After Pentecost (Proper 11 ) | Year B | Ephesians 2:11-22 | TJ Torgerson
At our church, we've recently embarked on a series called “Formed.” We are two weeks into this five-week journey, exploring the practices God has given us to shape us into the likeness of Christ. Much of the inspiration for this series comes from the work of John Mark Comer and Tyler Staton. Comer’s recent book, Practicing the Way, and its accompanying website, Practicingtheway.org, have been particularly influential. Interestingly, I stumbled upon these resources after starting this website (Livingintheway.com), leading me to accept that I am the wish.com version of Comer's project. But I digress.
A recurring theme in Practicing the Way is simple yet profound: we are all disciples of something. Whether we realize it or not, we are being shaped by the rhythms, habits, and influences in our lives. The question then becomes, are we being formed into Christlikeness by Christ, or are we being shaped by other forces like social media, endless scrolling, Fox news, CNN news? Of whom or what are we a disciple?
Hold that thought…
Once upon a time, I would frequently preach from the lectionary—a three-year cycle of Bible passages designated for each Sunday. This means that many churches around the world will be reading the same texts this weekend, texts selected long ago. I’ve always marveled at how these predetermined passages can end up coinciding with the contemporary issues in the local community, the church, or the nation. This week is no exception. This week’s New Testament reading from the Lectionary is Ephesians 2:11–22.
It is a great passage and it certainly worth reading the whole thing, but here are a few key verses:
Ephesians 2:14-15:
“For he [Jesus] is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace.”
Ephesians 2:21-22:
“In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Hold that thought…
Just three days ago, there was an assassination attempt on former President Trump. The aftermath unfolded predictably a political truce was called by some, but by most accusations flew, blame was assigned, conspiracy theories proliferated, and divisions deepened. Day by day America becomes more and more divided, with little agreement on anything. We demonize those who differ from us and justify the actions of those on our "team." Sadly, the church is not immune to this division. We lament our divisions, shrug our shoulders, and wonder, “What can we do about it?”
According to NT Wright, the Apostle Paul writes five times more about unity in the church than about salvation in Christ. This means we cannot afford to throw up our hands in surrender and think, well there is nothing I can do about it. Because there is something we can do! We can choose to be formed into Christlikeness by Christ. When Christ forms us, when he takes me from over here and you from over there he makes us one. He takes divided groups and makes them one and builds His church into a dwelling place for the Spirit. Unity is a natural byproduct of being formed and built by Christ. Division, on the other hand, results from being shaped by different and conflicting influences. If you are built up and built into one thing and I into another it is inevitable we will hide behind our individual walls and launch arrows at each other. The other option is to let Christ form us and unite us in him.
You are being formed by something. Is it into a holy temple where the Spirit dwells, a holy place filled with the beautiful rubble of the broken walls of division? Or an ugly fortified castle of suspicion, resentment and division?
Let us choose to be formed by Christ, allowing Him to build us into a unified and holy dwelling for His Spirit. Only then can we truly reflect His love and peace in a divided world. Now clip form a message given in September 2023 by T. Scott Daniels.
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