6 September 2013 - marching reordered

6 September 2013 - marching reordered

“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.

and

no one pours new wine into old wineskins.

Our old paradigms aren't necessarily wrong.  The one drinking the old wine says, "The old is good." But they are ill-suited for interpreting the gospel.  The gospel will not allow us to subvert it to any other ideas or paradigms.

It itself is the highest idea which orders and gives value to all the others.  When we say, "Jesus is before all else that is," it isn't mainly a chronology to which we refer.  It is a hierarchy, a preeminence.

For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,

He himself is the principle whereby anything adheres in existence.

and in him all things hold together.

No matter their kind, our failures are always failures to respect this order.  His death and resurrection is our gateway to enter into it more fully.

He is the head of the Body, the Church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.

We know that we often allow lesser ideas dominate us.  They are often noble: comfort, peace, stability, happiness.  But any idea at all apart from Jesus will reveal inadequacy.  It will ultimately become tyrannical. The only idea about which this is not the case is love.  But that is precisely because he himself is love.

For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,

He wants to set right all we've messed up by placing other ideas and priorities above him.  Let us recognize who he is...

Know that the LORD is God;

...who we are...

he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

...and what he does for us.

and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the Blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Then, whether the time comes for fasting or feasting, we will be able to do so with joy.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.