All of Life is Sacred

Paul’s hymn in Colossians begins with Christ, not with a narrow religious corner of life. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, present before creation, supreme over creation, the agent through whom all things were made, and the one for whom all things exist. The hymn puts the blinders on in the best sense, fixing sight on the one critical reality: it is all about him.

Genesis gives a radically different account of humanity than the old stories of Egypt. God creates human beings in love, calls them his image, and places them in a good world that belongs to him. Christ perfectly images the invisible God, showing what humanity looks like when it reaches its full potential rather than when it chases the distorted pictures of greatness offered by the world.

The sacred-secular divide cannot survive the claim that everything was created through Christ and for Christ. Spreadsheets and sermons, computer science and communion, farming and prayer, diaper changing and preaching can all be done for Jesus. Luther’s line lands with force: God and all the angels smile when a man changes a diaper. Ordinary work becomes holy not because every task feels dramatic, but because Christ owns every square inch and receives every act done with attention and intention toward him.

Paul’s body image keeps sacredness from becoming a privilege reserved for religious professionals. Christ is the head of the church, and every other person is body. The church has no pinky toes, no unnecessary parts hovering around while a small few do the supposedly sacred work. Christ gives every member a role in his life and mission.

Reconciliation names God’s startling way of putting the world right. God, the offended party, initiates peace rather than waiting for rebels to send the boatload of gold and spices. Christ makes peace not by Caesar’s violent subjugation, but by being broken himself, pouring out his blood on the cross. Christ has won the peace, though that peace still works its way outward through a disordered creation.

The building image gives this calling some hands and feet. Creation has good bones, though rot must be removed, beauty conserved, broken things repaired, and neglected places made fit to purpose. Christ sends bricklayers, bartenders, biologists, programmers, teachers, caregivers, cleaners, and every other kind of worker as applicators of his reconciliation. Tuesday can become part of the holy work of making all things new.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. All creation belongs to Christ Christ does not merely claim church gatherings or explicitly religious jobs. The hymn says everything was made through him and for him, including unseen powers, mundane tasks, and ordinary labor. Sacredness begins with Christ’s ownership, not with a job title. [12:44]
• 2. Ordinary work can become holy Diapers, dishes, shoes, spreadsheets, and saxophones can become offerings when they are done for Christ. The task does not need to look impressive for God to receive it. Attention to Christ changes the direction and purpose of work that might otherwise feel forgettable. [15:43]
• 3. The church has no pinky toes Christ’s body contains no dispensable members and no spectators whose presence carries no weight. Every person reconciled to God has a real place in the work of the kingdom. The false sacred-secular divide weakens the church by persuading people that their gifts matter less than someone else’s. [20:37]
• 4. Christ makes peace by self-giving God does not pacify the world by crushing enemies into submission. Christ makes peace through his own blood, absorbing the cost of reconciliation in sacrificial love. Christian work must therefore align the world with God’s ways by laying itself down rather than grasping for control. [23:42]
• 5. Tuesday participates in new creation Creation is good but badly degraded, like a building with strong bones and serious rot. Christ calls different people to conserve, demolish, repair, build, clean, beautify, and serve. Each faithful act can apply Christ’s reconciliation to a particular corner of the world. [29:34]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:33] - A Bargain About Sacred Work
• [03:49] - Leaving Behind Sacred and Secular
• [04:44] - Christ Before and Over Creation
• [06:45] - Genesis Against Egypt’s Story
• [10:48] - Christ, the Perfect Image
• [12:44] - Everything Created for Christ
• [14:36] - Spreadsheets and Sermons for Jesus
• [18:02] - Christ the Head of the Church
• [20:57] - Peace Through Christ’s Blood
• [25:25] - Applying Reconciliation to Daily Work
• [27:28] - A Building Restored to Purpose
• [29:34] - Tuesday as Holy Work

Bible Reading

Colossians 1:15-17
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” [04:44]

Genesis 1:26-27
“Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” [06:45]

Colossians 1:18-20
“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” [18:02]

Observation questions

1. In Colossians 1:15–17, what words and phrases describe Christ’s relationship to God, creation, and all things?
2. According to Genesis 1:26–27, what is said about the identity and dignity of human beings? How does this differ from the idea that only a few people have spiritual importance? [09:27]
3. In Colossians 1:18–20, what roles does Christ have in relation to the church and to the reconciliation of all things?
4. What ordinary tasks and kinds of work are named as examples of work that can be done for Christ? [14:36]

Interpretation questions

1. If all things were created through Christ and for Christ, what does that mean for the common distinction between “sacred” work and “secular” work? [12:44]
2. Christ is called the visible image of the invisible God, while human beings are created in God’s image. How does Christ show what true human life is meant to look like? [10:48]
3. Christ is the head and the church is his body. What does this suggest about the value and responsibility of members whose gifts or roles are less visible? [18:31]
4. Christ makes peace through his blood rather than through force. How should Christ’s way of making peace shape the way Christians seek change, address conflict, and serve others? [23:42]

Application questions

1. Which part of life is easiest to treat as separate from Christ—paid work, school, housework, caregiving, rest, or something else? What would it look like to approach that part of life as something done for him this week? [15:41]
2. Think about a routine task coming up in the next few days: answering emails, cleaning, driving, studying, making meals, caring for children, or another responsibility. What specific intention could help turn that task into an offering to Christ? [30:47]
3. Where might the sacred-secular divide have made someone feel that their contribution to the church does not matter? How can the group better recognize and encourage the gifts of every member? [20:34]
4. Christ’s body has no unnecessary members. What gift, experience, skill, or willingness has God given each person that could serve the church or bless a neighbor, even if it seems small or ordinary? [20:37]
5. Is there a relationship, workplace tension, or family conflict in which the temptation is to win, control, withdraw, or make the other person pay? What might self-giving, truthful peacemaking look like in that situation? [26:24]
6. Creation has good bones but also deep disorder that needs repair, cleaning, conserving, rebuilding, or beautifying. What is one corner of the world—home, workplace, neighborhood, school, or community—where each person may be called to apply Christ’s reconciliation? [29:31]