Opening Prayer: Lord be with me as I continue to live this life of being sheltered in. Remind me to keep in my prayers, those for whom sheltering in is not an option. Help me to do my part with courage and with joy. Amen.
Reading: Colossians 3:12-17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Message: My experience as an athlete in high school and college taught me that winning was good. There were undoubtedly many ways my teammates lorded their victory over those who lost. I found this interesting because we all knew after the very next game or match, we could very easily be the ones suffering abuse. Knowing this did not stop us from taunting the opposing team. We were at that moment, the victors. Nothing and no one else mattered.
The readings for this Tuesday after Easter focus primarily on victory. In addition to the passage from Colossians, readings from Psalm 118, A Song of Victory, and Moses’ song of victory from Exodus 15 are included. Psalm 118 and Exodus 15 ring with confidence and faith in God’s power is evident.
The lesson that can be learned from the addition of Colossians 3:12 is humility. It is easy to forget what it was like to be on the bottom. We are victors, and we in Romans 8 are reminded that we are more than conquerors. The way we wear our victory matters. It is when we face others with compassion, kindness, and humility that we can minister to others. It is when our victory is represented by how we forgive, speak with wisdom, and reflect our gratitude that we become the witnesses to the Christ the Victor.
Closing Prayer: Christ is Risen. Help me, Lord, to live the victorious life that you died and rose to give me. Help my life always to begin and end with gratitude. Amen.
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