God of the Living

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." For they no longer dared to ask him another question. Luke 20:27-40 

26 years ago today I was ordained a deacon by Bishop Eastman of Maryland in the  Washington National Cathedral. We were a large class of eleven deacons. Who would have known those years ago where we would be lead. Each of us has gone to serve in a myriad of places and have been blessed by God all along the way. The wondrous building, a memorial to so many, was a dazzling place for an ordination. And we have all learned in our living, that God is not dazzled by architecture, but is concerned about our hearts.

Jesus is being tested by the theologians, trying to catch him in a mistake. His answer stuns them, as they recognize that in simplicity he has confounded the wisest among them. The living God is among us, and is concerned about the living. God would have us focus, not on the contest, the winning, or the dazzling, but rather in the love and service that we share,

Today I ask God to renew my vows by my service to the living. May we all remember that God is with us as we walk our local streets and invites us to service and simplicity in all that we do.