Saturday 10 January 2026

Psalm 103

Background
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I received many letters from friends and family. They contained news of births, marriages and deaths. They told of holidays, house extensions and hopes for the future. A few contained brief prayers and blessings for 2026.

Although the letter to the Colossians claims to come from Paul and Timothy, the consensus of most New Testament scholars is that it was written shortly after the death of Paul by Timothy or another of Paul’s followers. But this is not some generic AI version of an apostolic letter: it was intended as a message to the neighbouring church of Laodicea (Colossae was destroyed by an earthquake in 63-64 AD) in response to a particular problem and attempted to creatively apply the authority of Paul's teaching to a new situation.

The Laodicean Christians were tempted to make their Christian faith a bit too complicated. To ensure they were holy enough, they thought they needed to practise fasting and have visions. Bearing in mind the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel, on which we have reflected this week, this may seem like a continuation of a long and valued tradition for the worshippers of Yahweh. But the writer wanted to remind them of what they had learned through their Christian faith: being in Christ is not dependent on particular rituals or observances. Having visions is not a requirement of being a Christian. Faith is rooted in ordinary, everyday experience. The good news "has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it" (v. 6).

Faith hope and love are very familiar virtues in the letters of Paul; here the writer has heard of the community’s faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love they have for all the saints (v. 4) but this faith and hope is rooted in "the hope laid up for you in heaven"(v. 5). Hope is not a feeling these young Christians have to conjure up for themselves; it is not dependent on their feelings or their practices; hope is already a reality in God’s kingdom.

This letter is addressed to the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae. Just like the Colossians, we live in our own unique social and political environment and also in the kingdom of God (in Christ). We can’t separate the two.

To ponder

• What would our Christmas newsletters look like if we wrote both as residents of the place we live in and as residents of the kingdom of God?
• Verse 9 says the writer of this letter has "not ceased praying for you". Do you pray for the people you write to at Christmas? What do you pray?
• In verses 11-12 we read of patience, joy and giving thanks. Can you make these the hallmarks of your faith journey through 2026?

Prayer
God of community, remind us that our faith is rooted in our daily lives. Help us to walk into this new year with our eyes open to your presence in small things and ordinary people. May we not be afraid to pray for ourselves, for each other, for our world. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Val Reid
Val Reid is a retired presbyter who lives in Salisbury. She is a reflective supervisor and spiritual director, and has recently trained as a mediator with Place for Hope.