Proclaiming the Good News!

Pre-eminent!

Colossians 1:15-20 (NRSV) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

“That in all things Christ might be pre-eminent.” That is the theme text of Concordia-Ann Arbor. I was privileged to be in the first class there. I remember four little Latin words inscribed in the chapel: PAX DUX LUX REX (Peace, Leader, Light, King). That is who He is and what He does. It is probably not the best to translate this simply as that Christ has first place in all things. He is way above and beyond all things and yet came to our world to save us and to give us peace and guidance and light and protection for every day.

What are we mixed up in when we are confessing members of the Christian Church? I reiterate: Confessing members! One can look in from the outside, browse, be nosy, turn the other way. But to confess says that everything that He did, does, and will do gives complete shape to our lives as recreated Christians. It gives shape to how we use our time, talents, and treasures, how we raise our children and care for our parents. It is the sieve through which our decisions go and by which our actions are shaped.

So, is Jesus real. This majestic, high text says that we see God when we see Him. All visible and invisible things were created by, through and for Him. We belong to Him and our existence is shaped by Him. He is before all and holds all together. He is the head of the body, the church, and is the firstborn from the dead. The fullness of God was in Him and reconciliation to the Triune God comes through Him. His blood on the cross changes our eternal life and our life each day. We love each other with His forgiving love.

Worship Him! Gather to celebrate! Gather to serve each other with His love. We will reflect on our resistance to that message by hearing the Gospel of Mark during this Lenten season, telling us how deeply ingrained our resistance is and how we are freed by His death and resurrection to offer our lives to please Him. We get to look out into the world He created and redeemed from the inside out into eternity.

Pastor Tom Trapp, Mission Pastor
Walking the Emmaus Road with the Risen Lord

(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XVI, Number 7, February 2015)