Devotional from Pastor Dave November 15, 2023

Our Consecration Sunday is this Sunday, November 19. At both worship services, “this is ‘hour’ time” to submit an estimate of your financial giving for 2024 (you may also do so online at https://www.signalcrestumc.org/give-back), and we will ask for God’s blessing of our commitments of ourselves to fulfill God’s mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ through Signal Crest. I am praying for you as you are praying about your part in this church’s ministry in ’24.

The key verse of our stewardship season is Colossians 4:5 – “Be wise in the way you act . . . make the most of the time.” As we look toward ’24, we are mindful that we all have 24 hours each day. Our time is probably an even more precious resource than our treasures, and so we are exploring how to be good stewards of our time as well as our treasure.

This key verse comes in a section at the close of Paul’s letter to the Colossians where he is offering some final instructions. These instructions also gather up and summarize some of the key themes of the letter as a whole. I would like to reflect on these verses.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.

Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

There are three actions that Paul commends here. First, he asks us to pray watchfully with

thanksgiving. Paul regularly pairs prayer with thanksgiving. Our prayers are expressions of our gratitude to God. How fitting for all times, but especially for this season of the year and the holiday this upcoming week. Paul is in prison here, and yet still he finds reason to give thanks. And what’s more, even though he is behind a closed and locked door, he asks that we pray for God to open a door for the word, the message, the mystery of Christ to find a way in the world. May we continue to watchfully pray with thanksgiving for God to open doors for the gospel both on and off the mountain.

Second, he asks that we live wisely in the world, especially toward outsiders, those who are not among the family of faith, that we make the most of the time or of the opportunities we have in our daily lives to witness to the love and mercy and grace of Christ to all people. Sadly, too many outsiders in our world say that they do not see Christ when they see Christians. This ought not to be so! Let those of us here at Signal Crest commit to signal Christ, point to Christ, show and share Christ in the world.

Finally, he asks that we always speak graciously, which, again, can be rather countercultural these days! When he says our words would be seasoned with salt, he doesn’t mean we should use salty language! No, if this phrase is an echo of Exodus 30:35, where the incense of the thanksgiving offering is to be blended with salt, then the sense is that all of our speech should be peppered with gratitude and thanksgiving. Then we will be able to offer to anyone who asks an account of the hope that is in us in Christ with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15-16).

As we prepare to commit the precious resources of our time and treasure to the witness of

Christ in ’24, let’s also commit to pray watchfully, to live wisely in the world especially toward outsiders, and to always speak graciously.