By Elaine Knudtson
“In Christ Alone/Cornerstone” sung by Caleb and Kelsey
Prepare to Accept
Christ is the cornerstone on which our faith is built. If we accept the gift, His presence will shelter us from despair and give us perspective for the journey. To reject Him is to have the structure of life crumble and the foundation of hope be crushed.
The Invitation
Dear Lord, much of life is routine and we can easily forget our need for you. In the busy – ness of this season, remind us of the importance of keeping you at the center of our daily lives.
Scripture
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” Luke 20:17-18
Reflection
At Christmas, as a child, I would often receive building blocks in the form of Lincoln logs, tinker toys or plastic bricks. This was before the days of customized Lego pieces with specific instructions to guarantee success. If I wanted to build a house, I had to figure it out for myself. It was easy to build a rectangular foundation and walls, but as soon as I wanted to add a door, window, or roof, the pattern was disrupted and I would become frustrated. The blocks had no frame to rest on, so the more layers I added, the more unstable my structure became until it finally imploded under its own weight. I lacked a cornerstone.
“The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” (Wikipedia)
Our scripture reminds us that Christ is the cornerstone of our lives. Anything that we build without Him will eventually crumble and fall down on top of us, crushing our idealized hopes. Putting Christ in our lives does not create a fairy tale with a guaranteed happily ever after ending, but it does give us a foundation that withstands the storms and carries the load when we lack the strength to carry it ourselves.
Points to Ponder
- In a secular world view, life is random, meaningless and totally dependent on what you make of it. How can that be problematic?
- God’s involvement in human history through Jesus included humiliation, rejection, death, and ultimately resurrection. What does that show us about God and His understanding of our lives?
- How does a Christian perspective change the way you look at your life?
Conclusion
O Lord we can’t always make sense of this life, but apart from You life is random and meaningless. During this time of advent, remind us to look for evidence of you in our daily lives. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts open to receive the gift of Jesus today.
Contemplative Pilgrims 