Raised with Christ
Worship Wednesday with Pastor Edith
April 8, 2026
Colossians 3:1-4
Today’s journal verse comes to us on the heels of our celebrations of Christ’s resurrection/Easter. Purposefully planned by the writers of the reading and journaling plan I am following. The verse for today, in it’s original context, comes from Paul’s letter to the believers in a place called Colosse. This was a place that once was a booming trade location. During it’s boom time there were many philosophies being shared which would confuse the new believers. The philosophies that were being taught led the Christians to think that believing in Jesus Christ was good, still there might be more, just in case faith in Christ alone was not sufficient. A word for this would be; syncretism: “the tendency to regard other philosophies and religions as equally valid as Christianity” (Halley’s study Bible pg.1510). I like to think of it as the mix and match belief system. Have you ever thought that way? That Christ couldn’t possibly be enough, that it was too simple? Or, that it was too confining? A lot to think about.
The other day, I was visiting with a friend who felt as if she was in a very dark time, some would call it depression. We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while, so, just the visit itself brought a bit of sunshine. Still, she wanted my advice on getting out of the darkness of despair and into the light of God’s joy. I was careful to inquire if she had some medical attention, perhaps to help a very real chemical imbalance that often accompanies depression. When she said yes, she had regular check-ups and had some medication. These helped, but it just wasn’t enough. As a friend, I suggested the scripture we have for today as an opening to a new way of thinking; “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”. Two words worth defining; “Raised”, and “Set”. “Raised with Christ” is not an allusion to being taught from childhood, but being raised to life as in baptism. “Set” is not a one-time thing, as in set in stone, it is a word that from the Greek meaning an active and continual discipline to re-focus.
I shared with my friend that when sorrow threatens to steal my joy, I must take charge and re-focus my thoughts. Just as Paul here is telling the Christians in Colosse in approx. 60 A.D./C.E., to turn away from thinking on earthly philosophies, or mixing and matching, but turn their thoughts on Jesus Christ, and His gift of salvation and freedom from anything and everything that would keep their hearts tethered to this world. My friend asked me how is that possible? I suggested we look at her bible together and begin a reading and memorization plan. We looked at the Gospel of John. I said; “here’s a good one-John 1:12”; “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God”. Another we looked at is one my church recites every Sunday, John 3:16. I bet some of you know this one by heart .I explained that the purpose of reading, reciting and remembering scripture is to stay very close to God and His way, and less attached to ourselves and our way. I believe His was is better. Also, from the time I was young, I was encouraged to memorize scripture as Psalm 119:11 states; “I will have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you [God]”.
The next time I saw her, she looked much happier. I don’t know if what I shared helped, or if it just helped that I came to visit and she was tolerating my ideas. Either way, a seed has been planted and I am looking forward to watching her bloom. For you and for me, I want to remind us all that every Sunday is a little Easter, where transformation and new life can begin (any time of worship is this for us as well). With that I will close our Worship Wednesday with part of a hymn that was written in 1979 to a tune that was written in 1867; “Easter People raise your voices, sounds of heaven in earth should ring. Christ has brought us heaven’s choices; heavenly music, let it ring. Alleluia! Alleluia! Easter people, let us sing.”
AMEN and Pray on!