Immanuel Lutheran Church Weekly Devotion + Monday 8 November 2010

Ephesians 1:17-19 NRSV  I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

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The month of November is a very active month in the church calendar. We end the month of October with Reformation Day, All Saints Day is celebrated 1 November, just before Thanksgiving we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, we have Thanksgiving and then usually the first Sunday after Thanksgiving is the First Sunday of Advent. There is a slow crescendo as we approach the end of the church year. All through the Sundays after Pentecost we have heard about the ministry of Jesus, we have heard about the parables he told, the miracles he performed. In November we get an understanding of the mission Christ came to accomplish while he was on this earth for such a precious, short time - Jesus tells us of this rich inheritance God offers us.
    All Saints Day we remember the saints who have gone before us who are in God’s eternal care. This is our hope for them and this is our hope for us, too. Jesus promises us, we will join him in the Kingdom of Heaven with all the saints and partake of the heavenly banquet that has no end. This is the Easter promise God demonstrates to us with the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. This is the hope to which he has called us. This is our rich inheritance, an inheritance that we share, proclaim and live.
    The church year ends of Christ the King Sunday. How better to end the year with a bang, than to proclaim - Jesus Christ is our King - thanks be to God. God cares enough to give the very best to us, his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We surrender ourselves to Jesus as his followers and walk his way. It is a hard way, but Jesus leads the way; Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the sovereign to whom we submit ourselves, whom we obey and follow. Jesus promises us life eternal with all the saints who have gone before us. Jesus offers to us relationship with God, a relationship that is eternal, loving, consoling and rich beyond all earthly measure. This is our rich inheritance - Thanks be to God, now and forever.

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We pray: We give you thanks, O God for the richness of your inheritance to us, your son Jesus. We thank you for his atoning sacrifice of our sin through his blood on the cross for us. Reveal to us this rich gift when we are headstrong and stubborn in our own self centeredness. Help us to see the light, the light that is Jesus in our lives. In your Holy Name we pray.     Amen.