According to Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, this new Church, these new followers (first called “Christians” in Acts 11:26), are God’s own, chosen people.

In Heartsong a few years ago, I remembered surprising Chris Hyder one Sunday by asking her to help me with a children’s sermon.  I had a plastic bat in my hand and I asked her to catch the bat with only one hand as I gently tossed it to her.  She did.  What followed was that “old time” process of placing our hands on the bat to the end of the bat (each taking turns) to see who got to choose the first teammates.  Did you ever do that to decide who would choose first?

In this season of baseball, maybe it’s appropriate to think in these terms as we concentrate on what St. Paul might have been saying to the Colossian people about being “chosen.”

Jesus Christ is the “bat” – the measuring tool, if you will – of God’s own choosing.  Maybe that bat is more in the shape of a cross, and, our Lord used that as His way of choosing those who would become “…His own special people…”  Those people are folks just like you and me.  Incredible, I know!

But – being chosen doesn’t come completely free; the salvation given by God is most certainly free and offered to the world (John 3:16), but what we do with this “chosenness” is simply not free.  Paul goes on to say what is connected with this title of “chosen and special.”

And—it’s not as easy as it sounds. So, here goes: “…be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient…”

The “humble” part most Lutherans can handle; the meek, well yes, we’re pretty well versed in that area too (almost to a fault)!  God calls us to be gentle, kind, and patient—something that we need lots of prayer to accomplish.  Well, at least I know that I need lots of prayer!

But—it’s a goal; it’s a goal that alone we won’t handle very well, but with God by our side, we can.  We must.

As we face each day of our lives, why not remember the “barometer” God uses to decipher who’s on His “Who’s Who” list of the kingdom?  That barometer—the cross—is what He used in order to choose you!  How can we all, then, be more gentle, kind, humble, meek and patient?  I’m trying hard on this, only to know that sometimes I’m not bad at it, and other times, I fail miserably!

The good news is that God is patient and kind—and—full of forgiveness and grace.  Without it, we are terribly lost; and yet, with His grace, salvation and His “favored child” status we are alive and well!  Go, then, and live it out to the fullest, sharing that all else have this promise as well!

Remember that God loves you and so do we!

Pastor Jim