A Reading from Ephesians 2:1-10
1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, doing the will of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else, 4 but God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.
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Meditation
What a stunning way to tell the story of salvation: how we were created as glorious beings, having been prepared for communion and work with God and one another; how we died by choosing our own way, by following wrath and brokenness; and how we are raised to life again — life eternal — by God’s gracious blessing, specifically through his beloved and co-eternal son, who is also somehow our brother, Jesus Christ.
It’s mystical language, a cosmic story, and yet we are invited to live into this story each day of our mundane lives here, now, on earth. We respond to this invitation by acknowledging the grace in which stand, by living as if we are actually shielded by, inside of, washed by, this grace of God. Grace makes us clean, makes us safe, makes us ready. Breathe in a moment of grace today, perhaps repeating a verse or two from today’s passage to yourself over and over.
“God shows the riches of his grace, in kindness toward me through Jesus.”
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The Rev. Emily R. Hylden resides with her priest husband and three sons in Lafayette, Louisiana. Find her podcasting at Emily Rose Meditations.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Western Louisiana
The Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast
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