The Words and Witness

 I.        Vows of Affirmation

“We devote our daily life to God, and to serving our neighbors as images of God”

6. I will daily read the Scriptures and meditate on the witness of Jesus Christ.

(by Luz Bratcher via Flickr)

There are many ways by which we seek to discover new things and model new habits. We peruse books and talk shows and magazine articles drawing on social science and psychology and economics and health sciences and counseling and trade guilds and sports or political analysis. We reflect on our own experience or draw on conventional wisdom and tradition. Sometimes we watch or read maestros and imitate their work. When it comes to being the church as a community of disciples, though, these sources of knowledge and formation and practice take at least a secondary role. We trust—even though we sometimes doubt—that God’s way of peace in the world is shown in the full life of Jesus, depicted in Christian scriptures.

In our hyper-modern world where nonviolence and conflict can be studied from so many helpful  and necessary angles beyond the apparent treatment of the Bible, what makes it important for you to ground your discipleship-peacemaking in Christian scripture? [No, today’s reflections are not meant to be easy!]

Today’s commitment, “I will daily read the Scriptures and meditate on the witness of Jesus Christ”

doesn’t mean we have to be Bible-worshipers rather than God-worshipers. Rather, we turn to scripture because we trust that the Holy Spirit will speak God’s words through the particular human voices and cultures of the biblical writings. Even when we struggle with the exclusivity and doubt the factuality, we are surrounded by a great community of faith witnesses that seeks God’s kingdom work in the world first through scripture.

For Reflection and Action:

1. What passages and stories in the Bible have you found most important for “devoting daily life to God?” How have they shaped your life (or if they haven’t had as much influence, why not)?
2. Immerse yourself in Matthew 16:13-17. 
• Imagine Jesus in your midst asking the same questions, “Who do people say that I am?” How would you answer? 
• And when Jesus turns to you, “But who do you say that I am?” with what do you respond? 
• Now read the whole passage, Matthew 16:13-28. What does this passage tell you about Jesus, God, yourself, the world, and others?   
• Seek ways today to deny yourself and take up your cross.

 Prayer Focus (from Psalm 1:1-3)

Happy are those

who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,

or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees

planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,

and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

                 Lord Jesus, may it be so with us.