7 February, 2006

Selected devotion archives will be posted this week. The current series will resume next week.

Text: Galatians 4:8-11

Formerly, when you did not know God, you wre enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggerly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.

What orders your day? What is it that has the say as to what is the power and directing force in your life? The Galatians had already been baptized into Christ Jesus. They were, "known by God" - remember that is as heir & beloved - and yet now they are turning back to the ways that they had practiced previously. Following calendars with set dates for festivals and rituals that could determine just how you were received and how you looked at yourself and what you were able to do is all a part of the old way. Paul may be talking about Jewish calendar events - like the major festival days - or he may be talking about the special "days" among the pagans. In both cases, to return to those events and practices as though they can bring life is---slavery. Why return to that! Our life does not come from anything outside of God's word of love, forgiveness, grace, mercy...and hope as it comes know most concretely in Jesus. The stars, the moon, and any other parts of creation that teach us about the orderliness of creation are good things but they are not worthy of our worship. Nor are they to be the word given to us about the day. Play with the zodiac, but trust in God alone.

Connection: Simply, what orders your day? What games do you play that often are given the power over life and death - acceptance and nonacceptance - being loved and thinking you have to do something to get love...and yet it never works!

Blessed God of Freedom and New Life, set us free. In each of our moments, set us free to see in you the life that comes when our lives die and we rise in you alone. Set us free to find in your promise for life, that is given to us by your grace, the peace that only you can provide. Amen