Proper 10b

The Foundation of Christ's Work and Us, Psalm 85

In Psalm 85, we hear of the the graciousness of God toward Israel, and then a confession for a continual need for that grace and kindness from God. How does this reveal our need for Christ and his work? Where does salvations start? Does it start with me or does it start with the foundation laid by Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection?

Image: Adoration of the Lamb from the Ghent Altarpiece, Hubert van Eyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Story of Blessings, Inheritance, and Renewal, Ephesians 1:1-23

512px-Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Wheat_Field_with_Cypresses_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

In the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul lays down the foundation of all that he is going to discuss through the epistle. In this chapter we hear of the great blessings that have come to us from God the Father, through Jesus Christ, by the work of the Spirit in us. And so, this chapter reveals to us a story of salvation that involves blessings, inheritance, and renewal all because of who Jesus Christ is.

Image: Wheat Field with Cypresses, Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons