Our Collect for today acknowledges that it is God’s will to “restore all things” in Christ Jesus. That is what I see as the thread running through all our lessons today.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the Beloved’s gathering the remnant of God’s people from wherever they have scattered and “bring[ing] them back to their fold,” into God’s holy presence where we are safe and secure.

Our response follows with the Song of Zechariah where he celebrates the birth of his son, whom we know as John the Baptist, the one called to prepare the way of the Lord, “to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The apostle Paul picks up the theme as he says, “. . . the Father, who has enabled [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

And lastly to sum up our restoration to what God has prepared for us from the very beginning, we hear Jesus’ voice from the cross saying, “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise,” enfolded in God’s healing, transforming, sanctifying Love.

That is the good news for all creation. (Rom.8:21)