December 16th,2010 Praying Advent Season

Thursday, December 16th, 2010


Candle Lighting: Come, Lord Jesus.

Opening Prayer:
Stir up the wills of all who look to you, Lord God, and strengthen our faith in your coming that transformed by grace we may walk in your way.

Today's Text: Galatians 3:23-29

Children of God
23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Once a person is baptized “into Christ” and has “put on Christ,” she/he has a new identity as a Christian, bestowed by the grace of God. In the light of that new identity, all other identities have to be renegotiated and refrigerated, to bear witness to the new humanity in Jesus Christ. When that truth is missed and Christians continue to parade on their old identities and use them for selfish privileges and advantages at the expense of others, they in fact miss the point of being redeemed persons through baptism “into Christ.” Part of the reason why racism, sexism, class was perpetuated in Christian communities and still continues to some degree is because of the misunderstanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christianity breaks the barriers, writes Paul to the church in Galatia, and opens the way to a new humanity of mutuality and solidarity. It was that revolutionary nature of early Christianity, a movement without any historic precedence, which attracted people from all ranks of the then existing society. That new Christian fellowship was a “sociological impossibility” at the time of its formation and needs to remain so, to be true to the gospel.

Loving Father,
Help us to remain new in you each day. Send your Holy Spirit to be among us as our anticipation grows for the return of the one who is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty Redeemer, Lord of all.
Amen.

The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it. 1 Thes. 5

Thanks to:The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, ELCA and http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112810.html


Our Savior Lutheran Church, Gatlinburg, TN

Called as God's People
Equipped by the Holy Spirit
Sent to boldly proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to all people.