Tag: Holy

Reconciliation

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 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— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. 

Colossians 1:19-23a (NIV)

Reconciliation is defined as “the restoration of friendly relations.” After the Civil War in the United States, the northern and southern states had to reconcile. Friendly relations were required if the nation was going to heal and move forward as a productive country on the world’s stage. Reconciliation can also be necessary among family members. When individuals become estranged from one another, there is a need to reconcile with one another for the family to become whole once again. Unreconciled relationships create a gap among people. It is as if there is a hole in the spirit of the person who has not been reconciled.

In his comments to the Colossian believers, Paul speaks of reconciliation with God. The reason for the need to reconcile is because our thoughts and behaviors stand often in opposition to the love of God. God is love so anything which cannot abide within that love is unable to exist in God’s realm. God chose to create a way for us to be reconciled with God. Jesus Christ is the means for reconciliation to occur. God decided to fully live among humanity in Jesus. At the right time Jesus became the reconciler by physically dying on the cross. He stood in for us, bearing our sinful thoughts and behaviors on his body. By doing this, he made us holy, free and innocent in the sight of God. Our thoughts and behaviors are now compatible with the pure love of God.

Now having been made compatible with God and fully reconciled in relationship, Paul says we are to continue in believing Jesus has made this so. He tells us to be unmoved from the hope found in this good news. Where we once were alienated from God, we now live in full relationship. This is the truth of the gospel and this truth gives us hope.

Repurposing

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

Exodus 3:1-5 (NIV)

Repurposing of items has become a true decorator’s unique talent. If you watch HGTV, many of the shows which involve an aspect of interior design feature at least some amount of repurposing. There even was a television show, Flea Market Flip, which features two teams who are given money, three projects and an hour to shop. The teams repurpose their purchases before bringing them to a flea market to sell. The team which achieves the largest profit is the winner. Taking something and changing it for a different use is creative. This may be done for economical reasons or to achieve a certain goal.

The Lord repurposes items regularly. Jesus takes bread and wine from the Passover meal and repurposes them to assist believers in remembering the giving of his body and blood. In the passage for today, God repurposes two items, a bush and the ground around the bush. God uses the bush to get Mose’s attention and for a communication tool. The ground is used to raise the significance of the words God would share with Moses. By transforming the ordinary, a holiness becomes attached to the items. The unique presence of the Lord at these times is what causes the ordinary to become holy.

This continues even today. A Bible is just a book with pages and words until we invoke the presence of the Spirit into our reading of it, then it becomes Holy. The elements of bread and drink are ordinary food items until we request the presence of the Lord at the table and then they become a Holy remembrance. The water is an element which comes from a sink tap until we seek the Lord’s blessing on it and then it becomes a symbol of sins washed away and a seal of acceptance into the family of the Lord. The place where we sit or stand is like any other until we acknowledge the Lord being present then it becomes a Holy place of retreat, learning and rest. The Lord can also repurpose our work and make it Holy work. 

Look for God’s repurposing in your life.  Then take off your shoes because you are standing on Holy ground.