Devote yourselves to prayer,
being watchful and thankful.
And pray for us, too, that
God may open a door
for our message,
so that we may proclaim
the mystery of Christ,
for which I am in chains.
Pray that I may proclaim it
clearly, as I should.
Be wise in the way you act
toward outsiders;
make the most
of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be
always full of grace,
seasoned with salt,
so that you may know
how to answer everyone.
~*~*~
I am taking the Vocation of Ministry class online this summer from Asbury Seminary. We are reading Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton as an encouragement to embrace the spiritual disciplines such as solitude, prayer, and Scripture. I have practiced Lectio Divina as an approach to Scripture study before. It is a slow, reflective reading of a short passage, seeking to hear from God, meditate on the words, pray the Scripture, and find ways to apply it. The goal is transformation rather than information.
Barton also recommends listening for one word or phrase that stands out, one that God is bringing to mind right now. That is not my usual practice, but as I sat tonight with Colossians 4:2-6, I pondered it phrase by phrase, line by line. What resonated most with me?
"Open a door..."
Why this phrase? I realize that in the strictest interpretive context, this is about evangelism. Paul is talking about God opening doors in the community and the world for people to hear and receive the gospel for the first time.
However, what resonates with me, and is also true, is that God wants my own heart to be open to the word, too. Aren't there so many ways we close ourselves off to God? Even as a believer for 43 years, I know I do. Whether it is from apathy, or resistance, or fearful self-protection, I close myself off to what I need most: a fresh message from God, Scripture for my own soul. What is the remedy? That is here too: devotedly, prayerfully, watchfully, thankfully contemplating the mystery of God's message of grace and letting it do its deep work inside of me. I need God to open that door... in me!
And you know what? This is still about sharing the gospel with others.
When they see me embracing God's word, taking it seriously, letting it shape me, that speaks powerfully into their souls. When they hear gracious words, salted with divine wisdom, that's redemption on display. When I make the most of my time for the Kingdom, choosing my actions with intention, that's such a witness to the goodness of God. This is one way God opens the door in their lives: by seeing the open door in ours.
You know, God actually already said this through Colossians 3:16-17. The message dwelling within, the overflowing gratitude, the wise words and the deeds that please the Lord... It's all there.
Let the message of Christ
dwell
among you richly
as you teach and admonish
one another with all wisdom
through psalms, hymns,
and songs from the Spirit,
singing to God with
gratitude in your hearts.
And whatever you do,
whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks
to God the Father
through him.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hallelujah!
Open the door!
Grace and peace,
Virginia Knowles
P.S. Related posts on Scripture and seminary:
No comments:
Post a Comment