GROW in His Word - Colossians 3:16

I am linking up with my sweet friend Vanessa over at Hearts on Guard (along with several other amazing bloggers) again this week for GROW in His Word.  The GROW Link Up is simple... we all have the same verse and we GROW (Greet, Read, Observe, & Write)... then we offer up a prayer.  Easy Peasy, right? We'd love to have you join in!

Our Scripture this week is found in Colossians...

"Let the word of Christ

dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

teaching and admonishing one another

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing with grace in your hearts

to the Lord."

                                                     Col 3:16 NKJV

Yes... another very familiar portion of Scripture.  I love to read verses like this in other translations and given my romantic ways... I always fall for the poetic beauty of The Message... let's read it slow together, with a verse before and after... 

"Let the peace of Christ

keep you in tune with each other,

in step with each other.

None of this going off and doing your own thing.

And cultivate thankfulness.

Let the Word of Christ

—the Message—

have the run of the house.

Give it plenty of room in your lives.

Instruct and direct one another

using good common sense.

And sing, sing your hearts out to God!

Let every detail in your lives

—words, actions, whatever—

be done in the name of the Master, Jesus,

thanking God the Father every step of the way."

                                                                        Col 3:15-17 The Message

I know, right? #Swoon!!!

So for me... what stands out the most - is the community of this verse!  It's the 'with each other' and the 'one another' and the giving the Word the run of the house... it's the singing together and the 'every detail' - every action, word, 'whatever'... all gloriously lived out loud TOGETHER!  This is church, my friends! Whether it happens on Saturdays or Sundays - (it should happen on every day!)... it doesn't matter if it is scheduled in a sanctuary, over coffee, or tucking in at bedtime... we are in this together!

We hold each other up-- lift each other up... we keep each other accountable... we laugh and love and live close and real, right on through the good times and the bad. 

I am blessed and honored to have grown up with such friends who are like family and though we have all moved on to different churches and different zip codes... we gather together on a (somewhat) regular basis to catch up - to tune in and cheer on.  We are there to remind each other during those long dark seasons when we honestly begin to forget... We are there to celebrate victories, comfort through loss, bind up and wrap up and pull close... we are there to speak life... to be love... to shine on.  We have 'done church' in church, in parks, on patios at home and at restaurants...  We are iron sharpening iron. We are rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. We are decreeing and declaring and standing firm and tall on the promises of God.  We are bound... we are family... we are His.

...and every step of the way, we are thanking God the Father!

Father God,
We come to you today
and our hearts cry out for this...
that right here - where we are...
that You would bring us into Community.
That You would  guide us to discover
and sow into this kind of connection.
We pray Lord that the love of God will draw us to friends
and that the peace of Christ will keep us tuned in...
to each other, and to You!
Keep us safe and hold us close...
help us not to retreat or isolate...
or do our own thing.
Instead,  remind us that we are Yours,
first and foremost, and so even if we feel 
disconnected and lonely
we never are.
Not truly.
So when the pull is to feel that these lies are truth...
remind us to follow this verse and to cultivate thankfulness.
To list off the ways that we can trust You...
the times You have come through for us...
Remind us - show us - help us
to let the Word of Christ
'have the run of the house!'
We submit to You... 
every room in our heart belongs to You, Jesus
and we give you the keys.
We hold nothing back.
We give You room to move,
to show up and flow through...
we wait on You expectantly... 
and as we wait, Lord...
we sing out...
we give you praise
and make Your Name famous,
and we let You lead us
where you want us to go,
and all the way there,
we give You thanks,
every step of the way!

In Jesus' Name,
Amen!

Linking up today with Vanessa over at Hearts On Guard