Image of the Invisible

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer, “What is the most meaningful thing you’ve learned about Christ through the words of a hymn?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). Colossians 1:15-28.

Colossians 1:15-20 continues the prayer that opens Paul’s letter with the words of a hymn that was familiar to the Colossians.

• What does this hymn proclaim about Christ? [The hymn begins by celebrating that Christ offers a concrete vision of God, who is invisible, and goes on to celebrate his involvement in creation, his pre-eminence over all things, his headship of the church, and his work as the reconciler of all things to God (Colossians 1: 15-20).]
• Which attributes of Christ do you find hopeful? Awe-inspiring? Difficult to grasp? Why?

In Colossians 1:21-23 Paul explains how this hymn specifically applies to the Colossians.

• How does Paul describe the Colossians’ lives before they heard “the hope promised by the gospel? (Colossians 1:23) [Paul describes the Colossians as estranged from God, hostile in mind, and doing evil deeds (Colossians 1:21).]
• How did Christ transform their lives? [Christ restored their relationship with God through his death on the cross (Colossians 1: 20, 22).]
• What are the Colossians called to continue in response to Christ’s action on their behalf? [They are to maintain an unwavering commitment to the gospel they have already heard (Colossians 1:23).]

Paul did not plant the church at Colossae, and he has never met the Colossians. How might his description of himself and his ministry (Colossians 1:24-28) influence their acceptance of his teaching?

Name one way you are willing to commit to “continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard” (Colossians 1:23). How can your church community help you maintain that commitment?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

God, we come to you, marveling at the awesomeness of Christ. Please stretch our imaginations so that we can keep our eyes open to the Image of the Invisible and hold fast to the hope we’ve found in Christ. Amen.

Rev. Sherry Bryant-Johnson, a United Methodist deacon, served extension ministries in the Mississippi Annual Conference for nearly three decades. Now retired, she teaches “Abiding in Christ Together: Creating Gospel-Centric Retreats” and Lay Servant Ministries courses online at BeaDisciple.com. An author and a spiritual director, she is an editor and essayist for the anthology, Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color (Morehouse, 2014).