September 16, 2007 – Sunday Morning Sermon – 2 Corinthians 5:1-6:13
Illustration by Grace Ellen Schiel
Awake in the early morning
I contemplate who I am;
a new creature
reconciled to God by grace.
The muse came questioning,
using for “Why?â€, “How come?â€
How come, being reconciled,
you’ve been so slow in opening
your heart wide,
so quick to dismiss the wounded,
the deaf, the poor, the lonely, the old
as if you were not one of them?
How come have you, doing your own will,
withered another or failed
to see the lives of strangers,
far and wide, who needed you;
missed opportunities to open a
window of grace as they passed by?
How come you can sit in worship
service and only examine it as
to what should be done differently
interested more in personal satisfaction
than in loving your enemies and telling
the truth? Sad, when life is all complaint.
How come you’re such a dummy
at times, receiving the grace of God in vain?
There is something holy about putting
aside your rights, complaints, offenses
well-being and opening your heart,
keeping pace with the movement of grace.
DAS
Author Profile: Born and raised in Montgomery County, Texas, Pastor Dan Schiel was called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ at age 20 and has served as pastor in independent churches for over forty years. He is the founding pastor of Christ Church (founded 1977). 