The Mystery Wielded
We’re launching into a new sermon series through the book of Ephesians that we’re calling ‘New Creation.’ Ephesians unfolds a bold drama of the revelation/ apocalypse of the reconciliation of all things and the unification of Heaven and Earth through the work/person of Jesus. It’s a remarkable book and one that has long been heralded for its rich, deep theology.
For Week 10 of our series we unpacked Ephesians 3:14-21. This passage is the hinge to the two sections of Ephesians and it’s theology and application are as robust as they are life-giving and empowering. We discussed taking on a new posture of prayer that unlocks the true power of love which leads to a new perspective of the beauty of Christ’s Kingdom reign/rule through his church — Yeah, it was deep! We spent at least ⅓ of the time looking at a new posture of prayer and the fact that Paul bows. On a posture of bowing, Eugene Peterson writes in Practice Resurrection — ““The act of bowing is an act of reverence. It is also an act of voluntary defenselessness. While on my knees I cannot run away. I cannot assert myself. I place myself in a position of willed submission, vulnerable to the will of the person before whom I amWe’re bowing. It is an act of retreating action so that I can perceive what the action is without me in it, without me taking up space, without me speaking my peace. On my knees I am no longer in a position to flex my muscles, strut or cower, hide in the shadows or show off on stage. I become less so that I can become aware of more – I assume a posture that lets me see what reality looks like without the distorting sense of either my timid avoidance or my aggressive domination. I set my agenda aside for a time and become still, present before God. This posture is not in vogue in a world in which the media, our parents, our employers, our teachers, and perhaps, most demanding of all, our egos, are telling us to make the most of ourselves. On his Kees, before the Father, Paul prays.”
Give Ephesians 3:14-21 a read and a listen and we hope to see you this week at a Family Meal and/or a DNA group to dive even deeper.