you are worthy

yesterday at church we had a praise service in the evening. We're doing a series on 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' and last night it was knowing God as Father.

one of the texts used was Romans 8:12 onwards - 'you are given a Spirit of adoption as sons'

now, mostly when I've heard this preached, the fact that the text says 'sons' and not 'sons and daughters' is glossed over, but not last night. Our preacher spoke of the radical nature that this letter of Paul's would have had on those hearing these words in the Roman church. Both the men and women who would have been sat listening to this letter being read out would have heard 'you have been given a Spirit of adoption, as sons..' - both men and women are given the same inheritance as the first born son of a Roman noble, in a society where daughters and slaves are at the bottom of the heap a radical note is sounded. A new note in the new song of God.

on being invited to share communion our preacher told us (in reversal of a certain prayer that Anglicans might pray before communion) you are worthy to come to the table, all are invited and all who are in God's family are worthy, because we have been given worth.

You are worthy, come to Him, all are invited.