Choices . . . And Free Will

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                The Book of Common Prayer, p. 232.

Joseph's Coat                                  Konstantinos Fiavitsky  c. 1855

Choices. To do what is right. To be guided by the Spirit of God.  This is the opening prayer for next Sunday, after which we will hear the story of Joseph and his brothers, and how they despised him, and how they thought about killing him, but ultimately decided to sell him into slavery in Egypt instead.

We make choices every day. We may try hard to make right choices, choices that would glorify God and reflect our baptismal identities as followers of Jesus, but how often we fail. Joseph’s coat of many colors reminds us that we all have many colors – and as often as we chose God’s way, we can also choose the sinner’s way.  To forgive someone – or not. To reconcile with someone – or not. To love someone – or not.

God has given us this gift of free will, knowing full well that the choices we will make are ours. It is up to us to reflect upon those choices and to lay them out before God.

“Bless me Lord, for I have sinned.”