“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”  Colossians 1:21-22

If only we could see one another as God does.  We see skin color and age, family makeup and vocational achievement.  We see all the things that divide us and reasons by which we judge one another.  However, God looks upon each one of us as His masterpiece, created in His own image, shaped like clay by the master potter.  Our loving God looks upon you as His beloved child and He invites you to call upon Him as your dear Father.  His love for you was so great that He sent His perfect Son to die in Your place that He might redeem You from sin and the devil.  By the sacrifice of Jesus’ precious body, He has sought to cover all of your sins and blemishes so that you would be holy in His sight.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you have done, but what Christ has done for you.  God doesn’t look upon you and see job titles or net worth, He sees His holy one, so precious and valuable to Him.  If only we could see as God sees and love as God loves.

Sadly, the reason that Jesus came is that our sight is tainted by sin and our love is conditional.  We pray that God would forgive us for the times that we have not loved others as He has.  Our prayer is that the love that we receive that flows from the cross, the font, the pulpit, and the chalice, would overflow as we show love to others.  May our congregations be places that welcome others by seeing them as God does, people created in God’s own image and those for whom Jesus died.  As we live in our daily callings, may we love others the way that God does, not based upon who they are and what they have done, but simply on account of the grace of God.  We are not naïve about the problems of our world, but we know that the only way for us to face these challenges is living under the cross and being reminded that we have been reconciled to God through Christ and therefore we are holy in His sight and therefore called to live holy lives of love and service.

Prayer – Merciful Father, through Holy Baptism You called us to be Your own possession.  Grant that our lives may evidence the working of Your Holy Spirit, in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, according to the image of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Amen. 

Fraternally in Christ,

President Lee Hagan