10-18-19

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS

October 18, 2019

Scripture: Romans 12:2

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.

Thought for the Day: The word “renewing” is only found one other time in the Bible, and that is in Titus 3:5 where it says, “God saved us… through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Even in the Greek, the root word is “new” as in the passage from Mark’s Gospel when Jesus said to his disciples at the Last Supper, “I assure you that I won’t drink wine again until that day when I drink it in a new way in God’s kingdom.” It is the same language Paul used when he wrote about becoming a new creation. All this is to suggest that renewal and becoming something new requires more than a desire or wish. If we want renewal that leads to becoming something utterly new, then change will be required. It will demand a reorientation of our mindset, a reorganization of our priorities and a redesign of how we perceive the world around us. That sounds a bit more demanding than what is often associated with church membership, but at the end of the day, Jesus didn’t invite us to be members. He invited us to follow.

Prayer: Teach me again and again about your love, O God, as it is what inspires and beckons us to follow. Amen.

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