To Be Who We Really Are
Stephen M. Veazey, President, Community of Christ
“Community of Christ,” your name, given as a divine blessing, is your identity and calling. If you will discern and embrace its full meaning, you will not only discover your future, you will become a blessing to the whole creation. Do not be afraid to go where it beckons you to go. -Doctrine and Covenants 163:1
So here we stand at a pivotal time. And there is really only one question for us to answer: Do we have the courage and conviction to be who we really are? We stand on the edge of greatness-not as the world measures greatness, but as God measures greatness-in terms of wholehearted participation in bringing to pass divine purposes in creation.
And, we are called! We are called to deepen our discipleship through spiritual formation that centers in the Spirit of the Living Christ, who continues to redeem and restore people to life in community. We are called to share the peace of Jesus Christ, the fullness of the gospel, with all who will hear and respond. We are called to bear witness, through word and deed, of the cause of Zion, the peaceable kingdom, the vision of hope for this desperate world. We are called to reveal Jesus Christ in the world through finely honed ministries of peace, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit, making the ministries of the Temple manifest through our lives.
We are called to shape a diverse family of peace in Jesus Christ from among the cultures and nations of the world, for the blessing and salvation of humanity. We are called to give of ourselves and our resources generously so that our witness of Christ and Zion can increase, not decrease, throughout the world. We are called!
I am ready to respond to the call to share the peace of Jesus Christ. Are you?
(Excerpt from “Share the Peace of Jesus Christ,” World Conference 2005 sermon)
Prayer Phrase
“Every breath is a resurrection” (Gregory Orr).
Spiritual Practice
Breath of Life
Take a few moments right now to breathe. Simply observe each inhale and exhale. Pay attention to how it feels in your body. Notice the rise and fall of your chest. Notice how you breathe even when you aren’t thinking about it, how your body instinctively knows how to keep you alive without your thought or effort. In this moment, you are alive. Receive this awareness as an expression of divine grace. In joy or despair, loss or celebration, your body continues breathing. How is your breath a resurrection this day?
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.
