This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

(Ephesians 3.6)

 

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is meeting people and I meet all sorts of people. Sometimes it’s just one time and sometimes I get to spend time with people over many occasions. The more time we have with others, the more we get to know them - some of those hidden mysteries are revealed and we begin to understand what has made that person into the person they are today. We hear their story and we become part of it, even if it’s only in some small way. During our Sunday services we are hearing about the letter St Paul wrote to the early church in Ephesus. In it (chapter 3) he writes about the ‘mystery of Christ’, which has ‘now been revealed by the [Holy] Spirit’ and the mystery of how we are ‘members together (with God’s people) of one body, and ‘sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus’. The church exists to make plain to everyone the ‘boundless riches of Christ’. So it seems Paul is calling us to learn together, to help one another grow in our relationship with God. We do this in fellowship with others, in searching the Scriptures, in prayer and in our collective worship as we meet together each Sunday. What a joy it is to know God a little bit more day by day!

Rev’d Mark Anderson