PAYING ATTENTION
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Matthew 16:13-23 (NRSV)
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some
say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter
answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus
answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has
not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will
not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the
disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
>From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to
>Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief
>priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And
>Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord!
>This must never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get
>behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your
>mind not on divine things but on human things."
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All who believed were together and had all things in common.
- Acts 2:44 (NRSV)
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AS a pastor, I listen to other people tell their stories. I also tell
others about my life. The exchange helps bind us together as Christ's body.
We give the gift of our time when we listen to someone tell about his or her
life. We are given a gift in return when we realize that each of us has
similar life experiences. In spite of the details and events that make our
individual journey unique, there are moments when we recognize occurrences
in common with others. Some celebrative events or difficult moments in
another's life resonate with our experience, and we begin to recognize our
oneness. People who share common life events can become friends bound
together in unique ways.
When I listen to others tell about their lives, I am reminded of the pattern
that a weaver makes as thread is woven on a loom into a new pattern. Each
person's experience is woven together with the experiences of others. A
similar weaving occurs in the church, the true fellowship that is created as
our life connects with that of others to create a picture that tells God's
story.
Prayer: Dear God, teach us to be good listeners and wise friends to others.
Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Each of us adds to the tapestry of God's kingdom.
-- Francisco de Castro Maria (Luanda, Angola)
PRAYER FOCUS: To be a better listener
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RELATED READING ...
The spiritual life is characterized by movement and discovery, challenge and
change, adversity and joy, uncertainty and fulfillment. Find out how to use
these states as agents of transformation in EMBRACING THE JOURNEY: THE WAY
OF CHRIST.
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/desc.asp?ep_id=30&item_id=303341
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The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the
Bible, copyright (c) 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2006 by The Upper Room. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce
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