Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
[Excerpted from A Way of Life: Understanding Our Christian Faith, Anthony Chvala-Smith, Herald Publishing House, 2019, pp. 94–96]
God’s aim in the Christian life is to form the likeness of Christ in us. From our side, nothing is easy about this journey. We often resist the very grace that would free us. Our “yes” to the gospel does not instantly make the reign of God our center or love the source of our deeds. The competing loyalties that plague our divided hearts do not magically leave because we have chosen the path of the disciple. Loveless attitudes, misguided passions, and false images do not exit our lives because Christ has entered. The roots of sin and the patterns of our broken humanity are embedded deeply in the self and in our cultures. To know we are for all time claimed by mercy is an unfathomable gift. But once this light has dawned, we are given the task of walking in the light. The church is called to “grow into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
Growing into salvation is a mystery; it is fully a work of grace and yet does not occur without our participation. It happens as we follow Jesus into all the twists and turns of life. God has chosen in this way to honor our personhood. The purpose of this journey is that, having been saved by grace, we go on to learn to cooperate with grace. Having entered the river of divine love, we must now learn how to swim with the current.
Community of Christ takes seriously the call to grow into salvation. That is why we have stressed that faith must become visible in works. Faith without deeds of justice is a lifeless form (James 2:14–26). Holiness without compassion is empty piety. Grace without obedience is “cheap grace” as the great 20th-century theologian and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, taught. In baptism the whole person is immersed into the costly love of God, and so Community of Christ theology insists that discipleship concerns every part of life. God’s grace has claimed us entirely. Universal, and not just individual, transformation is what we seek to let the kingdom come to our relationships, work, leisure, economic life, neighborhoods, and ecosystem—in short, to every dimension of created life.
Prayer Phrase
“We love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Spiritual Practice
Sea of Light
Quiet and center yourself. Ask for God’s healing and guidance as you enter this time of prayerful presence. Close your eyes, breathing deeply and calmly. Imagine you are floating in a beautiful sea of light that rises and falls with each cycle of your breath. The golden light of this sea buoys you up, so you float effortlessly. Waves of light carry and wash over you, bringing wholeness and peace. Rest in the sea of God’s love; then offer a prayer of gratitude.
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.