Saturday, March 29, 2014

Today’s text

Ephesians 1:7-10

In him, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is the richness of the grace which he has showered on us in all wisdom and insight. He has let us know the mystery of his purpose, according to his good pleasure which he determined beforehand in Christ, for him to act upon when the times had run their course: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

Reflection

You made us for this, Holy One, to be gathered together into one blessed unity with you whose name is blessed. You did it because it brings you pleasure. You take delight in sharing the substance of your life, your love, your joy and beauty.

This is not a new plan, not an afterthought. You did not think it up as a way to fix the world after the fateful fruit was picked in Eden and the powers of fear, hatred, and evil spoiled the beauty you had made.

From the beginning--no, earlier--before the beginning, before the first spring breathed beauty on our flesh, before first flower awakened us to wonder, before sunlight exploded into a spectrum of color behind the first white cloud, before the first rainbow, before … when there was only darkness and the impenetrable mystery of who you are, already your holy plan was in place, and you were bringing it together.

All things, including me, were destined to be joined with Christ, sharing his intimacy with you. All that is was destined to be gathered together into one great unity, sharing the love you are.

So even now, every taste of the loving unity we know in our flesh is a taste of eternity, a gift of the future into which you are gathering us, so that we laugh with delight, bathed in the love you are.

Pr. David L. Miller