A Graceful and Salty Message

Colossians, and our series on Colossians, come to a close with some final words. Then, in the style of letters of the time, there is a list of greetings and messages from one community to the other. This morning we read these final words:

“Devote yourselves to prayer, staying awake to your feelings of gratitude. Pray for us that God will open opportunities for us to share the Word, for which I am imprisoned. Wisely establish relationships with those outside the community of faith, making the most of your time with them. Let your speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, knowing how it behooves you to answer each individual.”

“Devote yourselves to prayer.” Remember the reason that the letter was written to the Colossians? The church was faced with competing messages. At the heart of the controversy was a dispute over whether Jesus had accomplished access to God for believers. Was there additional wisdom needed? Some said yes. Were there additional practices needed? Some said yes. Were there works that had to be completed? Some said yes. So, here in the final words, the instruction is clear. “Devote yourselves to prayer.”

There is no barrier. Everything that separates us from God has been wiped away. You and I have a clear path to God’s listening ear. God is listening. So, what do we say? Sometimes, people tell me they don’t pray because they don’t know how.

It can seem awkward. “Hi, God. Had a pretty good day today. Kids are about to go back to school. It IS hot and humid. How are you?”

It can seem needy. “God, the car is on its last leg, can you let it last until spring? It would really help if my wife got a new job. Oh, and my friend is having surgery. Heal him, please.”

The Colossians are told to devote themselves to prayer. The word “devote” here in the Greek really means give unremitting attention, continue steadfastly, persevere. Prayer takes practice. And they are told to stay awake to their feelings of gratitude. The Christian approaches God in thanksgiving.

Meister Eckhart, a 13th Century German theologian said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”

No special wisdom needed. No additional practices needed. No works that must be completed. Pray, and stay alert to gratitude.

And then the writer asks for prayers for himself. Pray that God will open opportunities to share the Word, for which I am imprisoned. Notice that the request is not for them to pray for his situation to change. He is in prison, but he doesn’t ask them to pray for him to be released. He doesn’t ask for prayers for his well-being. He asks for prayers that he will have the opportunity to share the Word.

The letter was written to the Colossians because there had been challenges to the Word: false teachings, rules and regulations, requirements to gain God’s approval. And now, after sharing the Word – you have been raised with Christ, God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved – after giving guidance to the community – to clothe themselves in with Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Meekness, and Patience, to bear with one another, forgive one another, and clothe themselves with love, letting the peace of Christ rule in their hearts – after counseling them on household relationships that husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants live in reciprocal obligation – the writer asks for prayers to have more opportunities to share the Word.

The heart of why the letter is written is to share the Word…and the writer concludes the letter by passing on the mission.

“Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity. Let your speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, knowing how it behooves you to answer each individual.”

There are two responses that pastors can be sure of when they encourage church members to gather to pray or to evangelize. The first response is “we need training”. The second response is low attendance.

Why? I think it’s because we think they are complicated. Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon spoke at the PC(USA) 2012 Evangelism and Church Growth Conference and then he spoke again at the 2013 Conference. Both years, he preached the same refrain, “Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.”

Be gracious. Before you speak, or today before you type a comment, ask yourself if what you are about to say is kind, pleasant, courteous, polite, considerate, thoughtful, hospitable, friendly,…you get the idea.

And let your words be seasoned with salt. Choose words that have the properties of salt. Salt is used to preserve meats; meat that is salt-cured doesn’t have to be refrigerated. So choose words that preserve. Salt is used to heal; we used to joke in college that the campus doctor always told you to gargle with salt water…it didn’t matter what was wrong, gargle with salt water. Salt is healing, so choose words that heal. Salt can be used to disinfect and clean; in Biblical times, newborn babies were rubbed with salt. So choose words that remove infection and that cleanse. And salt is used to enhance flavor. Don’t make evangelism harder than it needs to be: speak words that preserve, heal, cleanse, and enhance.

N.T. Wright says the Colossians are told to “learn to speak with grace and ‘salt’ ….And they must use every opportunity to do so, becoming skilled in the art of real listening to the questions and comments made by puzzled onlookers and being sure they answer the person appropriately, rather than just parroting stock responses.”

When you are around people who are not churched, listen and make the most of the opportunity. Dr. Thom Rainer, in his book, The Unchurched Next Door, shares research that reveals that 82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited. AND that only 2% of church members invite an unchurched person to church in a given year.

As we begin a new church year, don’t make it harder than it needs to be. People who are not involved in a church can be invited to come to Farmington. According to LifeWay Research, 62% of people who used to be actively involved in church aren’t actively looking for a new church, but they are open to the idea of attending regularly again. And 7 out of 10 people who are unchurched have never been invited to church.

Most people come to church because they are invited. So, make the most of every opportunity. Next week, we celebrate the beginning of a new school year. We will dedicate school supplies and bless backpacks and the children who wear them. We will also turn in our Bibles to Genesis to the story of Abraham, who was blessed to be a blessing. Invite a friend to join you as we study God’s promises to Abraham and to us.