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Romans 8 is bursting at the seams. Ideas, suggestions, promises, hope. I have many questions, and much I’d like to discuss, but as we look this week at our third of four sessions on Romans 8, I want to focus on the idea of abundance.

Reading Romans 8:18-30, what stands out to me most notably is this sense of glory, freedom, empowerment, ultra-aliveness (words fail me here) that is offered to the ‘children of God’.

Verse 19 says “all creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God” (NRSV), or in the translation where it really caught my eye: “The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!” (TPT)

Woah!

This definitely makes me a little prosperity-gospel-nervous. But what if the glory isn’t about ego and power, what if the glory is about the deeper invitation to my true self, where I’m invited to give my life away to others in beautiful, creative and surprisingly life-giving ways?

To become just like Jesus means to let go of my attachments to prestige, esteem, success, power and control. To heed the quiet invitation to my deeper self, where I confront my fears and insecurities, my pain and longing, where I find the courage to open my heart to those around me, to give my life away.

I hope that you are on this deepening journey my friends. And if you don’t already have a spiritual director, or anam cara/soul friend who helps you navigate your own interior landscape, I would strongly encourage you to consider finding one.

How are you being called to give your life away? How are you being drawn into the divine dance? Who is walking this road with you? There is abundance, glory, hope and life beyond all we can imagine waiting in the invitation.

Every blessing xxxxx

Big thanks again to the MOST faithful CAH listener, Ken, for suggesting over in our private Facebook community that we look at Romans together, and to Angela who put an exclamation mark after Romans 8.

This is a meditation on Romans 8:18, 19, 21, 26, 28, 29 in a hybrid of NRSV and TPT

Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina.

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All music by Pete Hatch.