Monday, August 8 - Romans 12:1-8

The ‘paraenetic’ or moral advice and exhortation, now follows from all that theological reflection. Paul starts with a couple of classic summaries: ‘present your bodies as a living sacrifice’, and ‘do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds’. Have you ever heard either?

Those open challenges are then framed in context of community, Paul’s familiar ‘body of Christ’ metaphor we know better from Corinthians 12, and from Ephesians 4. (Try comparing the lists!) We are not omni-competent, but rely on the complementary gifts of others in the church. What’s your gift and calling? His? Hers?

As a devotional exercise, you might pause to figure which of the two challenges you take too much to heart, and which too little. Are you too busy sacrificing your body in busyness? Are you too little transformed or too much conformed? Would you agree that these are the tendencies of our community of faith?