
Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Maker, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of their glory, they may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through the 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 the one who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen
What is the power that is at work within us? We could name many possibilities! But for now, let us think that it is the power to connect. Recently, I saw a Facebook meme asking who speaks to birds and squirrels. Lots of us openly or secretly talk to our plants, our pets, the random creatures we meet. We are much more reticent to speak to each other. What Jesus does is reach out to strangers, shelter the vulnerable from criticism, bring new people home for dinner. Rev. Carl Fraser, in a funeral sermon last month, said that all we really have to do in this life is show up. I think that he meant showing up as being present to whatever need life dropped in front of us. Also, he said, it means being engaged in the celebration, being grateful in and delighted by life and the people around us, both family and friends.
The power that is working within us is working for our own well-being, and that of others as it reaches out through us. The kites we fly are compassion, laughter, and generosity. They are held safely by the hand of Jesus who is the invisible participant whenever we make connections.