“Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,

heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 

if one has a grievance against another; 

as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, 

that is, the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, 

the peace into which you were also called in one body.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, 

as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 

singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs 

with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

After completing the requirements and finishing my Eagle Scout Project for affordable public housing (general outdoor beautification, an event for the residents, and moving five tons of dirt by wheel barrel to fill in low areas of the property and create garden areas for the residents), I passed my board of review and was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. My Eagle Scout Ceremony was a humbling experience filled with gratitude for all of those who had supported and helped me on my journey. My dad, also and Eagle Scout, was present and delivered the Eagle Scout Charge. It was a call to take what I had learned and received and commit, then and there, to uphold the responsibility to use it for the good of others. The gift I had been given carried within it a responsibility to be used for the benefit of others. For my part, I was eager to respond to that charge. It was a powerful and meaningful moment. 

The reading from Paul to the Colossians is, likewise, something of a charge to the Church at Colossae. They have received a great gift, the message of salvation, the Word made flesh. They have been forgiven. They have been set free. They have been loved. These gifts to them, and to us, carry in them a responsibility. In compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving, love and peace, they respond to the gift by sharing it with others in the way they are called to live their lives. Their actions are a proclamation of the good news they have received. How they treat others is gift back to God. They have been blessed to be a blessing for others. We have been blessed to be a blessing for others. That we are able to do this is worthy of thanksgiving. The way we live is, actually, a way in which we give thanks to God for the gifts we have received. Paul’s words are for us, as well, “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”