I’ve always admired people who could quote chapter and verse from Scripture. Unfortunately, even at my best, I had only a limited ability to memorize. However, I do have memorized what I believe are the three most important pieces of Scripture.
 

The first, not surprisingly, is the verse beloved by all Christians, John 3:16:
 

The second is that most Lutheran of verses from Eph.2:8-9:
 

The third comes from today’s lesson, but to fully appreciate it, I want to share it with you from a paraphrase of the New Testament, called The Way. It is
 

Col. 2:6-7:
 

Thus, we have what I think are the three most important Scripture quotes. If all the Bibles in the world were somehow destroyed, but we had these three quotes memorized, we would have enough to live out our days in peace and joy.
 

We would have them to remind us that God loved us enough to die for our salvation, that that salvation is a gift from God and we need do nothing to earn it, and that the way to fully benefit and enjoy that gift is through an intimate union with Christ.
 

The meaning of those words from Colossians, the lasting image they create and their message are so important that I found a graphic that depicts them and had Cris make up the bookmarks you received. Keeping that bookmark and reflecting on what it says often is the first step in living it out.
 

While we may question or even doubt occasionally that it is through God’s grace in Christ that we are saved; for the most part, we are able to trust in the promise of that salvation. It can be harder to trust Christ with each day’s problems though.
 

I struggle with my fear that God’s idea of how to resolve those problems may be less than pleasant at times. I also struggle all too often with the human (and, I fear, sinful) need to be in control, to be able to dictate the outcome, to have things go my way rather than God’s way. Mostly though, it’s an ill defined fear that keeps me from easily trusting God with my problems.
 

The writer of Colossians tells us though that the way through this struggle is to live in vital union with Christ. This isn’t just intellectual knowledge of what God in Christ has done for us or an understanding of the central doctrines of our faith. It isn’t even doggedly following certain rituals.
 

Living in vital union with Christ is being in a state of connectedness. It is being one with him as he is one with the Father. It is being so permeated with grace that we can feel (at least at times) Him living in us. It is experiencing God’s all encompassing love that we then know from within that we can trust Christ with our problems - all of them.
 

Now, how to do that...
 

Verse seven says, "Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him." Obviously, we don’t have physical roots, but the word picture still informs us. Those things that are most important to us receive our greatest attention. We develop an emotional connection to them and they influence us in ways that we are both aware of and that are not part of our awareness.
 

The person whose main connection in life is with money is rooted in it. He/she reads Forbes and Money, develops plans for making and keeping it and feels an emotional connection to it. If you don’t believe that last, read the story of the rich young man from the Gospels.
 

The same is true if we are rooted in a political or social cause, a career, a sports activity, family or self. Now, there is nothing wrong with being involved with any of these things, including making money. It’s the rootedness that matters.
 

Having our roots sunk deeply into any of these earthly relationships may lead us away from God. Having our rootedness in Christ will enhance our relationship with work, causes, activities, family and self.
 

One of the things I really liked about the graphic I found for the bookmarks is that the roots are bigger and more extensive than the tree. While the graphic had nothing to do with Colossians or even Scripture in its original use, it beautifully depicts what we are to do.
 

As we give more of ourselves to our relationship with Christ, we as persons grow stronger and more vital. Who we are and whose we are effects all other parts of our lives. What we do - our activities, our behaviors, our attitudes - will be influenced by our connection to Christ.
 

We’ll still have obligations, causes, human relationships, personal needs and even problems, but experiencing continued growth in faith and relationship with Christ will give new meaning to everything we do, and all our activities, even working through problems, will be effected by the joy we feel from being rooted in Christ.

So, how do we grow roots down into Christ? Yes, I’m going to say the same thing you’ve heard me say before. First and foremost we become more rooted through Bible study and prayer. But, becoming united with Christ is more than just attending Sunday Bible class (as important as that is).
 

Having our roots draw up nourishment involves truly feeding on the Word. We spend time each day reading Scripture, and not mainly for intellectual content or guidance. Instead, we focus our being on words and phrases that stir us, puzzle us, disturb us, fill us with wonder. We carry that Scripture with us through our day, continuing to reflect on it, digest it, let it become part of us.
 

We grow in union with Christ also through personal prayer. I’m not talking so much here about verbal prayer. This is not about asking, even for others. The prayer of union with Christ is a discipline in which we bring ourselves silently into God presence. We are still and open as we sit for a period of time (maybe fifteen or twenty minutes once or twice a day), allowing Christ to speak to us.
 

There are many books and websites that can teach the methods of this kind of prayer, and I’d be happy to help anyone interested. The practices are ancient and proven. They also have a number of side benefits as well.
 

Finally, all of this is made possible by practicing a state of openness... and it takes much practice. Openness requires that we suspend our pursuit all those personal agendas that otherwise drive us. It requires that we suspend judgement and pursue acceptance of others, of life and of ourselves. It requires that we practice moment by moment awareness.
 

Openness not only makes it possible to for us to hear God in our hearts; it helps us see God in the mundane, often taken for granted, bits of life all around us. We see God in the dew on a flower, in the multitude of shades of green in trees outside a window, in an act of caring done by a family member or friend, in the eye of someone in need, the feel of a warm blanket that reminds us of God’s arms around us, and in many other things or experiences.
 

All of this leads to a deep, profound sense of joy and thanksgiving that will spill out into all of life and help us transcend even tragedies in our lives. It will give us joy in knowing that we are in union with Christ throughout life and on into eternity.
 

So, exercise you mental muscle. Memorize Col. 2:6-7. More importantly, live Col. 2:6-7. Amen.