week of February 23rd, 2025

February Bonus Reading

During the month of February, Someday School is including as a “bonus reading” Community of Christ’s draft Statement on Nonviolence, a revised version of which will be presented at the 2025 World Conference. The World Church is asking for feedback on the draft statement by the end of February, and we hope this will help people reflect on the statement and provide feedback. You can read and annotate the draft statement here and learn more about this process (including a link to the survey for providing feedback) on the World Church website.

This Week’s Lectionary Scripture

Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany and Youth Ministries Day¹

The season after Epiphany includes the weeks between Epiphany and Transfiguration Sunday.

1 Corinthians 15:12–20

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen and to each kind of seed its own body.

…So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the physical and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. As one of dust, so are those who are of the dust, and as one of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the one of dust, we will also bear the image of the one of heaven.

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

• Paul uses the metaphor of a seed to help explain his position. Seed-to-plant transformations show that bodily forms may change radically, yet be in continuity. How have you simultaneously experienced continuity and transformation in significant moments?
• Have you experienced the pattern of death and resurrection in your personal or communal life?
• What is God’s resurrection call to you/us now?

This Week’s Text from Sharing in Community of Christ

We Share Basic Beliefs of Community of Christ ²

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, Giver of Life, holy Wisdom, true God. The Spirit moves through and sustains creation; endows the church for mission; frees the world from sin, injustice, and death; and transforms disciples. Wherever we find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control, there the Holy Spirit is working.

Creation

As an expression of divine love, God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, and called them “good.” Everything belongs to God and should be cherished and used justly according to divine purposes. God sees creation as a whole without separation of spirit and element. God calls people of every generation to join with God as stewards in the loving care of creation.

Humanity

Every human being is created in the image of God. In Jesus Christ, God took on the limits of human flesh and culture, and is known through them. We therefore affirm without exception the worth of every human being. We also affirm that God has blessed humankind with the gift of agency: the ability to choose whom or what we will serve within the circumstances of our lives.

• How would you explain these beliefs to someone exploring understanding about Community of Christ beliefs?