God's story - Our story

 

Sunday 7^th February – 2^nd before Lent (or Epiphany 8)

Proverbs 8:1,22-31. Wisdom has a divine quality in the Bible and is treated as a “person”. Wisdom was there at the very beginning of creation and was “rejoicing in creation and delighting in the human race.” The quality of reason and wisdom also has another way of being expressed in the Bible as the “Logos” hence the reason we have John’s prologue today. Logos is usually translated as “word” in English Bibles and Jesus is the word made flesh but could be expressed as the “wisdom of God made flesh”

Colossians 1:15-20. Three mystical and mysterious readings today and this one from St. Paul is no exception. The universal Christ is the “image of the invisible God” and in Him God was reconciling himself to all the world through Him. God in Christ is revealing that his ubiquitous presence is in all things and he cares and loves all that he has made and wills its salvation.

John 1: 1-14. This powerful piece of exalted theology that we last heard at Christmas caps off three mind expanding readings today and together they form the outer layer of the “cosmic egg” under which we live and move and have our being. God is the light that enlightens all things yet made especially visible in Jesus Christ. When we believe that God is in Christ (and everything else besides) we see that we are children of God.

 

In the comedy “The hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy” the answer to the question “what is the meaning of life?” – the answer was 42.

But how do we make sense of our lives, our relationships. History, good and evil, Life itself?

The answer is through stories

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the three layers of meaning that shape our lives and identity starting with the personal one which is MY story, then the more corporate one including things like our church, race, nationality etc. which is OUR story bigger than just MY story but still limited and then went on to describe the story that both encompasses and transcends those two layers of meaning which is THE story or GOD’S story.

And all of today’s readings operate very much on that level of the overarching story of the whole of creation and how we fit within it.

“God’s story” which is the story of God’s relationship with the world and where we fit within that story broke through into human consciousness via the story of the people of Israel, and primarily through the law and the prophets but that story was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Kingdom of God that Jesus preached and acted out is the overarching story of God’s love and care for all that he made. Through Jesus the Father came into communion with us

Through bread and wine we act out God’s story every time we partake in Holy Communion. We don’t need to fully understand it we just need to get on and do it. The Father came into communion with creation and we re-state that communion when we commune with the Father, through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In eating the bread, which we call the body of Christ, we proclaim our union with God and all creation. “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8)

When we drink the wine which we call the blood of Christ we bring ourselves into communion with all the unjust suffering and injustices in the world.

Coming into that intense personal relationship with the Father John’s gospel calls becoming a child of God.

This change of perception of who we are in relation to God – a change from thinking that God is distant, unapproachable, uncaring to being close, involved, loving and caring is an emotional one and can be sudden or something that evolves over a life-time.

This change of mindset is what Jesus calls for when he calls on us to “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand”.

This is the good news that exploded in the world just over 2000 years ago and caused the greatest peaceful expansion of any religion ever seen before or since.

Trying to re-state and re-capture that excitement is the goal of the church in every generation.

That God created and Loves all things

That God is present and active within creation and can use all things – including pain death and suffering as well as Love beauty and creativity to speak to us.

That God is a living God and in Him we know eternal life.

However high and distant you imagine God to be to you, know when you take the bread of thanksgiving that God is here, active and present to you.

Using something as everyday as a piece of bread, God says to you “I’ll meet you there”.

Amen.