"eyes of your heart enlightened" is such a beautiful phrase. It will be my focus. Any ideas? Manzel
Manzel, just thinking of the scripture's way of stretching us from one dimensional thinking--eye's and heart's don't necessarily seem congruent( of course, neither do "eyes" and potatoes!) I may be delving into the "change of vantage point" brought about by the Ascension (Barth)... not sure where I'm going with it, but we do have expressions that seem misplaced because they are dealing with complex matters. For instance, we speak of "light years", not really to measure time, but the great distance between earth and distant stars, galexies. You can see I'm off your subject so I can merely thank you for giving me a little jump start! Peter in CA
I am also celebrating Ascension Sunday and using Acts 1 and Ephesians 1 together. I love the way the disciples are staring into the sky, trying to catch a last glimpse of Jesus. But suddenly they're asked, "Why are you gazing into the clouds?" Do we spent too much time in church and in our lives gazing off into the blue, overlooking the needs and ways Jesus is leading us down here on earth?
But then there's Paul's prayer in Ephesians, trying to describe the indescribable--God's great love for us thru Jesus and the power available to us thru him. Sometimes all we CAN see is the mess that needs cleaning up around us and we get discouraged or burn out, thinking we can never possibly accomplish all we should.
Most of us go to one or both extremes and need the bablance the 2 scriptures give each other.
And I like the fact that the Ascension of Jesus in Acts is just the beginning of the exciting story of the early church. Kind of like those famous first 4 chords of Beethoven's 5th--da da da DUM! Those four chords set the tone for the whole symphony. You can hear echoes of them all thru it as the symphony grows from that simple beginning. How is the theme of Christ being lived out, echoed, developed in our own lives and in his body, the Church?
Rebecca in MD
Good Day, All;
I am amazed considering v. 19-21, and the power of God working among us, and within us. I will be preaching at the smaller of the two churches on my charge this week, and they need to here of God's Resurrection power at work in their world, in their lives, and in their church. We often feel that because it is a small church, nothing much can be done - against which I have preached before. To know that the amazing power of God is present, and that God cares enough for all of us to place our pioneer in the faith "above all rule and authority and power and dominion" needs to be proclaimed with enthusiasm.
What we need to understand this Paul prays for in v. 17, "a spirit of wisdom and revelation", and that we come to know Christ, and in the enlightemnent of that knowledge understand all that Christ has called us to be. And in that, we also find Paul's statement about hope, which is what a good many of us need more than anything else.
Just a few random thoughts!
Rev.Rick in So.Ga.
Date: 15 Nov 1999
Time: 19:08:02
This is not Ascension Sunday, but Christ the King Sunday. (Ascension Day comes 40 days after Easter - always on a Thursday. It was on May 13 this year.) The Acts text is designed to be used in support of the theme of Christ the King. (As the Apostles' Creed puts it, "... he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God ...") Christ the King Sunday is always celebrated on the last Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sundays after Pentecost), which is the Sunday before the beginning of the Advent season. -Paul
Date: 15 Nov 1999
Time: 20:43:52
Paul-
<<This is not Ascension Sunday, but Christ the King Sunday. (Ascension Day comes 40 days after Easter - always on a Thursday. It was on May 13 this year.)>>
noticed that you wondered why this guy was working on Ascension sunday in November,,, note that he wrote his piece...WAY a head..in May... shows you how long he's been waiting for an answer! We should be so patient or working in advance.
don hoff, elmira
Date: 15 Nov 1999
Time: 20:44:26
Paul-
<<This is not Ascension Sunday, but Christ the King Sunday. (Ascension Day comes 40 days after Easter - always on a Thursday. It was on May 13 this year.)>>
noticed that you wondered why this guy was working on Ascension sunday in November,,, note that he wrote his piece...WAY a head..in May... shows you how long he's been waiting for an answer! We should be so patient or working in advance.
don hoff, elmira
Date: 15 Nov 1999
Time: 22:11:09
Paul (the apostle, not the contributor to this site) gives me a perfect three-point sermon in verses 18-19, "the HOPE to which he has called us, the RICHES of his inheritance, and the GREATNESS of his power (dunameos)." We are to look beyond our circumstances to the promise (HOPE), rest in the knowledge that we will be eternally cared for (RICHES), and that God's dunameos (where we get our word dynamite!) is available to us to conquer any trial or difficulty. Do not expect to play with dynamite and not have it rearrange your surroundings! Be prepared to be changed by the innerworkings of the Spirit! Oh, well, these are some initial ramblings. It's still Monday after all! UMPREACH
Date: 16 Nov 1999
Time: 13:45:14
See faith, love and hope tied to gether in this passage as in ! Cor 13. This letter starts in thanks to God for Jesus, and now thanks to this particular church, or was it a circular letter for all of the churches for their faith active in love. And isn't that what Christ basis judgement on? Not on if we see our good works, but our the eyes of our hearts see him around us in others, and the creation, still God with us. Clay in Valley, NE
Date: 16 Nov 1999
Time: 15:01:00
verse 20 clearly shows Paul's understanding between God and Christ. Yesterday I drove by a "Christian" radio station which had huge letters attached to the tower spellin out "Jesus is God". Wouldn't Paul be offended at this statement? Isn''t this contrary to what Jesus taught, when called "good master" he said why do you call me good, there one who should be called good...
Am I alone in feeling alarmed? Doesn't it seem that a whole religion contrary to Jesus teachings is being formed in Jesus name?
Date: 17 Nov 1999
Time: 23:12:18
Mr./Ms./Mrs. Unknown Poster,
Are you serious?
Rick in Va
Date: 18 Nov 1999
Time: 03:21:48
Hey Rick in Va,
I laughed for a good 20 yucks at your "one liner." I think the person who saw the sign on the radio station has missed a few verses of the Bible. " the Father and I are One" "when you see me you see the Father," "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Their comment about the sign, Jesus is God, and saying that the sign was contrary to Jesus' teaching reminded me of an ole Christian SALT who one told me, "We talk so much authority about that which we know so little about." I was taken by the "surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." I recalled one Sunday in a small Methodist church when a Baptist sister asked to have my sermon time to share her testimony. She shared how she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She was scheduled for surgery and given a 50/50 chance of survival. Some of the ladies at the UMW asked her to come to their meeting so they could pray with her. Another group of ladies from a small "fellowship" in Elk Fall, six miles down the road, also called her and invited her to pray with them. She was anointed with oil and hands were laid upon her. Two weeks later she had another visit to the doctor where they were to measure the growth of the tumor and schedule surgery. The tumor was gone. What tremendous power we have at our lip tips. The power to pray, the power that heals, the power that restores families, the power that delivers from demons, the power that delivers from addiction, the power that delivers from hate, the power that delivers from prejudice, the power the mends the broken heart, the power that leads toward salvation, THE POWER THAT RAISES THE BODY FROM THE DEAD. I wonder why so much of the Christian world that I see is so anemic? Is it because we have so little "spirit of wisdom and the revelation in the knowledge of him?" Is it because we have listen far to long for those who find fault with the Bible, find fault with God's miracles, or find fault with the authenticity of the God-man named Jesus? Perhaps we need more tent meetings and less seminary classes. Perhaps we need more bold witness and less compromise with our cultural holiness. Perhaps it is because we are afraid to operate in God's power because it will to radically change our lives. Dale in Kansas
Date: 18 Nov 1999
Time: 20:48:25
Thanks Dale.
And amen!
Rick in Va