Daily Bread

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created
and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we cannot see —
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

I like to think that Paul, writing this letter, quoted song lyrics (as we pastors often do). Lots of Bibles render the second half of this passage like a poem, and it does have a certain rhythm to it — although no doubt much is lost in translation!

It's a song about Christ, and I've split it into two halves (where it seems there is a natural break). The first half is about the spiritual and eternal divinity of Christ — being God and existing before creation. The second half is about the incarnated Christ who lived and conquered death to reconcile heaven and earth. It's worth reading it again a couple of times through.

Reading this song in Colossians, it's interesting to reflect on how much of our theology that 'sticks' comes from the songs and hymns we sing or listen to. As a theologian and pastor, I often balk at lyrics that are theologically incorrect or use non-inclusive language. Why? Because it matters. We take this stuff in and we internalise it.

For example, take the beloved hymn Jerusalem. "And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?" No, they did not! Now, I get that William Blake was using a metaphor, but it's still not appropriate for worship — especially if you don't live in England!

Or take, "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind," the sentiment of which I totally approve, but 'mankind' — it might be better to change it to 'us all' and that's not to mention that for many people, describing a gender-neutral God as 'Lord' and 'Father' can be deeply unhelpful. Yes, if directly quoting scripture (as in our Bible passage) we find gendered language, but we don't have to sing it in our hymn lyrics.

Turning to a more modern song, take Martin Smith's 'Majesty' which contains the line, "Here I am knowing I'm a sinful man." Well, not if you're a woman! That one makes me twitch when I hear it being sung by mixed congregations.

And this is where our 'prophets' come in — those who call the church to obedience and truths — and point out to us when we need to change our ways, behaviours, thoughts, and even our song lyrics. Today, our hymn-writers can be the prophetic voice to this and future generations.

Some of our songs we sing in worship are wonderful. They express deep theological truths and wisdom in creative, expressive, and memorable ways — and they don't have to be complicated. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in God's wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of God's glory and grace." Amen to that!

Holy God
May I be filled with joy,
and always ready to give you thanks.
For you have enabled me to live in the light of Christ
and gain the inheritance as a child of God.
Thank you for rescuing me
from the kingdom of darkness,
for purchasing my freedom
and forgiving my sins.
Through Jesus Christ my Saviour.