Christ at Home in Our Hearts

“And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him.”
Ephesians 3:17 (The Living Bible) – Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians

For the last several weeks Connecting to Our Past…the History of Our Faith has been our worship focus. I began with God’s covenant with Abraham and Sarah, about 2000 years before Jesus.  Then we focused on exodus and exile, the longing for a Messiah, and the church in the centuries right after Jesus. On Sunday, May 6, I talked about the re-forming of the church, beginning in 1517 (“by grace are you saved through faith alone”) and continuing with John Wesley in the 1700s and even today. More than 3,700 years, in just a few weeks!

I try to picture Jesus in our midst now, and wonder how he would see the church today. At the center, I think Jesus wanted all people to know the great love of God, and to live and share that love. He wanted them to know that by grace, God’s abundant love, they were forgiven and made new. His resurrection was a sign of everything being made new, and that sin and death were overcome.

Jesus wanted people’s hearts to be at home in him. This Sunday, May 13, as we celebrate the confirmation of young people, and Mother’s Day, I’m going to reflect on the joys and challenges of the church today —- how are we at home in Jesus’ heart, or pulling away from him? How do people see Christianity today as not living in Jesus’ heart? How, and why, some Christians are persecuted when they seek Jesus, and how can we pray for them?

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week (May 8 & 9), I led the last of this year’s chapel services with the children and staff of St. Mark’s Early Childhood Center. The children have learned some very important Scripture passages and songs this year, and this one resonates with this message today… “I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul…” Then this week we talked about how Jesus’ love is living in our hearts, because (another song they learned) “God is so good….God is so good…God is so good to me.”

Prayer:  Be at home in our hearts, Lord Jesus. Give us peace. Fill us with joy. Help us live in you, and may our lives reflect all the joy, peace and love you give us.  Amen. 

Blessings, Pastor Sharon