Clothed in Christ

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Sunday Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17 (NRSV)

12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Read more…

Looking to Sunday: Preparing to Hear From God

by Elaine Poproski

In Christian tradition, Lent is often a time when church-goers stop doing something or give up something for 6 weeks. Often, the thing we give up or stop doing is at least a bit unhealthy, or has the potential to be unhealthy. Some people give up social media for the 6 weeks of Lent. Others give up coffee or chocolate or television. Over my life I’ve given up a lot of things; and not just at Lent. As someone with addictive tendencies, I regularly cycle through periods of cutting things out of my life. But the things I cut out almost never stay cut out. That’s because I rarely replace them with something better and the old habits and tendencies just re-fill the hole, like tidal waters filling a hole in the sand at the beach and gradually washing the scooped out sand back in.

In last week’s Scripture passage from Colossians 3:5–11, we read the Apostle Paul’s instruction to put to death whatever in us is earthly – things like greed, sexual immorality, anger, and abusive language. This week, we’ll read the continuation of that instruction as Paul tells us what will replace that which we’ve put to death. It’s rarely sufficient to just remove things. If we don’t replace the bad with the good (the earthly with the Christ-like), we’ll either be left with gaping holes or the holes will fill back in and it’ll be like that which we put to death never really died.

I found last week’s Scripture passage challenging in what seemed to me a clear call to confession and repentance. At first, I thought this week’s passage would be less challenging as it’s about all the positive and healthy things that go along with being a Christian. But the longer I sit with these words from Colossians 3:12–17, the more challenged I am by them. They continue to call me to confession and repentance – both of which are hard to do.

As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you take some time with God to do an inventory of your life right now. In what ways does your life look like Jesus’ life? In what ways does it differ? Is there are particular part of your life God is calling you to change? Is there something that needs to die? Is there something you need to grow or clothe yourself with (to use Paul’s analogy)?