Living Well

In the movie, “The Lion King” we have the story of a young lion named Simba who, by lion standards, is not exactly living well as he grows into an older lion. He was, in time, to succeed his father Mufasa as the king of the Pride lands. As a cub he lost his father, his homeland, and his identity. It was stolen by his uncle Scar who murdered his father. Shame overcomes Simba as he thinks he is responsible for his father's death and flees into exile. He finds, or thinks he finds, his identity (who he is and his purpose) in the company of two rascals—a meerkat and a warthog. Essentially, they become his parents and teach them a philosophy of life.Meanwhile, because Simba has been held captive by a “no worries, no responsibilities” lifestyle, his homeland is being destroyed. He only learns this because a hungry lioness almost eats his best friends but from her he learns where he came from and what is happening to his home. Nala, this young lioness, insists that he come home and do something. He refuses to leave but is wracked by guilt and shame. In this crisis of identity, Rafiki, a kind of holy man, comes to him and tells him he doesn’t know who he is.That night he sees a vision of his father who tells him, “You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me… You are more than what you have become… Remember who you are. You are my son.” You know the rest of the story!Colossians is a book about living well, what it means to be mature in Christ. But like the story in "The Lion King," it is easy to lose our way, to forget who we are, and thus to be less than what we can be by God’s grace. This week we’ll talk about it as Paul reminds this group of young believers who they are, alerts them to the threats around them, and finally rehearses to them their true identity. Hope to see you there.Two more things:If you haven’t checked out Sunday School for you or your children, please come at 9:15am and do so. Also check out this video that is the whole book of Colossians in ten minutes.Blessings,Jim