“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Acts 2:26-28

Dear Jesus, You led Peter to quote David’s psalm about your on Pentecost, the great feast 50 days after you had risen from the dead and 10 days after you had ascended into heaven. Your Holy Spirit was putting everything together for us in the head of Peter so we might understand what the good news really is. Because you rose from the dead after paying for our sins, now our bodies will rise from the dead after dying because of sin. Our souls will never die and our bodies will live again on the last day. These are the “paths of life” as Peter put it. I find great comfort in these truths. Recently, I have watched as the bodies of two of my friends died only three days apart, one from a stroke and another from cancer. I wonder what it will be in my body that fails me someday. Your gospel gives me something better to think about. Whatever it is that kills this body, it will be you that raises it to life, just like yours was raised. My body is now in the path of life as my soul clings to you. This is good news. Since I have the good news, I will live with good intentions in how I serve you and people today with this temporary yet recyclable body. Amen.

Your body is here on earth to carry God around to bless people. Use it the way it was intended.