January 20, 2025 - Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭23

“All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” Ephesians 1:20-23 MSG

Jesus, here we see again that all life comes from you. You are the source of all energy. Physicists say that nothing can exist without energy; that energy is essentially the fundamental building block of existence. If we look at that through your truth, we see again that everything exists through you. Wow. Not only does it exist in you, but you rule over everything. Nothing is exempt from your rule. You are in charge of it all and have the final word in everything. That is so assuring. We are loved and cherished by the God who rules over it all. We praise you for your power. We praise you for your wisdom. We praise you for your justice. You rule from the mercy seat. You are a just and powerful God, but you are also loving and offer mercy to anyone who makes you their Lord. What a wonderful God we serve.

Lord, help us grasp this statement that the church is not peripheral to the world. If you are at the center of everything and the church is a part of your body, then the church is at the center. Change our thinking. Following you isn’t something that we should adapt to our cultures or what is standard at this point in history. Your ways are at the center and set the standards. Align us with your ways, our Lord. It is all about you.

In Jesus name, amen.