GRACE NOTES // EPHESIANS Week 4

Written By: Keli Miller

A Piece of The Master

God’s first "idea" was to pour out divine, infinite love into finite, visible forms.

-Richard Rohr

I am not artistic. Painting, drawing, shaping- not for me. Heck, I even have a hard time following a template and not screwing it up. I am creative though- I have thoughts, and visions, and dreams it’s just rare that  my artwork matches what I had in mind. Usually this ends up with me being disappointed in my masterpiece. I either add too many details or I spend too little time on the important details and rush through the process. 

Making art is a personal and intimate process. Part of the artist is poured into the art. When finished, it is a piece of the master. A masterpiece. 

Our master, being God, long ago had the desire to pour out His divine, infinite love into a created visible, finite, form. You and I are apart of that creation. We are God’s masterpiece. And here is the good news- unlike me, the master is not ever ashamed of his creation. He has declared us to be the highest value of all things. The question is: Do we trust God’s words?  

The honest answer is more often than not, we don’t. We easily confuse his values for the world's values. This is where half truths enter in, the “Lie of Too” as Pastor Holly put it on Sunday. I am too judgemental. I am too flirty. I am too shy. I am too quiet. I am too loud. I am too direct. I am too passive. These might all be partially true, but truer than any of that is that you are God’s masterpiece and creation. Your very being was created with intention and love. The “Lie of Too” is completely incompatible with the truth that you are God’s masterpiece. 

There is something truly amazing when the supernatural is met with the natural. This is Christ’s work in you. A supernatural masterpiece in a finite, visible form. 

IN THE WORD

• Ephesians 2:8-10, 3:15-19

• Genesis 2:25-3:13

• John 1:1-5 

PROCESSING

In Genesis 3, right after sin had entered the world, Adam and Eve were made aware of their nakedness and hiding in the garden. God comes to them and asks, “Who told you you were naked?” This week ask the same question to yourself. 

-When did you first start to believe that you had reason to feel shame and needed to hide? 

-What “Lies of Too” are you believing today? What Truth does God want to replace these lies with?