FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Wednesday, August 26th, 2020
Scripture – Romans 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Reflection – Sacrifice
Throughout most of Biblical history a sacrifice was something which resulted in an animal dying to cover human sin. Sin spilled blood and, it was believed, God needed to be repaid in blood. So birds, goats, sheep, bulls and so forth were slaughtered to cover human sin.
I particularly like the phrase ‘living sacrifice’. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross put an end to ‘blood sacrifice’. Our sins were atoned once and for all. This is Good News for humanity. And also Good News for the animals.
When Paul talks about us ‘presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice’, he is talking about putting our whole self; heart, mind, body and soul, into the work of God. This is not just something we do, it is the kind of trust and honor toward God which is ‘living worship’, or maybe we could call it ‘everyday worship’.
It is the hard choices which create the quality of our lives and the depth of our character. When we trade in the easier path for the harder, we are moving into the arena of sacrifice. Sacrifices are something we feel and they do not feel good, at least not at first. They are hard to take on without some level of trust and reliance on God.
Is there something you are facing which will require a sacrifice? Are you tentative? I would say pray, be attentive to the movement of the Spirit, consult trusted Christians friends and then make your decision. You can face this event, this sacrifice, with hope and optimism. In your sacrifice you are not only striving to make the world a better place, you are worshiping God, not just in a sanctuary, but with the whole of your life.
I have a saying. ‘What looks like a situation which requires a sacrifice when it is coming at me, always turns out to be a blessing when I look in the rear view mirror.’ I say it from time to time, but it seems like it hasn’t ‘caught on’, yet.
Prayer:
Great God in above, Jesus Christ who gave his life on the Cross, Holy Spirit who guides us, we give you thanks for the sacrifice of Jesus. God, today you may be calling me to make some sacrifice, large or small. Help me be attentive to your voice, and courageously use my time, my resources, my faith to bring light into someone else’s world. Amen.