31st January 2021
Views from the Manse
Colossians 1; 15 – 23,
with acknowledgement of the inspiration provided by
Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmat’s book ‘Colossian remixed, subverting the empire’
Inter Varsity Press academic P.O. box 1400
Downers Grove
Illinous 60515-1426
USA
Christ is the image of the Invisible God in the world,
Imago Dei,
God incarnate, in flesh and blood.
God made manifest in Jesus.
Christ is the image of the Invisible God in the world,
Imago Dei,
God incarnate, in flesh and blood.
God made manifest in his body, the church,
in the here and now.
Christ is the image of the Invisible God in the world,
Imago Dei,
Who creates and sustains all things.
Worlds natural, and worlds spiritual
Everything that we can imagine, in time and space, belongs to him.
Christ is the image of the Invisible God in the world,
Imago Dei,
The source of all powers;
Colonial empires, with their exploitation and enslavement.
commercial empires, with their insatiable greed.
Drug cartels, preying on our frailty and addictions.
Even in their idolatry and rebellion
all will be reconciled in Him,
as their power is derived at best or parasitic at worst
For God was pleased to dwell in Him completely,
and through Him,
to reconcile all things to Himself.
Making peace through the blood of the cross.
Once you were aliens,
separated from God and without hope,
Now you are His children.
heirs with Christ.
Members of God’s family.
This is the gospel you heard and now proclaim
Through your words and actions
in Christ’s body, the church
Praising God
Following Christ, the head of the body,
Sharing in a common meal
serving the vulnerable
and loving all of creation.
The church reimagines this world
in the Image of God.
In our space, & time,
Our country, & our neighbourhood
JS