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Lenten Observations, Feb. 21, Ephesians 1:3

 Thought about the word Lenten. This is used in Hamlet to imply sad, repentance, morosity. As a person from a different tradition who chooses to explore Lent as a pathway to the cross and resurrection, I do not have any of those background feelings of obligation, false fasting (giving up chocolate, or starting to smoke in February so you can give up smoking), or superficial penitence. I see this as preparation and a time to focus. 

A former student who is far too ardent, which can also be translated as intolerant and overcritical of non-Reformed traditions, posted something about how Ash Wednesday was against Jesus' statements about washing your face during fasting. I pointed out to him that 1. Ash Wednesday is about "repenting in dust and ashes" and only lasts a day, and 2. the priest puts the ashes on. Not something I do, but I don't appreciate unfounded criticism of others who are practicing their conscience. If anything, as I have aged, I see the church as far more expansive than what the fundamentalism of my past taught, a "remnant" versus a "kingdom."

To return to Ephesians 1:3 ff.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved.

Verse 3 uses blessings three times, and the remainder of 3-14, one long sentence in the Greek, piles on descriptions and details of those blessings. The phrase "in Christ" is also repeated several times, emphasizing we don't get the blessings without faith in Christ., without following that path. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing i the heavenly places in Christ just as (in the same manner as, meaning it is secure and not to be doubted) we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Lots of folks have trouble with the "chosen" idea. I would say, focus on the purpose of the chosen (holiness and blamelessness before Him in love) and the timelessness of it. We do not know who has been chosen and when they will manifest their chosen status. God brings people to faith every day, and it seems that some former agnostic intellectuals are changing their tunes about God and Christ (although many are returning or turning to Orthodoxy and Catholicism). Chosen-ness is way out of our hands, if it is. One can also say the chosen-ness refers to what the outcome in our character will be, not whether we respond to grace. If we respond (on our own? which kind of violates Chapter 2) to grace, God fore-ordained what our character would be. Perhaps. 


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