A week ago Sunday, Gray introduced us to the University of Virginia head basketball coach, Tony Bennett's five pillars. Bennett's father, also a basketball coach "borrowed" these pillars from scripture in an attempt to identify what creates a solid foundation for life. The five pillars are humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. Would you say these are pillars that uphold your life?

The same weekend Gray preached his sermon other pillars came crashing down. Can you believe that it's only been a week since sections of I-85 came tumbling down as a result of a fire set by three people smoking crack. It's a graphic image of what damage can be done in life when you aren't practicing the five pillars of humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness.

The Apostle Paul wrote of these pillars when addressing the church in Ephesus.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.  This is why it says:

When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.

(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?  He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. -Ephesians 4: 1-13

Prayer for Today

Holy God, pour your spirit upon us during this Holy Week, so that we may be one in the spirit, humble, gentle, patient, and above all loving. In Christ name we pray. Amen.