Our Past and Our Present
Douglas Graves of Burbank, CA, USA
“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. -John 17:20-24
September 2019 I found myself struck by the writings from the past 70 years of the Daily Bread. I sensed in these writings my fellow human beings on a similar journey to express, in words, our encounters with the Divine. I saw how many of the struggles that we would think as modern issues were present in their stories and observations. We have a wonderful tradition of people who are gifted with words, music, art, ministry, and so much more.
I was also reminded of those who have left this mortal plane in the past several years. Those whose lives were examples to us, of what the living word of the gospel looked like personified. They volunteered tirelessly, they helped create buildings, they guided programs, and they loved this denomination and the people associated with it. They seemed like “giants” when we were children (and even as adults), and yet they always led us to grow and supported us with their love.
So here we are now. How have we built upon what has been so graciously gifted to us? How have we continued to love one another to create a community that extends beyond this moment? The best part (in my opinion) is we may never know how we will affect the future generations.
We have been called to live our lives fully expressing the love of Christ, and to show what God’s love means to those we come into contact with every day. Our lives lived out this way, is the best way to honor those who came before us. Our connectedness goes way back to a history and a fellowship that is sometimes hard to imagine. However, it is our connection today, in this place, in this moment that is needed the most.
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.
