Actually, I *will* be preaching Romans 12 and Matthew 16 this weekend.
I'll be using the P+16 lections a week early, since we have a special day to recognize public school teachers *next* Sunday during our worship.
(Although, the most intriguing text, "be transformed by the renewing of your minds", would fit either theme.)
I really am looking at the "be transformed" as the focus.... Transformation is GOD'S doing, not ours, but the impact on us is incredible (and scary!).
Tom Bandy (easumbandy.com) uses Jacob's story in Genesis 25 to remind us that transformation requires Jacob (and us) to venture forth, in a way that hurts: "9Vision) always comes in apocalyptic power to burn your lips, dislocate your hip, change your name, send you into the desert, or force you to reconcile with enemies." [Bandy, Vision Discernment, 2000, page 5].
Pastor Greg HG, NC
Hi all, I realized last week that I was indeed on the wrong week. This is what happens when you are in the midst of moving and packing and still trying to write sermons and visit hospitals and put out fires. Sometimes I need someone to tell me where I am and what day it is.
ks in pa soon to be ks in maine
v. 3 - the measure of faith that God ASSIGNS?
We're doing an informal worship service month and this is the last week. I've entitled it "be still and know ..." and I think this text speaks well to it. "Spiritual Worship," according to the link on the first page is labeled as "Quaker or Brethren." I know a little about Quaker worship, but couldn't find a link to "Brethren." I'm guessing it's Church of the Brethren.
Any ideas?
What is spiritual worship, anyhow? Paul says it's presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. My thoughts on this has always been a sort of "giving over" to God, and acknowledging that God is in charge, not us.
I'd do well to remember that, sometimes.
First thoughts from
Sally in GA
I cannot address your question directly, but coincidentally, I'm guest preaching this week, to a congregation with Quaker roots. This group has long-ago listed its core values as "simplicity, sincerity, and service." In recent decades, they've dropped the fourth value that was begun by the original Quakers: "silence."
I'm only beginning to structure my sermon, but I think I'll point out that their core values are quite countercultural. For example, all I have to do is to walk into my teenager's bedroom and I completely foget "simplicity" and "silence"!
Being transformed takes us back to those four S's, in a world in which we see their opposites much more often. And, that transformation helps us to discern God's will. In the end, I'll point out that the "gifts" that Paul mentions are all other-directed, and not self-centered.
I hope this gives you some hints. MTSOfan
I am intrigued by "Do not be conformed to this world."
It seems that much of the church today is conforming to the world. Worship is replaced by glitz and entertainment. Some acts of sin are no longer sin, but alternative lifestyles. Power structures within the church are becoming more important than mission.
What is good and acceptable and perfect? May God be the one to guide our discernment.
Michelle
It disturbs me that there appear to be so many contributions on this passage in Romans when so few wrestled with last week's text from Romans 11. My concern arises out of the 'Therefore' in 12:1. If we have not laid the foundation of understanding Paul's argument up to this point, we risk misunderstanding what he is saying here. The thrust of Romans 9-11 is to show that all have been imprisoned in disobedience (the chosen are set aside, though not forever, and the not-chosen become recipients of grace). God chooses to be merciful to all. His mercy does not depend on us. His mercy cannot be earned, merited, or deserved. The mystery of God's merciful salvation plan is summed up in the hymn of 11:33-36.
THEREFORE, on the basis of God's mercies demonstrated to Jew and Gentile alike, we are called to be MERCY'S BUTTERFLIES. God's mercy metamorphises us into new creations, called to
1. A new way of worship
a)Living sacrifices
b)Offering spiritual worship (as opposed to cultic ritual).
2. A new way of thinking (transformed not conformed)
3. A new way of community
a)A healthy esteem of self and others (I'm OK, you're OK)
b)One in unity. One in diversity.
c)Gifted for the sake of others.
This butterfly community does not demand the 'McDonaldisation' of our spirituality. Conforming to the world in our church life can produce the brand of ecumenism that demands institutional uniformity and thus opposes God's butterfly plan of salvation. God created us to be one yet diverse.
Thanks for all contributions so far.
A Canadian in Scotland.
A Canadian in Scotland,
Were you responding to my post about conformity? Did you read in my post that all new forms of worship are bad, and that cultic ritual is the only way of true worship?
I did not mean to say that. What disturbs me is the tendency of some "worship" leaders to do it all. For example, songs are sung from the front with words only on a screen, and musicians in the congregation can't sing because they have no notes. Unless they've heard the song again and again, they can't participate. (Non-musicians can sometimes catch the tune more quickly.)
Also, your comment, "I'm Okay, You're Okay," begins a slippery slope that worries me. I am not okay. I am a sinner. I stand only because God's forgiveness lifts me up. To redefine my sinful behavior as good does not make that behavior Godly, it merely gives me a false relief of my culpability, and tells me I don't need the forgiveness of God, when I do.
I agree we need a healthy respect of self and others, but I believe that respect should be based on the fact that we (sinners) and others (also sinners) are loved by God, and gifted with God's forgiveness, rather than on the false assumption that anything goes.
I like your final phrase, "Gifted for the sake of others." I affirm that.
Michelle
Regarding Sally in GA/s thoughts about (all of us) needing to remember that we are not in charge: Here's something I can't really use myself without fear of shaming my son in worship, but any of you could use this incident as an illustration if you wish:
My 3-yr-old son had been constantly trying to direct and even discipline the little 1-yr-old I was babysitting for a friend. Finally, I told my son, "I'm in charge of Zachary. YOU are not in charge." To which he replied, as only a 3-yr-old (well, and maybe an adolescent too) can, "I AM in charge!" He ended up in his time-out chair for 3 minutes!
I wonder how often God would like to put some of US in "time out"! Maybe it would straighten out our noses (as my dad would say) and our perspectives a bit. (After time-out, my son finally acknowledged that Mom and Dad are indeed the ones in charge!)
Hope this helps someone.
Heidi in ND
Time out! That's the point of worship! Take time out - while our lives should be lives of worship, the hour or so we set aside once, twice, or three times a week is set apart and held sacred. In fact, if I may, I'm going to call it "Time Out!" Interesting, because the new preacher next door is a former pro footbal coach and I am NOT a sports fan.
Thank you all for your contributions. I'm assimilating just about everybody's in my thought processes plus some exegetical work I did from the Interpreter's Dictionary and others.
I was hung up on God ASSIGNING faith. Assigning, as in attributing to ... and faith, for Paul, would have been a moral response to God's salvific work through Jesus.
But, we need to, as I've learned of Quakers, look for the inner light - I think it's in there that we find our spiritual gifts. But it is not to focus inward for ourselves and our own moral attainment - it's about finding our gifts to use along with the gifts of our brothers and sisters for the Lord's work.
The passage is actually much more Wesleyan than I'd originally thought. I'd begun to think Calvin with that word "assigned," as if faith were pre-apportioned.
Sally in GA
And as to jumping into this passage without looking much into the previous passages. "Mea Culpa!"
I'm going to tie the Exodus reading and this one together because I see the Egyptian women as being non-conformists who truly did discern the will of God. I also believe that theirs is a good example of the BODY of Christ having many parts which all work together.
Heidi -- I love the time out story! I'm going to try to work that in. Perhaps it could be used with the Egyptian rulers as an example of those who THOUGHT they were in charge!
Janel in ND
