Remembering With GodНамуна

Remembering That We Are Called Blessed

My wife and I agreed to a new tradition when we put a new table in our dining room. We began inviting people to dinner and would hand them a black, green, or red Sharpie and ask them to sign the table.

Blessedness is a state of being spoken well of, and it is difficult to find a greater sign of blessing than to welcome a name in permanent marker on the bottom of your table. 

Our story of formation begins with being taken, redeeming the shells of separation and absence, and being invited into a story of having a seat at the table. However, another shell falls into our hands from the words of Jesus, “You are no longer servants [chosen] you are now friends [wanted and welcome]” (John 15:15 my paraphrase)
 

Blessing reminds us that the invitation to the table is catalyzed by the blessing of being there, of being worthy and beautiful and good because we are followers of Jesus. The poetry of Genesis that says “Let us make humankind in our image,” and that all of creation is “very good” (Genesis 1:26, 31) comes to a head when Jesus invites all of us to the table not as guests but as friends. 

We stop the flow of trying to deserve God, whatever that may mean. Our memory of Jesus helps rewrite our personal memories, stories, and scripts in light of not only being invited to abide but blessed and wanted to remain. 

Today, think about a time when you felt the reality of God blessing you as his son or daughter. What does it mean that you are spoken well of by God and called “very good”? In what specific situations do you need to remember God’s blessing right now? 

From As I Recall by Casey Tygrett