“. . . so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 3:10 Oh, here it comes . . . “Dad, why you make us go to church?” Well, maybe it’s because: 1. Life makes sense when you’re connected to God. 2. Church is true family, and you need family to get through life. . . I know . . . no family is perfect – and kids are quick to point out the hypocrisy. Still, Church is what Paul explains as “the wisdom of God in its rich variety” on display for the world to see. Think of that! Our gathering together is displaying to the world just how smart God is! That’s enough to make your brain explode! AND that makes “Church” one of the most mysterious and amazing miracles God has caused to happen since creation. Church historians note that in the first three centuries, Christians had unbelievable challenges to face. One example: They submitted to the emperor but they refused to worship him as god. This painted them as unpatriotic. It was said that they made the nation weak. It was open permission to mistreat them both physically and economically. So why did anyone become a Christian? The Christian church was so “different” – in a good way – that people took notice. They embraced all of humanity. Look at the Christian church in Antioch (Acts 13). People of different ethnic backgrounds and social classes embraced each other as family. They came together often, ate together, and honored one another as equals. Forgiveness and reconciliation were lived out. These people were persecuted, tortured, imprisoned, and killed, yet they taught forgiveness instead of seeking revenge. This was unheard of. Even more so, within the Christian community, grievances were confronted, and relationships healed. Their families and their sense of community were strong. Hospitality to the poor and the suffering was given freely. During the plagues, Christians didn’t flee the cities. They stayed and cared for those who were sick – regardless of the color of their skin, the tribe they belonged to or their economic class, often sacrificing their own lives Christians defended and celebrated life. Unwanted children condemned to death by exposure or to slavery were taken in by Christian people. Kids were valued as made in the image of God and not as property to be discarded. The sacredness of family was honored. In Roman culture sex was seen as a physical appetite that was to be satisfied. Those who followed Christ embraced sexuality as giving oneself wholly and exclusively to another in marriage as Jesus gave Himself wholly for us. As they supported one another, community was strengthened as trust grew and kids were raised in safety. I know, these are broad brushstrokes. But do you see any similarities to our own time? The early church challenged the people of their time with a Christ-like attitude that defended life and protected the most vulnerable, that built trust and showed mercy, and demonstrated the security built by unconditional love – a fulfilment of what Paul wrote of to the Ephesians – The wisdom of God was on display – a wisdom that was totally counter to the culture they were living in. And yes, the culture made them pay, but it was a price they were willing to pay. . . As a result, life flourished. There’s a lot of challenges our generation faces. Our generation needs to see God’s wisdom at work. The solution is getting together and opening ourselves to God working in and through us. When we come together, we learn how to support one another in the mission fields God has placed each of us in. We learn how to support those parenting kids. We learn how to support those facing the challenges of growing older. We figure out how to support those teaching the next generation. We discover the joy and beauty of exercising the variety of talents God has given each of us.  Dive deep into the life of Gloria Dei. As crazy as it sounds, let’s show the world just how smart God is! -Let us all keep and live the faith!