One of the things that I think is fascinating about the New Testament is the ease in which it deals with antinomies.  On one hand, we are encouraged to sell out completely when it comes to our allegiance and love for Christ; and on the other hand we are cautioned about become extremists in the pursuit of our faith.  It’s such a delicate balance that from my observation, the church has had a great deal of difficulty finding it.  We usually seem to be swaying from one extreme to the other, more like a drunk than a tight rope walker.

Paul is going to address extremes in the passage we’ll be looking at this Sunday.  You can read it here: Colossians 2:1-10.  And you should read this in the Message version also.

While he’s never actually met the Christians he’s talking to, Paul feels a great deal of concern for them.  He wants them to stay on course…and again, remain simplified in their priorities.  As we read these verses, we see it all comes down to Jesus.  Nothing more, and defiantly nothing less.

As you read vs 6-7, what does it seem like Paul is trying to encourage these Christians to do? 

His warning in v 8 is another interesting paradox.  Paul himself was a man of great education.  He even quotes popular Greek philosophers and playwrights at different times.  It’s hard to believe he’s taking some sort of anti-intellectual stance here.  What would be the “key qualifier” in v8?  In other words, what is it about these philosophies and traditions that make them untrustworthy?

What extremes do we need to avoid in our culture that are similar to the ones Paul warns about?

Anyway….stuff to ponder ’till Sunday.

Moonrocket to Mars is leading worship…so you may want to show up late.  😉

First, before we talk about the passage we’ll be looking at this Sunday, I need to offer an apology.  I was confronted about the Jib Jab video I showed at the beginning of my teaching, and was advised that it really wasn’t appropriate for public viewing.  For at least one person, and maybe more, the subject matter and presentation of that particular satire was offensive and crass.  It was something they wouldn’t have viewed voluntarily…and yet I showed it publicly and without warning.  That was an abuse of my role in our community, and I’m very sorry.

If you took offense, please accept my sincere apologies, I didn’t set out to hurt anyone.  I’ve stated more than once, I’m not very good at this…but that doesn’t excuse me.  I will determine to be more cautious in the future.  The last thing I want to do is cause us to lose sight of what’s important just for the sake of a laugh.  I hope you’ll forgive me.

Ok…so, this Sunday we’ll be looking at vs 15-23 of Colossians 1 ( I highly recomend you read it in the Message as well).  Here is where Paul transitions from his opening remarks and moves toward his main point.  Remember, the Colossians had begun to drift away from the Message that they had been planted with, and were embracing errant teachings that minimized Jesus’ role in their spiritual lives.

As you read these verses, you’ll see that Paul is pretty excited about Jesus, and who He is. He makes statements about Jesus and His relationship to God.  What does the text say that Jesus is in relationship to God?
Paul also points out Jesus’ relationship to creation.  What is it?  After that, Paul points to a new order of things in vs 19-20.  What is God doing with the world through Jesus?

The question that seems to be implied in all of this is…who’s in control?  It’s a good question to pose to ourselves, considering the modern, American church’s propensity to compartmentalize our spirituality.  We seem to like the idea that we can keep church stuff to Sundays, but the rest of the week is a different story.  Do you get that impression from what Paul says here?  Based on what Paul says about Jesus, is there ANY part of life, the universe and everything that Jesus isn’t in control of? 

As we look at our own lives…is Jesus compartmentalized, or in control?  What areas do we tend to try and keep for ourselves?  Everything converges in the person of Jesus Christ.  That is where life is found…no other place.  If that’s true…then that should fundamentally change the way we view the life that we have in this world…shouldn’t it?

Stuff to ponder.  See you Sunday.