Spark Cast Spark.Church

Reading ancient texts to inform our present spirituality is a somewhat strange activity, at least according to modern sensibilities. As with many of our practices, there are excellent reasons to do this, but there are also many bad examples of misuse. How do we flourish in this tradition in powerful and transformative ways without misuse, misapplication, exploitation, or even abuse at the hands of the text?

Paul concludes his letter with a bold appeal to his Jewish and Gentile readers that belonging to Jesus means belonging to each other, which means sacrificing ourselves for the good of the other, with our money, time, and effort.

The Roman Empire believed it was living in a time of peace, something they called Pax Romana. But Paul and the followers of Jesus knew differently. They knew the Roman sword was not idle. And yet, Paul encouraged the Jews and the Gentiles to be a people of love and demonstrate to Rome a peace that passes all understanding.

In Romans 12, the Apostle Paul instructs the community of believers on how to offer up themselves as living sacrifices, and these instructions are not for the faint of heart. Loving our enemies is a very difficult command, to say the least.

Paul's beautiful exhortation in Romans 12 is to offer ourselves up as living sacrifices, set apart for God's perfect will.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!