An Easter Offering

The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. The angels asked, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember what he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the One must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”

—Luke 24:5-7

Resurrected Jesus, I am shaped by my patterns and stuck in my habits. Open up the new way that I may follow you. Redirect my focus from the “good enough” outcomes I settled for toward the “way better” outcome of resurrected life. Amen.

Reach out to a friend or an accountability partner. Share some of your insights from this Lenten journey. If they participated also, what insights might they share with you? How might you both support your ongoing incorporation of these themes in your faith and living?

Out of the Ring

by Kaji Douša

Daily Devotional, The United Church of Christ

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? – 1 Corinthians 6:2

How do we judge?  

I don’t know about you, but my moments of judgment tend to come out of conflict. Something goes wrong, and then I make judgements.  

But I’m tired of conflict being my starting point. When it is, I get caught in this dizzying assault of thoughts, deeds—punches, if you will—that make me lose balance. I’m always reacting defensively, putting up blocks, getting knocked off my feet.  

Having to take a defensive posture is distracting. And when we’re distracted and off-balance, we are dissatisfied.  

Maybe it’s time to step back from the ring. Maybe a boxing ring is not our spiritual home.  

But what is?  

When we’re trying to decide whether to go left right forwards or backwards, our instincts are to react like we’re back in the ring. We behave defensively because we want to survive. And that’s real.  

But when we step back, and we make decisions not reactively but taking the time to sit with our value systems—something different happens.  

Living your life in the ring means living your life by accident. Living your values means living your life with purpose. A purposeful life is a meaningful life. A meaningful life is a satisfied life. A satisfied life is living in alignment with God. And alignment with God is sanctified.  

A sanctified, aligned, meaningful, purposeful life is yours for the living, when you know and live by your values. What are your core values? Do the people you love know? Do you?  

Prayer

Show me the way, God. I dedicate myself to knowing myself, knowing my values, knowing you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.