“A different kind of seeing”
Ephesians 1:15-23 (November 26, 2023)
I wonder how many of us wear glasses? I was in my mid-twenties when I got mine. And that day still resonates in my memory.
It was a bright, sunny day. I walked out of the optometrist’s office, and stepped gingerly onto the street. These new lenses would take some getting used to. I took a look at things around me. And I was blown away!
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There was so much detail: The sharpness of the lines. The features of leaves on trees. It was overwhelming!
Then it dawned on me: These things had been there all along. Yet I had not been seeing them. I had grown accustomed to a fuzzy world.
Now I realized, there was so much more. A richly coloured, finely detailed, textured, extravagant, beautiful world! It came as a great revelation.
✠
There are many things we cannot see. (And not only because of impaired vision.) We cannot see into the lives of others, for example. The fear or pain or loneliness – or joy – they may be feeling. On this Eternity Sunday, we pause to acknowledge the mix of grief and gratitude that lives in many of us.
We look through powerful lenses to observe tiny, microscopic details. We build sophisticated telescopes to capture signals from outer space. We are constantly discovering things we had not known about our wondrous universe.
And there are other things, our scripture reading tells us, that require a different kind of seeing. Realities that can only be perceived through the lens of faith.
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him …” Revelation! Like the kind I had when I got my new pair of glasses.
“So that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive …” things you had not known. The wonders of God that may have been unclear.
Ephesians employs an unexpected turn of phrase when it talks about seeing with the “eyes of our heart.” We see the physical world with our eyes. Can we see spiritual things with our heart? “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Not dark. But light, full of brightness.
✠
What are the common things we see around us? A world in crisis. Alienation, intolerance, violence. A world where war is raging in all its tragic darkness. Politics of protest and division. Economic disparity.
Here in our service this morning, we acknowledge death. But what are we missing? What else does God want us to see?
✠
The reason I had to get glasses all those years ago was that I was myopic. Which means I was near-sighted. I can see objects up close. But farther away is more difficult.
I’m wondering if our collective sight might also suffer from a kind of “spiritual myopia.” We see things in the world around us, and that’s fine. But when we look for the presence of God, our vision becomes blurry.
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.”
How can we become more aware of God’s presence in our lives? How can we gaze beyond the horizon of our earthly existence, to see the glory of the heavenly universe, the realm of God, present in our midst?
God is with us! Everywhere, all the time. Even if we do not see it. God comes to us in Jesus. He comes as light to shine in darkness. He opens the eyes of those who are blind. He draws back the curtain that keeps God hidden.
The apostle Paul writes, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT)
Jesus reveals the presence and character of God. He draws the curtain to show us what we had not seen. He shines the light, so we are not in darkness.
✠
The writer of Ephesians prays that the eyes of our hearts be enlightened, so that “you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.”
We may grieve the loss of our loved ones. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Christians have this hope that there is more to life than meets the eye. And that in the mystery and depth of God’s loving care, death is not the end, but a new beginning.
I remember a story someone shared with me, about their loved one who was near to death. They were sitting by her bedside, holding her hand, and speaking to her softly. All of a sudden, their mom sat up and looked toward the end of the bed. “I see Jesus,” she exclaimed.
There was nothing there, nothing to be seen with earthly eyes. But the eyes of the heart see differently.
✠
The writer of Ephesians prays that we might also see “the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for us who believe.”
There are two Greek words that lie behind our English translation. Two superlative adjectives that speak of the “immeasurable greatness” of God’s power: Hyper and Mega! As in hyper power, mega power that goes beyond and is greater than anything we can humanly imagine.
“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” This is resurrection power that brings new life. And not only in the world to come.
A few years ago, Jan Richardson, an artist, author and United Methodist minister, lost her husband. She speaks of hope through dark days of despair:
“hope,” she writes, “that raises us
from the dead—
not someday
but this day,
every day,
again and
again and
again.[1]
Life in the midst death, strength to go on, living and loving, even in the darkness – that is a powerful thing!
✠
God raised Jesus from the dead, “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” Can you see the glory of God?
God raised him “above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” Above everything! All that is, or ever will be.
We often see rulers, wielding the sword, manipulating peoples lives, exploiting them for their own selfish ends. We see spiritual powers that are wreaking havoc in our world: pride, envy, greed, and fear …
Forces that seem so powerful and beyond our control. Powers and dominions that have their death-dealing way. We feel helpless in their long, dark shadow. But will they have the final victory?
With the eyes of our hearts enlightened, we see Jesus seated at the right hand of his heavenly Father. Which is to say, a place of authority. And we confess our faith, together with the church throughout the ages, that he is Lord. Jesus, not Caesar. Not guns or money. Not selfish ambition or anything else that stands in the way of God’s coming reign. Christ is Lord! He alone.
✠
The day will come when God’s justice and peace will be established upon the earth. And every tear will be wiped from our eyes. And every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord.
Death does not have the final Say. Not today or any day. The living Christ is with us. He walks beside us. He comforts us. He loves us. He gives his life to us.
On those days when we are full of sorrow and tempted to despair, there is a light that shines. A spark of hope that keeps us going. Can you see it?
Someone has said that coming to church is like visiting the ophthalmologist. We come here to cure our spiritual myopia. We see through a different lens, the lens of faith. Here, in the presence of God, a whole new world comes into view.
A world where life is stronger than death, and right-relationship overcomes evil, and forgiveness heals the deep gashing wounds of our souls. And the love of God embraces us. So our world becomes a brighter place. Is that what you see?
✠
I pray that God may open the eyes of our hearts. “So that we may know the hope to which he has called us. … And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power.”
And that we might see Jesus, risen from the dead, seated at God’s right hand “above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.”
Christ. Above all things. Everywhere. All the time.
God is still at work in the world God loves, whether we see it or not. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is present and active in our midst. May it be so in you and me this day!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
✠
[1] Jan Richardson, https://paintedprayerbook.com/2014/11/19/so-that-you-may-know-the-hope/#.VGzLvN7vZUM, Accessed Nov. 21, 2023.“A different kind of seeing”
Ephesians 1:15-23 (November 26, 2023)
I wonder how many of us wear glasses? I was in my mid-twenties when I got mine. And that day still resonates in my memory.
It was a bright, sunny day. I walked out of the optometrist’s office, and stepped gingerly onto the street. These new lenses would take some getting used to. I took a look at things around me. And I was blown away!
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There was so much detail: The sharpness of the lines. The features of leaves on trees. It was overwhelming!
Then it dawned on me: These things had been there all along. Yet I had not been seeing them. I had grown accustomed to a fuzzy world.
Now I realized, there was so much more. A richly coloured, finely detailed, textured, extravagant, beautiful world! It came as a great revelation.
✠
There are many things we cannot see. (And not only because of impaired vision.) We cannot see into the lives of others, for example. The fear or pain or loneliness – or joy – they may be feeling. On this Eternity Sunday, we pause to acknowledge the mix of grief and gratitude that lives in many of us.
We look through powerful lenses to observe tiny, microscopic details. We build sophisticated telescopes to capture signals from outer space. We are constantly discovering things we had not known about our wondrous universe.
And there are other things, our scripture reading tells us, that require a different kind of seeing. Realities that can only be perceived through the lens of faith.
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him …” Revelation! Like the kind I had when I got my new pair of glasses.
“So that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive …” things you had not known. The wonders of God that may have been unclear.
Ephesians employs an unexpected turn of phrase when it talks about seeing with the “eyes of our heart.” We see the physical world with our eyes. Can we see spiritual things with our heart? “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Not dark. But light, full of brightness.
✠
What are the common things we see around us? A world in crisis. Alienation, intolerance, violence. A world where war is raging in all its tragic darkness. Politics of protest and division. Economic disparity.
Here in our service this morning, we acknowledge death. But what are we missing? What else does God want us to see?
✠
The reason I had to get glasses all those years ago was that I was myopic. Which means I was near-sighted. I can see objects up close. But farther away is more difficult.
I’m wondering if our collective sight might also suffer from a kind of “spiritual myopia.” We see things in the world around us, and that’s fine. But when we look for the presence of God, our vision becomes blurry.
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.”
How can we become more aware of God’s presence in our lives? How can we gaze beyond the horizon of our earthly existence, to see the glory of the heavenly universe, the realm of God, present in our midst?
God is with us! Everywhere, all the time. Even if we do not see it. God comes to us in Jesus. He comes as light to shine in darkness. He opens the eyes of those who are blind. He draws back the curtain that keeps God hidden.
The apostle Paul writes, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT)
Jesus reveals the presence and character of God. He draws the curtain to show us what we had not seen. He shines the light, so we are not in darkness.
✠
The writer of Ephesians prays that the eyes of our hearts be enlightened, so that “you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.”
We may grieve the loss of our loved ones. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Christians have this hope that there is more to life than meets the eye. And that in the mystery and depth of God’s loving care, death is not the end, but a new beginning.
I remember a story someone shared with me, about their loved one who was near to death. They were sitting by her bedside, holding her hand, and speaking to her softly. All of a sudden, their mom sat up and looked toward the end of the bed. “I see Jesus,” she exclaimed.
There was nothing there, nothing to be seen with earthly eyes. But the eyes of the heart see differently.
✠
The writer of Ephesians prays that we might also see “the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for us who believe.”
There are two Greek words that lie behind our English translation. Two superlative adjectives that speak of the “immeasurable greatness” of God’s power: Hyper and Mega! As in hyper power, mega power that goes beyond and is greater than anything we can humanly imagine.
“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” This is resurrection power that brings new life. And not only in the world to come.
A few years ago, Jan Richardson, an artist, author and United Methodist minister, lost her husband. She speaks of hope through dark days of despair:
“hope,” she writes, “that raises us
from the dead—
not someday
but this day,
every day,
again and
again and
again.[1]
Life in the midst death, strength to go on, living and loving, even in the darkness – that is a powerful thing!
✠
God raised Jesus from the dead, “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” Can you see the glory of God?
God raised him “above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” Above everything! All that is, or ever will be.
We often see rulers, wielding the sword, manipulating peoples lives, exploiting them for their own selfish ends. We see spiritual powers that are wreaking havoc in our world: pride, envy, greed, and fear …
Forces that seem so powerful and beyond our control. Powers and dominions that have their death-dealing way. We feel helpless in their long, dark shadow. But will they have the final victory?
With the eyes of our hearts enlightened, we see Jesus seated at the right hand of his heavenly Father. Which is to say, a place of authority. And we confess our faith, together with the church throughout the ages, that he is Lord. Jesus, not Caesar. Not guns or money. Not selfish ambition or anything else that stands in the way of God’s coming reign. Christ is Lord! He alone.
✠
The day will come when God’s justice and peace will be established upon the earth. And every tear will be wiped from our eyes. And every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord.
Death does not have the final Say. Not today or any day. The living Christ is with us. He walks beside us. He comforts us. He loves us. He gives his life to us.
On those days when we are full of sorrow and tempted to despair, there is a light that shines. A spark of hope that keeps us going. Can you see it?
Someone has said that coming to church is like visiting the ophthalmologist. We come here to cure our spiritual myopia. We see through a different lens, the lens of faith. Here, in the presence of God, a whole new world comes into view.
A world where life is stronger than death, and right-relationship overcomes evil, and forgiveness heals the deep gashing wounds of our souls. And the love of God embraces us. So our world becomes a brighter place. Is that what you see?
✠
I pray that God may open the eyes of our hearts. “So that we may know the hope to which he has called us. … And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power.”
And that we might see Jesus, risen from the dead, seated at God’s right hand “above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.”
Christ. Above all things. Everywhere. All the time.
God is still at work in the world God loves, whether we see it or not. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is present and active in our midst. May it be so in you and me this day!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
✠
[1] Jan Richardson, https://paintedprayerbook.com/2014/11/19/so-that-you-may-know-the-hope/#.VGzLvN7vZUM, Accessed Nov. 21, 2023.“A different kind of seeing”
Ephesians 1:15-23 (November 26, 2023)
I wonder how many of us wear glasses? I was in my mid-twenties when I got mine. And that day still resonates in my memory.
It was a bright, sunny day. I walked out of the optometrist’s office, and stepped gingerly onto the street. These new lenses would take some getting used to. I took a look at things around me. And I was blown away!
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There was so much detail: The sharpness of the lines. The features of leaves on trees. It was overwhelming!
Then it dawned on me: These things had been there all along. Yet I had not been seeing them. I had grown accustomed to a fuzzy world.
Now I realized, there was so much more. A richly coloured, finely detailed, textured, extravagant, beautiful world! It came as a great revelation.
✠
There are many things we cannot see. (And not only because of impaired vision.) We cannot see into the lives of others, for example. The fear or pain or loneliness – or joy – they may be feeling. On this Eternity Sunday, we pause to acknowledge the mix of grief and gratitude that lives in many of us.
We look through powerful lenses to observe tiny, microscopic details. We build sophisticated telescopes to capture signals from outer space. We are constantly discovering things we had not known about our wondrous universe.
And there are other things, our scripture reading tells us, that require a different kind of seeing. Realities that can only be perceived through the lens of faith.
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him …” Revelation! Like the kind I had when I got my new pair of glasses.
“So that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive …” things you had not known. The wonders of God that may have been unclear.
Ephesians employs an unexpected turn of phrase when it talks about seeing with the “eyes of our heart.” We see the physical world with our eyes. Can we see spiritual things with our heart? “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Not dark. But light, full of brightness.
✠
What are the common things we see around us? A world in crisis. Alienation, intolerance, violence. A world where war is raging in all its tragic darkness. Politics of protest and division. Economic disparity.
Here in our service this morning, we acknowledge death. But what are we missing? What else does God want us to see?
✠
The reason I had to get glasses all those years ago was that I was myopic. Which means I was near-sighted. I can see objects up close. But farther away is more difficult.
I’m wondering if our collective sight might also suffer from a kind of “spiritual myopia.” We see things in the world around us, and that’s fine. But when we look for the presence of God, our vision becomes blurry.
“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.”
How can we become more aware of God’s presence in our lives? How can we gaze beyond the horizon of our earthly existence, to see the glory of the heavenly universe, the realm of God, present in our midst?
God is with us! Everywhere, all the time. Even if we do not see it. God comes to us in Jesus. He comes as light to shine in darkness. He opens the eyes of those who are blind. He draws back the curtain that keeps God hidden.
The apostle Paul writes, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT)
Jesus reveals the presence and character of God. He draws the curtain to show us what we had not seen. He shines the light, so we are not in darkness.
✠
The writer of Ephesians prays that the eyes of our hearts be enlightened, so that “you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.”
We may grieve the loss of our loved ones. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Christians have this hope that there is more to life than meets the eye. And that in the mystery and depth of God’s loving care, death is not the end, but a new beginning.
I remember a story someone shared with me, about their loved one who was near to death. They were sitting by her bedside, holding her hand, and speaking to her softly. All of a sudden, their mom sat up and looked toward the end of the bed. “I see Jesus,” she exclaimed.
There was nothing there, nothing to be seen with earthly eyes. But the eyes of the heart see differently.
✠
The writer of Ephesians prays that we might also see “the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for us who believe.”
There are two Greek words that lie behind our English translation. Two superlative adjectives that speak of the “immeasurable greatness” of God’s power: Hyper and Mega! As in hyper power, mega power that goes beyond and is greater than anything we can humanly imagine.
“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” This is resurrection power that brings new life. And not only in the world to come.
A few years ago, Jan Richardson, an artist, author and United Methodist minister, lost her husband. She speaks of hope through dark days of despair:
“hope,” she writes, “that raises us
from the dead—
not someday
but this day,
every day,
again and
again and
again.[1]
Life in the midst death, strength to go on, living and loving, even in the darkness – that is a powerful thing!
✠
God raised Jesus from the dead, “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” Can you see the glory of God?
God raised him “above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” Above everything! All that is, or ever will be.
We often see rulers, wielding the sword, manipulating peoples lives, exploiting them for their own selfish ends. We see spiritual powers that are wreaking havoc in our world: pride, envy, greed, and fear …
Forces that seem so powerful and beyond our control. Powers and dominions that have their death-dealing way. We feel helpless in their long, dark shadow. But will they have the final victory?
With the eyes of our hearts enlightened, we see Jesus seated at the right hand of his heavenly Father. Which is to say, a place of authority. And we confess our faith, together with the church throughout the ages, that he is Lord. Jesus, not Caesar. Not guns or money. Not selfish ambition or anything else that stands in the way of God’s coming reign. Christ is Lord! He alone.
✠
The day will come when God’s justice and peace will be established upon the earth. And every tear will be wiped from our eyes. And every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord.
Death does not have the final Say. Not today or any day. The living Christ is with us. He walks beside us. He comforts us. He loves us. He gives his life to us.
On those days when we are full of sorrow and tempted to despair, there is a light that shines. A spark of hope that keeps us going. Can you see it?
Someone has said that coming to church is like visiting the ophthalmologist. We come here to cure our spiritual myopia. We see through a different lens, the lens of faith. Here, in the presence of God, a whole new world comes into view.
A world where life is stronger than death, and right-relationship overcomes evil, and forgiveness heals the deep gashing wounds of our souls. And the love of God embraces us. So our world becomes a brighter place. Is that what you see?
✠
I pray that God may open the eyes of our hearts. “So that we may know the hope to which he has called us. … And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power.”
And that we might see Jesus, risen from the dead, seated at God’s right hand “above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.”
Christ. Above all things. Everywhere. All the time.
God is still at work in the world God loves, whether we see it or not. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is present and active in our midst. May it be so in you and me this day!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
✠
[1] Jan Richardson, https://paintedprayerbook.com/2014/11/19/so-that-you-may-know-the-hope/#.VGzLvN7vZUM, Accessed Nov. 21, 2023.