Holding the Center
And he (Christ) is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17
Fragmentation. Isolation. These are words used to describe our present cultural moment. Some of this has been brought on by the pandemic, while other aspects are more a culmination of trends in our culture over the last several decades. What we experience culturally, we also experience in smaller units: families, churches, businesses, etc…. What will hold us together? Political ideology? Economic stability? From the beginning humanity has discovered the secret to unity is right relationship to our Creator. As the verse from Colossians at the top of today's letter states, Christ is the center. In him all things hold together. When we lose our grasp on him, disintegration is the result. This week Pastor Bryant will be opening Psalm 133 with us, a Psalm extolling the beauty of unity held together by people surrendered to the Gospel message.
As part of our experience of this surrender and belonging to Christ, the elders have encouraged us to celebrate the Lord’s Supper this Sunday. As much as the Lord’s Supper speaks to our individual relationship with the Lord, it also is a powerful picture of the unity that we have with one another. So both in the parking lot and in the home worship guide, whether you are with your family or with a small group together in person or via zoom, we encourage you to prepare your hearts to express your faith in Christ. We recognize that this celebration will be different from other celebrations that we have had. Some will note the insufficiencies, perhaps even inconsistencies of celebrating the Supper at this time. But the importance of confessing our faith and unity in Christ seems especially important at this time. Christ is our center. Only as we hold on to him do all things hold together. It is our joy to confess our faith in him, even imperfectly. It is our desperation to wait on the strength promised for all those who feed on him with faith.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash