Tag: Gleanings

  • Living Sacrifice – worship beyond Sunday

    Hands washing a white plate with a soapy sponge at a sunlit kitchen sink, with evergreen trees and a mountain outside the window

    I recently read a very old book, The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. It collects the teachings of Brother Lawrence (born Nicolas Herman), a 17th-century Carmelite friar, compiled posthumously by Father Joseph de Beaufort. While there is much Brother Lawrence and I would likely disagree on theologically, I think He’s on to something here.

    His book is short, easy to read and available for free online or for purchase from a variety of sources

    Brother Lawrence understood that worship wasn’t just what we do at the Sunday service or mid-week prayer meeting. It’s what we do in our daily lives.

    The apostle Paul wrote:

    I appeal to you therefore, brothers, 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 renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 ESV

    Present our bodies as living sacrifices? He doesn’t say present your heart, mind or emotions, although those are part of worship. He’s pointing at something practical.

    Worship isn’t only a feeling on Sunday. It’s what your body does on Monday through Saturday. The way you work. The words you speak. The things you say. Your hands and feet helping someone or walking away.

    I love the way one writer describes it:

    “Paul calls this “your spiritual worship.” The word, latreia, described the service priests performed in the temple. Ordinary life becomes temple service. The office becomes an altar. The kitchen becomes an altar. The car ride, the classroom, the hospital shift. Under the old system, worship meant going to the temple. Now, Paul says, you are where the offering happens.”

    This idea is reinforced in Colossians.

    Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 ESV

    Don’t just worship on Sunday; let everything you do be an act of worship.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Paul calls us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, so worship isn’t confined to Sunday. Let everything you do this week, your work, your words, your hands and feet, be an act of worship.

    TAKEAWAY

    Worship isn’t only a feeling on Sunday. It’s what your body does Monday through Saturday: the way you work, the words you speak, your hands and feet helping someone or walking away.

    Your office, your kitchen, your car ride can all become an altar. Under the old system, you went to the temple; now you are where the offering happens.

    Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Don’t just worship on Sunday; let everything you do be an act of worship.

    YOU MIGHT ENJOY

    Right belief or right living?

    Celebrate your identity

    Serving others – transforming worship into action

  • Sheep without a Shepherd

    Missing the Messiah

    Flock of sheep lying down in deep green grass

    I was reading a familiar story in Mark’s gospel. It’s the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, something I’ve read more times than I can remember. This time the Holy Spirit grabbed my attention and highlighted something. I’m always amazed when the Spirit illuminates something like that.

    Jesus feeds the 5000 men (plus women and children), a passage so familiar to most of us that we skim-read it.

    The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii7 worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. Mark 6:30-44 ESV

    Notice something: they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus had them sit on the green grass and fed them. It’s the language of Psalm 23.

    The crowd didn’t understand, but Jesus was taking the familiar language of David’s messianic Psalm and living it out amongst them. The Lord, the shepherd, was standing there among them on the green grass and prepared a table before them.

    Perhaps 20,000 people of all ages saw the meal and hungered for it, but they missed the Messiah standing among them.

    We could condemn them for being so blind, but I have to wonder how many times God has worked something in our lives that is plainly obvious, but we have missed Him. Probably more often than we would care to admit.

    The Lord is working around us every day. Pause to watch and give him the glory He is due.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Jesus fed the crowd on the green grass as the Shepherd of Psalm 23, but they missed the Messiah standing among them. The Lord is working around us every day too, so let’s pause to watch and give Him the glory He is due.

    TAKEAWAY

    Don’t skim-read the familiar stories. You may have read a passage more times than you can remember, and the Holy Spirit can still grab your attention and show you something new in it.

    Look past the meal to the Shepherd. Jesus sat a crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd on the green grass and fed them. He was living out Psalm 23 right in front of them. They saw the meal and hungered for it, but they missed the Messiah standing among them.

    Before you condemn the crowd, ask how often you’ve missed Him. God has probably worked plainly obvious things in your life that you missed. The Lord is working around you every day, so pause to watch and give Him the glory He is due.

    YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY

    Celebrate your identity

    Know Him more – read the Word

    Sheep are smarter than you think

    Leadership lessons from sheep and shepherds