Today's Meditation
Read Colossians 1:9-14
9For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
As I've mentioned over the past two months in doing these daily meditations, we often hear and read verses in new ways, with different understandings in relevance to our current situation. In particular, verse 11 struck me as pertinent for today. "May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father..."
Last week I was in a number of Zoom meetings with various other pastors in our Presbytery talking about when they plan to reopen and have Sunday Services, how that will look, what we'll do and, more importantly, what we'll not do. It's a complicated time with many parishioners on both sides of the debate chiming in, sharing with their pastor which way they think would be best, voting on different courses of a reopening in their sessions - whether to open soon, or to wait awhile longer. In one of those discussions a minister said, "Noah obeyed God by building the ark and saved his family and all the animals from the flood that came. But they did not open the doors and rush out just because the rain had stopped. They waited until it was safe." I think this is a strong biblical statement to make as we face this reopening decision.
May this passage be a reminder that God's strength is with us. May it also bring us strength to endure with patience, just a little while longer, until it is safe for us to return to gathered worship. In the meantime, we will continue to be the body of Christ in regard to our prayerful times and in our meditation moments, physically distant from one another.
If you have any prayer concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me and share them, as I continue to pray for each of you.
Blessings on this Monday, the beginning of our 10th week of isolation from one another.
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