Enough?

January 22, 2020

Well homily

Ephesians 3:14-21

Please read Ephesians 3:14-21 as a prayer for you…

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen. 

After a great weekend at the Harrisburg Youth Quake, I thought I would share the theme verse from the weekend – ‘Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.’ It’s Ephesians 3:20-21 and as I looked it up, I realized these verses are part of a larger passage, I mean that happens with all the verses in the Bible, but as I read around these verses, I learned that these verses are part of a longer prayer.  That’s why when Jeff read it tonight, I encouraged you to listen to it as a prayer.   I hope when you hear it again, you can hear it as a prayer, for you…

I don’t know about you, but those verses, this prayer just wrapped itself around me as I read it and reread it this morning.  Like a warm bathrobe on a cool morning, or a cozy blanket on a cold night, this prayer wrapped me in not only warmth, but a feeling of comfort, holy presence, care and peace. 

It’s that reminder, that even though we are created in God’s divine image, there will be times when we fall short of who God created us and calls us to be.  But (big but here) but, when that happens, there are others praying for us…praying that we may be filled with the fullness of God, that Christ may live in our hearts and that we may be strengthened in our inner being with power through the Spirit. 

Whenever we feel like we are not enough, we are reminded that God is more than enough for all that we need in our hearts, minds, lives and world. 

At Youth Quake during times of prayer, I became acutely aware of those around me.  My heartstrings were drawn to those on either side of me and the places/situations they left to be part of this weekend, and also the worries and cares that they still carried with them to the Quake. 

I became aware of the individual needs and worries that we all have (from youths to adults) that we carry with us each day no matter where we go.  These worries/cares/needs, may be related to our families, our school or work environment, our home life, our own sense of well-being or self-esteem, our financial status, our faith journeys, our futures…all of these things enter our hearts and our minds and our lives each and every day.  And when we look outward to TV, movies, social media, it can make us even more worried that we are not fitting in or getting it just right. 

So, I encourage you to look beyond the media, the hype, social media to seek God and God’s presence in your life.  And to not only see, but feel God’s support and compassion for you – just as you are. 

You are beautiful.

You are holy.

You are created in God’s divine image. 

You are created for a purpose in this world that no one else can do. 

Yet, when you are feeling that you are not up to par, that you are not enough, remember that God is more than enough for all that you need and may you be wrapped in the encouraging words and prayers of others. 

Because here’s the truth.  As we sat there praying at Quake, I wondered to myself if I was enough.  As we share highs and lows as a group and I hear the ups and downs faced by youth and adults alike in this congregation I wonder if I’m doing enough to help shine Christ’s light in this place.  I know I am called to serve in this place, but am I doing enough? 

And so I, too, need the reminder of this prayer.  So, if you would, open your hands, place them on your lap to receive God’s blessings and let go of your worries, close your eyes and hear this prayer for you: (I took a few liberties in adjusting the language to fit our gathering.)

Holy one,

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of God’s glory, the Holy One may grant that you all gathered in this place may be strengthened in their inner being with power through God’s Spirit, 

and that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith, as they are being rooted and grounded in love. 

I pray that the folks hearing or reading these words may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that they may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to God who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.  And let all God’s people say, amen.