Living in the Spirit
August 21, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-8

 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. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. — Romans 12:1-2

Seared in my mind is the image of Dietrich Bonhoeffer with his back to the camera, naked, and all alone facing imminent death in the movie Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace. I also remember vividly when I learned that Martin Luther King Jr. had been killed. History is filled with people, including our Lord and Savior, willing to give their lives in service to God—Paul among them. So I am always rather taken aback when Paul calls for all of us to live with that same level of dedication—present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Paul reaches deep into his Jewish background for this illustration. Whatever was brought for sacrifice whether it was two pigeons or a might bull was to be without blemish.

Now, I don’t know about you but I have got some blemishes. Some days I have more than others. So I take great relief in the next segment of this scripture that God will take us as we are and if we are willing to work with God our minds will be renewed resulting in our being transformed.

It is really hard to break bad habits, but I have found it quite easy to break good ones. On the other hand it is really hard to make new good habits, but easy to pick up bad ones. When I was a child we did not learn to floss our teeth. I got the brushing part down but not the flossing. As an adult when the dental folks decided flossing was important, it took me forever to build it into my daily routine. I lost count of the number of times I tried to lose weight until I finally did.

While I think God wants us to take care of ourselves, I don’t think this is the primary focus of being holy and acceptable. God wants us to meld our will into God’s will. Not so much to control us, but because God made us, God knows what makes us tick and knows how we as individuals can rest most aptly into being ourselves. God also knows and can actualize what parts each of us individuals play in the Body of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I am yours, transform me and make me a living sacrifice for you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.