Rethinking the Church | Living Sacrifices

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:1-2, 9-10 (NRSVUE)

Paul calls our entire lives "priestly service"—a phrase that brings together everything we've been exploring this week. When we understand that the work of the church is to love God and love each other, and when we realize that this work happens not just on Sundays but every day of the week, our whole lives become acts of worship.

This is what Paul means when he talks about being "living sacrifices." In the Old Testament, people brought animals to the temple to be sacrificed as offerings to God. But Paul says that now our entire lives—our work, our relationships, our daily choices, our responses to both joyful and difficult circumstances—can become offerings to God.

When this happens, there's no longer a separation between "church life" and "regular life." Everything becomes sacred when it's done in love. Your job becomes ministry when you approach it with integrity and serve others through your work. Your family relationships become worship when you choose patience over irritation, forgiveness over grudges, encouragement over criticism.

Paul goes on to give practical examples of what this looks like: "Love each other like the members of a family. Be the first to honor others. Don't be lazy in your work—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you're in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God's people, and welcome strangers into your home."

Notice that these aren't extraordinary acts of heroism. They're ordinary choices to love, serve, encourage, and care for others. They're daily decisions to put other people's needs and feelings ahead of our own comfort and convenience.

This is the work of the church in its fullest expression. It's not something we do for a few hours on Sunday morning—it's a way of living that encompasses every aspect of our lives. When we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and when we love our neighbors as ourselves, we become living demonstrations of what God's kingdom looks like.

When we stop living for ourselves and start living for God and others, we discover the purpose and meaning we were created for. We find that life becomes richer, relationships become deeper, and even ordinary moments become infused with significance.

This doesn't mean life becomes easy or that we never face difficulties. But it does mean that our lives have direction, purpose, and meaning. We're not just existing—we're participating in God's work of bringing love, hope, healing, and justice to our world.

The work of the church is the work of love, and when we commit our lives to this work, we discover that we were made for exactly this purpose.

Prayer: Father, we want our whole lives to be offerings to you. Transform us so completely that loving you and loving others becomes as natural as breathing. Help us see every day, every relationship, every challenge, and every opportunity as a chance to demonstrate your love. Make us living sacrifices who bring glory to your name and hope to our world. Thank you for the privilege of participating in your work of love. Use our ordinary lives to accomplish your extraordinary purposes. Amen.