( Kolosser 3,12-17 ) - [ Akündigungen520.21 KB ]
9b ihr habt den alten Menschen mit seinen Werken ausgezogen
10 und den neuen angezogen, der erneuert wird zur Erkenntnis nach dem Ebenbild dessen, der ihn geschaffen hat.
11 Da ist nicht mehr Grieche oder Jude, Beschnittener oder Unbeschnittener, Nichtgrieche, Skythe, Sklave, Freier, sondern alles und in allen Christus.
12 So zieht nun an als die Auserwählten Gottes, als die Heiligen und Geliebten, herzliches Erbarmen, Freundlichkeit, Demut, Sanftmut, Geduld;
13 und ertrage einer den andern und vergebt euch untereinander, wenn jemand Klage hat gegen den andern; wie der Herr euch vergeben hat, so vergebt auch ihr!
14 Über alles aber zieht an die Liebe, die da ist das Band der Vollkommenheit.
15 Und der Friede Christi, zu dem ihr auch berufen seid in einem Leibe, regiere in euren Herzen; und seid dankbar.
16 Lasst das Wort Christi reichlich unter euch wohnen: Lehrt und ermahnt einander in aller Weisheit; mit Psalmen, Lobgesängen und geistlichen Liedern singt Gott dankbar in euren Herzen.
17 Und alles, was ihr tut mit Worten oder mit Werken, das tut alles im Namen des Herrn Jesus und dankt Gott, dem Vater, durch ihn.
9 you have put off the old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him
Cantate – Sing! Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things!
Maybe, we feel like asking: Why? How can we sing? How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, in a difficult situation?
Why? Why sing? How can we sing
when death still strikes – a fairly young chairperson of Congregational council, just gearing up to really serve our congregation
when our country, our world is tearing itself apart in enmity, war, disunity, corruption
when the beautiful creation of God is being destroyed by human greed
I believe our sermon text, and the Sundays after Easter, do not dismiss these difficulties, these questions. And yet, in spite of all this, our sermon text, our faith, encourages us, reminds us, calls us to sing! Cantate!
Sing! Sing for joy – in spite of all this – because God has begun a new creation in Christ
Singe!
Cantate – Sing! Singt dem Herrn ein neues Lied, denn er hat Wunderbares getan!
Vielleicht möchten wir fragen: Warum? Wie können wir singen? Wie können wir in einer schwierigen Situation in einem fremden Land das Lied des Herrn singen?
Wie können wir singen
wenn der Tod noch zuschlägt – ein ziemlich junger Vorsitzender des Gemeinderates, der sich gerade darauf vorbereitet, unserer Gemeinde wirklich zu dienen
wenn unser Land, unsere Welt sich selbst in Feindschaft, Krieg, Uneinigkeit, Korruption zerreißt
wenn die schöne Schöpfung Gottes durch menschliche Gier zerstört wird
Ich glaube, unser Predigttext und die Sonntage nach Ostern weisen diese Schwierigkeiten, diese Fragen nicht von sich. Und doch ermutigt uns unser Predigttext, unser Glaube, ermutigt uns, erinnert uns, ruft uns zum Singen auf! Kantate!
Singe! – trotz alledem – vor Freude, denn Gott hat in Christus eine neue Schöpfung begonnen
We celebrated this already last Sunday – the new creation, where God can say: It is very good. We celebrated that God creates a good world by letting light shine in darkness, by creating space for life in the midst of threatening chaos. We can learn from this story, learn to trust that God loves life, and that he will lead life to vanquish death. And so: Sing! Because in God we have hope that life is greater that Sing! Sing for joy – in spite of death, because death has been swallowed in life through the resurrection of Christ, the promise of new life. Yes, there is still death and suffering – but we are not alone in suffering – because Christ bears it with us. Yes, there is still death and destruction – but Christ leads through death to new life.
Cantate! We may sing, Sing for joy – in spite of fighting and enmity – because God has given us a new being, in which enmity has been overcome, in which unity is primary, in which diversity can flourish in beautiful, life-giving service to the other.
Singe! Kantate! Wir dürfen singen, vor Freude singen – trotz Kampf und Feindschaft – weil Gott uns ein neues Wesen geschenkt hat, in dem Feindschaft überwunden ist, in dem Einheit an erster Stelle steht, in dem Vielfalt in schönem, lebensspendendem Dienst gedeihen kann das andere
I have read the verses before the prescribed sermon text as well. We have, in the past week, been together as General Pastors Convention of NELCSA – and I greet you from this general pastors’ convention. We have reflected on the theme of diversity – and we have come to the insight that God creates us in diversity – but that God gives us a unity that is there before all diversity, and that underlies and bears and calls us to use our diversity in service to one another.
And so – today – in this combined service, I want us to recognise that we may sing and praise God for the diversity he gives us in his church, and use our multitude of gifts and insights, experiences and backgrounds, to serve and enrich one another.
The unity God gives is much deeper and greater than all our differences – because we all are equally loved and saved by the grace of God in Christ:
9 you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
In this unity of the new self, our differences become opportunities to serve each other – by doing to one another as Christ has done to us: By practising the love of Christ, by approaching one another and carrying each other where we need it. We become – in being renewed by Christ, in allowing Christ to live in us and through us – that which God created us to be: True images of God, images of God in his love and self-giving mercy. This image of God should be seen in us as the new being God gives us – Christ in us – works in us and through us:
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
It is the love of God that binds us together. Often, we do not experience the richness of the gift of diversity God gives us. Our old human self is all too often caught up in fear, isolates itself, and is afraid to share its rich gifts, or too proud to receive gifts from others. Or we may be hurt and our hurts make it difficult to truly encounter the other. And yet, Christ’s love in us wants to overcome all these hindrances and draw us to one another – like an elastic band, pulling together those that are separated.
And – coming from different backgrounds and experiences, we can enrich and serve one another with our insights and perspectives, searching together for the truth of the Gospel:
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him
And so – in the midst of troubles and grief, in all our diversity, let us give thanks and sing to God, praising him for the beautiful and rich diversity of his creation, his people, his church. Let us listen and speak to one another – for through our diversity we are enriched and we can grow.
In this way, our diversity will be like the beauty of a great polyphonic orchestra, a choir of many voices, each singing differently, and yet, because they are singing in the same key, singing in harmony, rising up to the praise of God.
Und – mit unterschiedlichen Hintergründen und Erfahrungen können wir uns gegenseitig mit unseren Einsichten und Perspektiven bereichern und dienen, indem wir gemeinsam nach der Wahrheit des Evangeliums suchen:
15 Und lasst den Frieden Christi in euren Herzen regieren, zu dem ihr wahrlich als ein Leib berufen wurdet. Und sei dankbar. 16 Lasst das Wort Christi reichlich in euch wohnen, lehrt und ermahnt einander in aller Weisheit, singt Psalmen und Hymnen und geistliche Lieder und dankt Gott in euren Herzen.
17 Und was immer ihr tut, in Wort oder Tat, tut alles im Namen des Herrn Jesus und dankt Gott, dem Vater, durch ihn
Und so – inmitten von Sorgen und Trauer, in all unserer Vielfalt, lasst uns Gott danken und singen, ihn für die schöne und reiche Vielfalt seiner Schöpfung, seines Volkes, seiner Kirche preisen. Lassen Sie uns zuhören und miteinander sprechen – denn durch unsere Vielfalt werden wir bereichert und können wachsen.
Auf diese Weise wird unsere Vielfalt wie die Schönheit eines großen polyphonen Orchesters sein, eines Chors mit vielen Stimmen, die alle unterschiedlich singen und doch, weil sie in derselben Tonart singen, in Harmonie singen und sich zum Lobpreis Gottes erheben.