Colossians 1:15-23

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. Colossians 1:15-23

When the ball is hiked in a football game, the viewer’s eyes are trained on the quarterback. The ultimate compliment to a quarterback and play caller is when everyone, especially the defense, is fooled. While everyone is focused on one area, yardage is being gained on another part of the field by someone unexpected. Most everyone is fooled.

I believe many of us may be fooled as well as we think of God’s work in the earth today. The unit God has on the field is His Church and…..

     when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

As many of the spectators of western Christianity are viewing the Church, they do not see many holes opening up in the line, not too many running backs breaking free for big gains, not many long pass completions. In fact it appears that there are really only a few plays and the opponent seems to know them all by heart. Most plays are stopped for a loss. How can this be!?  Is there a problem with the Offensive Coordinator? Is there a problem with The Play? Some may be tempted to even think that, in God’s sovereignty, He has ordained this quarter to be a loss. For the record, I don’t see any coach, especially our’s, ordaining loss.

We know there is no problem with the Play Caller or The Play.  I invite you to read our passage with your heart. Note: You cannot speed-read and heart-listen at the same time.

Everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment…He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—He is supreme in the end. From beginning to end He’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of His death, His blood that poured down from the cross.

George Barna has compiled some of the game stats for Team-Church in His book Revolution. They strongly suggest that the western church is stuck at the line of scrimmage deep in enemy territory. However Barna’s eye has not been fooled. He is also following the ball on a play that is gaining yardage. It is being executed by an unexpected player on a part of the field not many are watching. Look at the sideline. Something is going on there behind the coaches.

Most of us do not see this play simply because our eye has been trained to think of “church” as a place or an event. While our eye may only be following the activity of the institutional church, the ball is actually being carried by the Church, a vast and growing squad of aching souls who are standing up, getting off the pew bench and declaring, “I am not just a benchwarmer!”

You see, the ball has never really been dropped. The players, as they have always been, are scattered strategically on the field, inside institutional churches and outside them. However many are discovering within the contexts of smaller gatherings, the nature of their skills and how to make their essential contribution to The Play.

In the Middle With Mystery (this blog) aspires to encourage all men and women to discover their essential gifts and insert themselves into the line up of friends and family where love can advance the ball and the momentum of this game can be reversed.

Father, May we see with your eyes the field of contest before us. May we find our way into the skirmish where our God-given skill sets can be used to put the enemy on his heels.  Thank You for Life. You will surely find your way (through us) into the end-zone. Amen.

 

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap