July 25, 2009

Texts:
Leviticus 23 and 24
Romans 12

Leviticus:
I keep noticing that Sabbath gets worked into a lot of instructions in these passages. Sabbath, the idea of taking one day a week, set aside from work and labor, is still something we talk about. But when was the last time you took a sabbath? When was the last time you didn't check your email? When was the last time you didn't do laundry on your day off? How often do we really rest?

Romans:
This chapter is another reminder that Paul was familiar with these Levitical holiness codes. "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."(12:1)
By joining into the family of God, we become sanctified, or holy. This doesn't mean we stop being human beings who make mistakes. It does mean, however, that we should look at our lives differently. For Paul, our lives are "new creations". We are transformed. And this chapter is a manual of how transformed people live and get along with each other.
What do you notice in this chapter that you like and think we should emphasize more? Or what do you have problems with?