Remember Who You Were
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Sunday Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 (NRSV)
11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Read more…
Looking to Sunday: Preparing to Hear From God
By Elaine Poproski
I love the church. I love that God created this thing that has the potential to transform the world from a place of hate, suspicion, judgment, and oppression to a place of kindness, justice, unity, and inclusion. I love that all the words we use to describe Jesus – peace, hope, love, etc. – also describe the church. I love that because God’s Spirit is the One who gives life to the church, it can truly be the incarnation of Jesus Christ in the world.
I love the church.
And I grieve the church. I grieve its choice to be an institutional monument to Christendom. I grieve its forgetfulness when it comes to its responsibility for the world’s widows, orphans, strangers, and aliens. I grieve its longing for power over service. I grieve its internal squabbling and myopic worldview.
I love the church.
I love that the church isn’t something we create or build or institute. I love that it was established via the death and resurrection of Jesus to continue the work of Jesus in the world. I love that the gates of Hell itself cannot and shall not prevail over it (see Matthew 16:16-18).
In the second half of Ephesians 2, the church is a new humanity birthed in Christ. It is the embodiment of people reconciled to each other and to God. It is the household of God Almighty.
This Sunday we’ll be hearing the words of Ephesians 2:11-22. As we were last week, we will again be reminded of who we were before Christ and who we have become. We’ll hear that we have been made something new, something different, something heretofore unimagined in the world. In short, we will hear that in Christ we have become the church.
As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to read through Ephesians 2:11-22. Read it slowly and read it out loud. Listen to the words as they fall out your mouth. This passage is full of rich images. Which image grabs your attention? Which image excites you? Which image fills you with sadness or regret? Can you envision the church God is speaking about in these images? As you live your life and faith, do you contribute to the realization of this church birthed in Christ?