Ephesians 2:19-22 NRSVue
19So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone;, 21in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
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Further reflection
These words directed to the Ephesians also have a meaning for us.
We belong, we are part of God's household, and God dwells in us.
Can I listen to this message, and take reassurance and strength from it?
Fellow-citizens of the saints, he says, members of the household of God. We belong here, not as tourists, or strangers creeping into an awesome temple, but as children taking our places at the family table. Those who have come close to death remember an overwhelming sense of happiness within reach; they know they are coming home. We are not there on sufferance, but because it is our place.
The dignity that I am given in being a member of God's household is not something that I have deserved or earned - it is God's gracious gift, given in love. I place myself in prayer before God, who attends to me as a family member.