the 22nd sunday after pentecost
the PRAYER. . .
O God, our eternal redeemer, by the presence of your Spirit you renew and direct our hearts. Keep always in our mind the end of all things and the day of judgment. Inspire us for a holy life here, and bring us to the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
the READING. . .
Finally the woman also died.
the DEVOTION. . .
The Sadducees come to Jesus and they ask a question. About the resurrection. Only one catch … Sadducees don’t believe there’s a resurrection! Hearts don’t beat, again. Souls don’t cross over. Sadducees believed that when people died, they were dead. Period. End of sentence.
This week, though, as I was reading their question, one more time, I was struck by something new. Seven brothers died. And along with each one, the woman died, as well. Their last breath was her last breath; their final heartbeat her final heartbeat. Shattered dreams. Broken promises. Each time, the woman, too, descended. But each time, she rose from the dead and went on to live, one more time! Resurrection is second chance. It’s new beginning. It’s starting over.
Loving and losing. Loving and losing. Loving and losing. Loving and losing. Loving and losing. Loving and losing. Loving and losing. That’s what it looks like to believe in the resurrection of the dead. What it looks like to believe in the resurrection of the living. It’s loving … it’s losing … and, then, loving one more time!
Bob Barndt, pastor