles.  There was intense pressure on these Gentiles to be circumcised - to enter into the Hebrew Covenant before entering into the New Covenant (Grace Covenant - This is my blood of the New Covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins - Jesus).

Paul is assuring them that physical circumcision is not needed when Christ performed a "spiritual circumcision" on their hearts.  But Paul is saying this in a more than symbolic manner - Jesus has also cut their sinful nature away.

The language that follows about baptism points to two issues that have been highly contentious in the church - immersion/believers baptism and whether baptism is sacramental or merely an ordinance.

Let's start with the first.  This passage is one of the stronger passages that points towards baptism being an immersion experience.  How can one be "raised" unless they were under the water?  The symbol here is definitely more than cleansing from pouring.  So the baptists would say "aha - I told you so!"

But the second element is just as critical.  First you must understand the difference between an ordinance and a sacrament.  An ordinance is in essence an outward demonstration/ritual of obedience to Christ (click on the link to read more.)  A sacrament is a ritual that contains a mystery - that in some way God imparts grace to the participant - a sacre(d mo)ment (ditto the link to read more).  While the baptists can point to this text supporting immersion baptism, Paul also writes that this is more than a symbolic act. "you were raised to new life" implies that baptism conveys some measure of grace - a sacred mystery.

At this point, you may be asking what I believe.  Well first of all, this blog isn't the place to delve into such a huge topic in which books have been written.  Let's start here.  I am in covenant with the United Methodist Church that embraces both infant and believers baptism, that believes baptism is a sacrament and not an ordinance (as do I), and also gives latitude for both infant dedication and baptism (although they push for the latter).

I don't want to open up the whole can of worms on whether your infant baptism is valid.  I do know this -  God's grace works in bigger ways than whether we were baptized as a baby or whether we were sprinkled or immersed.  There was a thug on a cross who received unconditional pardon from Jesus without having to be baptized.  Perhaps just like the Colossians, you feel pressured by others to be baptized as an adult because your "infant baptism didn't count."  Later in this letter, you'll see that Paul continues to tell the Colossians not to get caught up in legalism and externals.  Jesus wants to circumcise your heart, cut away the sinful nature. This is the ESSENTIAL part.

Transformation - Day 9

"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority." - Colossians 2:6-10

I love Paul's language here. "Let your roots grow down deep into him [Jesus], and let your lives be built on him."

This is my prayer for each one of you.

Healthy roots lead to a healthy plant (watched enough grass fertilizer commercials  to know that) What are you doing to develop your "root system"? Is your life built on the foundation of Jesus Christ?  Do your thoughts, actions, emotions center on Jesus?  Do you believe this is possible and how?

What icons and reminders have you surrounded your life with so you can overcome your spiritual amnesia?

Remember the secret - Christ in you.

I hope these transformation meditations are in some way helping your "roots grow deep into him."

Stay connected to Christ.  May your roots run deep into Christ's love.

Tree Roots

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Transformation - Day 8

"I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong." - Colossians 2:1-5

Paul's pastoral heart rises up again - love for people he has never met.  How is that possible?

His desire? that they "be encouraged" that they be "knit together by strong ties of love."  I've heard people say, you don't need church or community to be a Christian.  How far from the truth!  21st century American independence and individualism has invaded the thought life of believers.  God designed Christians for community and community for Christians.  We need one another - the grace that community provides.  Transformation will happen at a snail's pace without Christian community.  "Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love."  I pray that the people of The Vine will develop this kind of love for one another.

Paul also wants them to have complete confidence in understanding "God's mysterious plan" - the Gospel.  Paul knows that people will come to test and deceive.  Some will try to pull them back into Judaistic legalism, others into licentiousness - sin more so that grace may increase.

There are many "well crafted arguments" in our day and age. I mentioned one at the beginning of this meditation - God loves everyone so all roads lead to God.

Know what you believe and why.  Stand strong.  Don't turn off your brain but use the gifts that God has given you to stand strong.

Transformation - Day 7

"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." - Colossians 1:24-29

Well speaking of "suffering,"  my family is passing around a flu bug so my apologies for not giving you a daily connection.  I'll try to catch up.

As I've shared in previous posts, there is a tension in our culture because of the exclusive claims of Christ.  We live in a world where everyone wants to believe that "all roads lead to heaven."  But when faced with the reality of Who Jesus is, it's impossible to deny that His life, death and resurrection are essential to reconciliation with God.  A better way to say this my be "Not all roads lead to heaven, but all roads run through Jesus Christ."

I write this to set up the essence of this passage - that while Christ is supreme (Colossians 1:15-20 - Day 5), He is also radically inclusive.  Because all the fullness of God lives in Christ, his grace is able to cover the sins of the world.

So Paul boldly proclaims that the secret is out - the "riches and glory of Christ are for the gentiles too."  There's plenty to go around.

And what is the "secret?"  Christ in you.  The Spirit of Christ dwelling in Jew and gentile - available to all who ask, all who desire mercy!

How is your life different because Christ dwells in you?

And this brings us back to Paul's motivation - why apologize for evangelizing Jew, Greek, pagan when Jesus is the center?  "We tell everyone" - Paul wants to present more and more people to Christ.  He wants more and more people to have Christ's riches and glory, to have Christ's Spirit dwell in them.  Jesus is everything.

What's your motivation?  Is Christ supreme in your life? And how does that fuel how you relate to others?

Transformation - Day 6

"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." - Colossians 1:21-23

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine . . .  One of the distinctives of being Methodist is the belief that Christ followers have a secure assurance of their eternal destiny through the forgiveness of sins (Good News!).  John Wesley, methodism's founder, spent much of his life trying to earn the favor of a judging God, he had been a missionary to America, an Anglican priest, but it wasn't until one evening, when amongst a group of devout Moravians that he was overwhelmed by the love of God and felt his heart "strangely warmed."  Click on any of the links to read more.

Paul wrote, "don't drift away from the assurance you received when you first heard the Good News . . ."  Do you have this assurance?

I remember sitting with my grandmother just days before she passed away.  These are always opportunities to talk about important things like life after death, grace, forgiveness, release.  As I talked about heaven, she remarked, "I hope . . . I hope I get to heaven."  Her hope wasn't based on hope but on doubt.  Hope that she was "good enough" or that some how she stumbled upon God's favor.  My heart grieved.  I tried to share about grace - what Paul has been speaking of through this transformation series of devotions. "Grandma you can't be good enough .  It's not what you've done, but what God through Jesus Christ has done for you . . ."  Grandma had grown up in church her whole life and yet some how missed or somehow had let "drift away" this blessed assurance.  We shared some more. To be honest, i can't even remember how the conversation ended, but I did pray for her, pay that she would grasp the love of God for her - grace - unconditional, unmerited favor, assurance that her sins were forgiven, not by what she'd done, but by who Jesus Christ is.

May you too recognize this and find your heart strangely warmed.

Transformation - Day 5

"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." - Colossians 1:15-20

I'm not gonna write much this morning.  These words speak for themselves.  I would encourage you to get away, somewhere by yourself, to worship.  And soak up these words, ponder these words, meditate, reflect, commune . . .  Jesus is the Ultimate.  the Source of all life.  Apart from him, we can do nothing.  Connected to him, we will produce much fruit.

There's a great book out right now by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola called Jesus Manifesto. It speaks to the supremacy of Jesus Christ.  He is the great separator.  Many want to lump all religions together, but knowing who Jesus is and KNOWING him won't allow.  Again, read Paul's majestic poem and see if you can lower Jesus to the place of Mohamed or Moses or Confucius. It can't be done and that is why there will always be "trouble" with our world.  Not because Christians are better, but because Christ is supreme.

I've attached a Third Day video - kinda cool - I think in Russian.  I did a music video to this incredible song a few years ago on DVD, but I couldn't rip it so it will have to wait.  So watch this or google search your favorite picture of Jesus and focus on it while listening to the  words - just let the words penetrate into your soul.  Today, learn to worship with an audience of ONE.

Transformation - Day 4

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. - 1 Colossians 1:9-14

Paul returns to the topic of prayer and I am again convicted by how much he is praying ("we have not stopped praying . . .") and what he prays for - not for medical healing, for finances/jobs, for safety, comfort . . .  rather  "we ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will . . .  spiritual wisdom and understanding."

Knowing God's will.  I really want to know AND FOLLOW God's will.  I want everyone at my church to know and follow God's will.  The results are mind-blowing.

• living this way honors and pleases God, 
• it produces every kind of good fruit (love, joy, peace, patience . . .)
• it brings greater intimacy with God ("know God better and better"

the second part of Paul's prayer - that the Colossians be strengthened with God's power for endurance, patience, thankfulness and joy.  I want more of God's power in my life.  I need to remain connected to Christ my source.

I am amazed at how often I come back to the life verse for The Vine. John 15:5, Jesus' words - "If you remain in me, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing."  My greatest task is to abide in Jesus.  Everything else flows from him.  I can accomplish some things in my own effort, even do some good, but none of it is sustainable.

And Paul uses the same language - intimacy with God, fruitfulness . . .  it starts with a prayer life that seeks God's will.

Father, I pray right now for those you have entrusted to my shepherding.  As we seek to become the faith community that you long for us to be, help me to stay connected to our Source, Jesus Christ, who is both the revealer of God's will and the power to keep me on the path.  Help us all to hunger for and seek your will, on the deepest level.  And as we hunger, feed us your good and perfect and pleasing will.  Then give us the courage and strength to be obedient.  May your people be filled with joy, always thanking You for the life you have given us, the freedom we have in Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and the inheritance you've shared with us.  Father, transform us into the image of your Son.  Amen

Transformation - Day 3

"This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.  You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf.  He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you." - Colossians 1:6-8

Paul is in prison, yet he exudes this incredible confidence - the Gospel (Good News) is going out all over the world.  An unstoppable force - changing lives.  It is such a beautiful positive image - I can see a smile cross Paul's face as he visions this wonderful gift of salvation and grace in Jesus Christ changing lives and spreading through the Middle East.  Christianity was a movement - a fire - a wind blowing through the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe.   In Paul's day, in conditions far less than ideal - fewer communication options, slower transportation, more persecution -  the Good News grew so forcefully that it eventually overwhelmed the Roman empire.

That was then.  This is now.  How did the Good News become such "bad news" in America?  Why is Christianity such an anemic force in this country?  Why do many perceive Christianity as negative, restrictive, with churches filled with hypocritical people?

Paul reminds the Colossians of how the Gospel has changed their lives - from the moment when they first heard it - this incredibly fantastic gift of grace has given them faith, hope, love  . . .  Suddenly their pagan worship or their legalistic Judaism seems dull, dead, pale in comparison to this shining freedom found in Christ.

How about you?  Have you discovered the fantastical, mystical, magical liberation of Jesus?  What happened to you when you first heard the Good News?

Words from a book (George Hunter's Church for the Unchurched) that I read many years ago still haunt me.  Hunter suggested that too many people, sitting in church pews their whole lives, having heard the Gospel so many times while failing to respond to its winsome message, had become "inoculated to the Gospel."  Have you built up an immunity to Jesus' life changing message and life?  I pray it not so at The Vine.  I see lives changing and people awakening to the freedom offered in Jesus Christ.  King David at one time prayed "restore to me the joy of Your salvation."  If the joy is missing, pray for its return - spend some private worship time just contemplating what Jesus Christ has done for you.

Paul recognized that when someone encounters Christ, his or her life is changed.  Paul's life story was a fantastic witness of conversion and transformation.  His about face is one of the greatest validations to the truth of Jesus' resurrection.  Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, on his way to persecute Christians, and in that encounter he "blinked."  Such was AND IS the power of Christ.

I have to wonder why would anyone choose legalistic Judaism or Islam,  or turn to paganism and Wicca, when they could have the Real Thing.  Grace is so much better. Grace is freeing - no bondage, no fear of punishment.  Nothing is comparable to the Good News found in Jesus Christ.   Nothing.

So what is keeping the Good News from bearing fruit in America?

Perhaps materialism and distractions?  Jesus in one of his parables said that the worries of this world were like weeds choking out fruitfulness.  And we have plenty of stuff to take care of and plenty of entertainment to distract us.  Are there weeds in your life that God needs to pull up?

Perhaps the church has been sharing bad news in place of Good News.  We jumped into bed with politics thinking that would be how we transform America and it backfired.  Or we've been sharing in language that is losing something in translation - it sounds like bad news to those with no news.

Perhaps we've ruined our witness.  Our lifestyle really isn't that much different than everybody else so we've got no story to tell, no power to share.  Our Good News is just okay news.  Are you living differently because of Jesus Christ?

Or scariest of all - you can't share what you don't have. (But that's fixable - Jesus said ask, seek, knock - do it - now.)

At any rate, we have our work cut out for us to overcome negative stereotypes.  But, like Paul, I do know this - The Good News is Great News! And our greatest task is to make ourselves, as bearers of this Good News, available to our friends, neighbors, coworkers and family.  When God calls us to holinesss, it's not for our benefit, but for the benefit of our world - a shining light, a city on a hill.


I hope that our journey through Colossians helps you to awaken to what God wants to do in you and through you - life change - transformation in you and in others.

I hope you are praying and seeking God's will in discerning your role in the Vine offsite.  Your life will be changed.  And you will have the chance to witness the Gospel changing the lives of others. 

Transformation:  It Starts in the Heart of One.

Transformation - Day 2

"We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News." - Colossians 1:3-5

I don't know why Paul gets under some people's skin - his "ego" or personality just rub some folk wrong. But I read a passage like the above and see someone deeply connected to, praying for, and encouraging others. Most scholars believe that Epaphras, not Paul, started the church in Colosse, but you would never know it from the warmth and pastoral quality of this letter.

I also love the word "we" here. I don't want us to overlook that in the early church, leadership was not a solo act but a shared calling. I wonder if the struggles we face in the modern church from burnout to sexual misconduct can be traced back to mission and ministry leadership not being shared. The longevity of Billy Graham's ministry and his pact with fellow team members speaks to this.

I am also humbled by Paul's acknowledgment that "we always pray for you." I don't think this was hyperbole. Paul and Timothy prayed - a lot. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 wrote "pray without ceasing" and backed it up by saying this is God's will.

I need to do a better job of praying for you. I can get so busy with life and ministry that I neglect the most essential activity - prayer. My best friend from seminary committed to praying Ephesians 3:14-19 everyday for the people in his church. It's a rich beautiful prayer and I feel the tug to pray it for you as well. Are there other ways I can pray for you - especially when it comes to spiritual transformation? - the heart of these blogs for the next 21 days. Comment below or send me a personal note.

Finally, look at what Paul commends these Colossian followers for: 1) faith in Christ 2) love for God's people and 3) hope for eternity. Sometimes we make things so complicated with ministry plans and smart goals. What if we could simply be a church that trusted Christ and loved everybody (not easy), motivated by a hope for a better reward? (These three remain - faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love - where have I heard that before?) And don't gloss over the motivation - eternity with Christ in heaven. I've heard people say that you can be so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good. I've said it. But here Paul makes it clear that a strong hope for heaven motivates our faith in Christ and our love for others. Eternity fuels us. After all, how can we love if God doesn't first love us, fueling our love with the free gift of eternal life?

Love hard.  Pray hard.  We have hope for a better future. Life is short. make it count. Be transformed. Show someone God's love today. Let us pray . . .

Transformation - Day 1

"This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace." - Colossians 1:1-3.

"Chosen by the will of God to be . . " How many of us would make such a bold declaration of identity? I wonder how this would change our lives if we could discern such a calling? Paul was in prison when he wrote these words. He was in prison because God chose him. He could put up with the lousy living arrangements because God chose him. (This from a guy who was, at one point, on the fast track toward the inner political circle in Jerusalem.)

What would your life be like if you truly knew your identity and vocation in Christ?

Jim, chosen by the will of God to be an accountant for Jesus Christ. . .

Debbie, chosen by the will of God to be a teacher for Jesus Christ . . .

Pat, chosen by the will of God to be an engineer for Jesus Christ . . .

or on another front

Stan, chosen by the will of God to be a good husband to Michelle . . .

You get the picture. How would this way of living/thinking change everything in your life and in our world?

Today, as we start this 21 day experiment in Colossians, KNOW that God has called you and is calling you. He is calling you at the very least to be "God's holy person" - a faithful brother or sister in Christ. (note and do not take lightly that this is how Paul addressed the Christians he was writing to in Colosse.)

Reflect on the weight of these words. What does it mean to be holy? to be faithful?

You have been chosen by God. God wants to change your heart and my heart - to give us identity and purpose that will keep us grounded when life isn't all fun and comfortable. Holy. Faithful. Brothers and Sisters.

Transformation starts in the heart of one.

(comments and reflections welcome - let's share to build one another up)

Transformation Series Bumper Video from Community Christian Church on Vimeo.

Transformation - Intro

Transformation starts in the heart of One. Today is the first day of a 21 day journey to discern God's will for The Vine. A time of prayer and fasting, seeking, listening. We need to hear God clearly if we are to have any hope of attempting to do what is humanly impossible. I know I'm being ambiguous here. It's because I don't want to get ahead of myself. The Vine is the dream of Bel Air United Methodist Church to start a new/different/ancient/modern faith community - to draw together people who live out Acts 2 in a very independent and disconnected culture. (read the ATV vision and mission page for more).

Yesterday, at all of BAUMC's worship services, we launched a worship series called the 10-10-10 Initiative - Our Call to Multiply. The reality is that God is calling churches, and at this moment specifically, BAUMC, to discern how we are to live out the great commission - to "go and make disciples. . ." Starting new faith communities is one significant part of being faithful to Christ. (read more about the 10-10-10 Initiative here.)

I lay all this out as back story, because what I really hope to do is use the gift of technology (like facebook and blogger) to connect us to God's Word, together, over these 21 days. I want to use this media to keep me accountable, to reflect on Scripture and to have you join me in this form of corporate worship. I was drawn to Colossians - one of Paul's letters from prison that is rich in the call to connect with Christ and to be transformed - which is the theme of these 21 days - Transformation starts in the heart of one.

Whether you are a part of The Vine, connected to our mother - Bel Air UMC, or just a God-connected friend who I "picked up" along the journey, I invite you to join in contemplation of God's Word. Morning. Noon. Evening. Get alone and get with God. I value your prayers in this experiment.

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly." (Col 3:16) Be transformed.

Transformation Series Bumper Video from Community Christian Church on Vimeo.