God of All Living
Karin Peter, president of seventy
Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive. -Luke 20:38
When I was growing up, my family ate dinner together around the table. It was at dinner that my father (a stickler for correct verbiage) would offer “teachable moments” regarding our use of the English language. Grammar was corrected, semantics explained, and double negatives forbidden. The way we use words to communicate precisely what we intend was, and still is, important to him. These dinner table lessons taught me to listen carefully to how others speak with me and to thoughtfully choose the words of my responses.
The Sadducees in today’s scripture were pretty confident that they could trip Jesus up with a carefully prepared riddle about a woman who married, and was widowed by, seven brothers. “In the resurrection,” they queried, “whose wife will the woman be?” Jesus replied that matrimonial law would not be important in the resurrection. “In that place,” Jesus said, “the dead are raised.” In the resurrection, we live again as children of God. The Sadducees realized that Jesus would not be provoked into an argument, and they acknowledged he had “spoken well.”
It is easy to get caught up in arguing our point or trying to convince others of our perspective. Jesus chose another way. He listened carefully to what was being communicated, and he chose his responses wisely. We can learn a great deal from this “teachable moment” between Jesus and the Sadducees. When we listen attentively, we honor the other person even if we disagree; and when we take a moment to carefully select how we will respond, we are able to offer clear insight into our understanding or belief. In Community of Christ we value the worth of each person, and we work to model unity in diversity. Through careful, attentive dialogue, we are able to share diverse perspectives without damaging our relationships with each other.
Prayer Phrase
My ordinary life is a sacred place.
Spiritual Practice
Sacramental Living
“…our everyday ordinary lives are also sacred places, or put another way, the sacred place of our living. As dwellers within the Sacredness of Creation, there is potential to be aware and appreciate the holy within the ordinary. You may remember times when it felt like you were seeing the world through God’s eyes. That’s a good description for what it means to live sacramentally-to sense divine Spirit amid daily activities.” -Jane M. Gardner, “Sacramental Living,” September/October 2019 Herald, p. 5
How are you invited to live sacramentally today?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
