Night folks,
Very briefly, I've always wondered at the celebration of St. Valentine who died bloodily beheaded. We've turned it into chocolate and comforting Hallmark cards, but really; true love looks more like martyrdom. My nerdy word illumination today was on sacrifice...
Zabach: blood sacrifice - "blood contains the life" and "since the blood was the vehicle of life, it belonged to God alone"
Zebach: to slay an animal "The pious Israelite would be impressed that sin brought death into the world, and that he himself had sinned..... Through his sacrifice would be a) a strong call to righteousness b) to obedience, c) to joy, and d) to mercy. Where the sacrifice had not this spirit, it lost all its value and significance." Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
As we enter into Lent, sacrifice often connotates work, toil, and even pain. It may feel like we're dying as we deny ourselves food, comfort, entertainment etc. But though we are giving up seemingly life-giving things, in truth we are gaining a better life. At Calvin chapel, Pastor Mary made the point that no one jumps into the sem pond in February with the intent to stay in it; the goal is always to GET OUT! In the same way, we offer our livelihoods to Christ, not to be miserable or wallow in our humanity - but to rise to new life. When we surrender small areas of what we think gives us life, God has more room to fill us with his definition and blessing of wellness and wholeness which is much better than what we can think up for ourselves!
At our Calvin UCO meeting tonight, Romans 12:1 was brought up. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Being a living sacrifice is living the paradox of Christianity - to die is to live. To sacrifice and surrender is to gain. And with the new life of the Holy Spirit, we are called to righteousnss, obedience, joy, and mercy. Lent is a call to deeper worship - deeper obedience, deeper life in Christ, deeper JOY!
May God bless you richly in your sacrifices. May you find him to be the Source of Life and Joy.
Katie
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