Our devotions this Lenten season have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s devotion is by John and Anita Lacy. Also, if you would like to join our staff in praying the liturgy for Responsive Prayer/Suffrages just click here.
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
What a fortunate scripture to be assigned. This is one of my favorite chapters in the New Testament. These verses are the lead-in to one of Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts.
We have all wondered at one time or another, “Why I am I here? What is the purpose of my life?” Or, indeed, “What is the purpose of life, in general?” The answer is, we are here to love God and to love one another and be of service to others. In order to do this we have to contribute to and be a part of the overall community. We each contribute in a different way.
In the womb, we were given spiritual gifts from God. Each person’s gifts are different. After we are born, we acquire skills and talents and passions. Based on these gifts, skills, talents, and passions, we become
musicians, engineers, pastors, dentists, lawyers, plumbers, carpenters, teachers, farmers, etc., you name it. We all have our calling. We are to use these callings to the benefit of the overall community. Yet, in living our everyday life we are often conflicted and questioning and sometimes lose heart. It is at these times that we especially need to hear these words from Paul.
In my work life I sometimes had questions as to whether what I was doing was meaningful, and I would get discouraged. But, invariably, something (or someone) would appear that would alleviate that discouragement. On Christmas day of 1959, I was alone in a small metal building in Cameron, Louisiana– a very small community on the Gulf of Mexico coast. No businesses were open (including the town’s one cafe). My job that day was to relay messages by radio to and from an operation that was taking place on a drilling rig about 100 miles offshore. I had not had one call all day, and I was feeling rather useless, alone (which I was), and very hungry!! At almost exactly noon, I heard a helicopter land next to the building.
I went outside to see what was going on, and the chopper pilot handed me a huge turkey dinner with all the trimmings that had been prepared for me by the rig’s cook. The pilot got back in the chopper and returned to the rig. I had not been forgotten and I was not alone.
Everyone needs their spirits lifted sometimes and that is what we are all here for.
With the Psalmist We Pray – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence nor take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
June 22, 2013 at 6:55 pm |
In other words why are you asking me to denife what being non-schizophrenic means to me? How would I know? I don’t think about it in my daily life just like I don’t think about being non-blind, non-crippled, or non-a-bunch-of-other-things. Sure it’s a privilege, but it’s a privilege of most people who are or consider themselves to be normative they don’t think about their “normativeness” it’s the basic state of their existence.
June 24, 2013 at 12:03 am |
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