Of course, when I have my eyes closed is when God chooses to reveal himself. Halfway into the first verse, I started actually listening to the words I was singing.
Church of God, elect and glorious
Holy Nation, chosen race;
called as God's own special people
Royal priests and heirs of grace:
Know the purpose of your calling
show to all His mighty deeds;
Tell of love that knows no limits
Grace that meets all human needs.
I looked around at the faces of my congregation as they sang this hymn, and at my daughter as she sang in her glorious nine-year-old voice. I felt the enormous gift that God has given us; this calling that He has given this family. Together, we are His church. We are "elect and glorious, a Holy Nation, a chosen race, Royal priests and heirs of grace." This struck me as so powerful! What an enormously powerful gift, and here it is…laid at our feet…BEGGING to be utilized!
It then goes on to beg us, "Know the purpose of your calling, show to all His mighty deeds. Tell of love that knows no limits, grace that meets all human needs."
We are asked to do three things: KNOW, SHOW and TELL.
How do we KNOW what the "purpose of our calling" is? What does God ask us to do? What is the great commission? "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
How do we SHOW? I remember an old song I used to sing as a child…"and they will know we are Christians by our love." Above all else, love others to Christ. Show His mercy by being merciful. Show his grace by being gracious. Show His forgiveness by forgiving. You get the gist.
How do we TELL? I'm pretty sure that most every person in the sanctuary with me yesterday morning has a story to tell, about how God has blessed them. I'm confident that they all can tell of how His love has showed no limits within their families, and how they have experienced His grace that has quite perfectly met their needs. The catch here is…go and TELL about it! If other people are like me (and I have a sneaky suspicion that many people are), this is hard. I can KNOW it and SHOW it, but I fail when it comes time to TELL it.
This hymn is meant to give us confidence!! God promises us that we are equipped and capable of doing all this "TELLING."
He said it. He chose us. He empowered us. We can do it! We are not alone, because part of His gift to us is His church. We can do it together! We have each other to lean on, to give council, to pray with, to encourage and to join together in our calling! I hope and pray that every member of our church (and beyond into our school families) feels this power. We are a gift from God to each other.
Thank you God, for this wonderful family. Help us all to be strong in faith and to be the people You intend. Help us to give our lives in joyful service to You. Amen.
Church of God, Elect and Glorious; Lutheran Service Book, 646
1 Peter 2:9-109 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Ephesians 2:19-2219 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Revelation 5:1010 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign[a] on the earth.”
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