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The Forward Day by Day Meditation for November 23, 2022
We post a Forward Day by Day Meditation for every day of the year - and we invite you to consider them and talk about them here. If you'd like to comment, you can log in to Disqus with your Facebook, Twitter, or Google account; just click "Login," or the appropriate logo below. Or, you can sign up for a Disqus account; just use the entry form below, or click the "D" logo to start the process. You can find the past week's Meditations in the box at right (or below, for mobile users), or search for previous entries on the Archives page. You can also listen to the Forward Day by Day podcast anywhere you find podcasts!
WEDNESDAY, November 23 CLEMENT OF ROME, Bishop, c. 100
Ephesians 1:5-6 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Over the centuries, the concept of adoption has been fraught with the notion of scandal, secrets, the unknown. At times, adopted or single-parent children were assigned illegitimate status. They were often seen as the result of someone’s mistake or shortcoming. They were whispered or speculated about at family gatherings, and when it came time for the passing on of the family estate, their claim to the legacy was often contested. But today’s passage redeems the notion of what it means to be adopted. The apostle Paul reminds us that we are all adopted. Christ offers all of us a legacy free from scandal, both of our own making and that of others. He gives us a name and an inheritance and makes us a part of the family story.
By the good pleasure of his will, adoption is a testimony of Christ’s grace and love. Thanks be to God.
MOVING FORWARD: What does it mean to you to be adopted by Christ?
PRAY for the Diocese of Nimule (South Sudan)
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