The Glorious Gospel
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Sunday Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ[a] before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. Read more…
Looking to Sunday: Preparing to Hear From God
By Elaine Poproski
One of my favourite New Testament books is the Letter to the Ephesians. In more than one place its poetry spills like a waterfall out of the author’s mouth. God is exalted and holy and yet also our beloved Father who overflows with compassion and generosity. The author presents a vision of the church as a local gathering of believers, united by our shared adoption as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. We’re reminded that because of Jesus we have been reconciled to God and to each other. I believe there is no clearer picture of or call to be the church than that presented in Ephesians. So beginning this Sunday, we’re going to be hearing the words of Ephesians when we gather for worship.
For many of us, last Sunday was a difficult morning/afternoon. We said good-bye to people we have loved over the years. We came face to face with the reality that even though God has a future for Walmer, not all of us will be part of that future. And yet I believe God does have a future for Walmer. Yes, there are still a lot of unknowns and uncertainties and some days it feels like everything is stacked against us. But if God is on our side, what do we have to fear? As God said to the Israelites so many years ago, so do I believe He says to us,
Do not fear, for I Am with you, do not be afraid, for I Am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.(Isa. 41:10)
This Sunday we’ll be considering the words of Ephesians 1:3–14. In its original Greek, these verses make up one of the longest run-on sentences in the whole Bible. Thankfully, our English translators have added in punctuation and sentence breaks to help us makes sense of it. It reads like a series of building block phrases stacking one atop the other; the further along we read, the more spectacular the picture becomes. As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to spend the next few days reading these verses out loud, slowly. Pay attention to the way the phrases interact and build. Try to ignore the English punctuation and instead allow the momentum of the words to carry you forward. What impression of God do these words and phrases leave you with? What words and phrases of your own do they inspire in you? Give yourself time to respond to these words in worship, whatever that might look like given the unique way God put you together.