"Grace... to All His Descendants."

I ask that our hearts be transformed, that we might surrender the imperial church, Christendom, the church that collaborates with the powers and the principalities of this age, and become the disciples that follow Christ, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly.


Romans 4:16-17
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, ¹⁷as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.


1) "grace;" "...to all his descendants;" "...the father of many nations;" "...in the presence of God;" "...who gives life to the dead;" "...and calls into existence the things that do not exist;"


2) If God can give life to the dead and call into existence the things that do not exist, surely God can reconcile the people of the law and the people without the law to each other and to God's self.  If God can give life to the dead and call in to existence the things that do not exist, maybe God really can transform our hearts, really make us disciples in the 21st century.  Maybe God really can help us let go of the things of the past that are preventing us from following Jesus with full integrity and life.  Maybe we can let go of our privilege based on racism, heterosexism, class, education, birth, nationality, and genders.  Maybe it is possible to pass through the eye of a needle?  I notice that I'm phrasing these all as 'maybes'.  Our inclination to hold fast to our comfortable ignorance is pretty strong.  The discomfort of the way things are needs to be more painful than the discomfort of changing the way things are before we will move.


3) To take comfort, knowing that what needs to happen now is minor when compared to what has already taken place: creation, liberation, resurrection, reconciliation...


"Holy One, give life to the dead and call into existence things that do not exist that we may truly be your people, called to serve and to reconcile."


Breathprayer: "Grace... to all his descendants."