Our texts in today’s Lectionary are: Ps.138; Isaiah 51:1-6; Matt.16:13-20; and Romans 12:1-8, and I hope you have been reminded of many of the mercies of our God in what you have read.

From Psalm 138 we have this encouragement: “Yahweh will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Yahweh, endures forever…” From Isaiah 51: “…my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended…” and from Matthew 16 we read that the bedrock and foundation of saving faith - and indeed of the whole Church - is that Jesus is the Christ of God: both Son of God and Son of man!

Most of you who know me by now will have probably guessed where my focus for our attention this morning as Church is going to be, though, which is Paul’s exhortation to the church in Rome.

As if, having in his mind our texts from the Hebrew Bible, he begins by “urging [us] by the mercies of God.” For some years, my opening words to the Holy Trinity, Father, Mother, and Son are the well-known lines from the lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah (Lam.3:22-23,“The steadfast love of Yahweh never ceases, his mercies never come to an end.” In response to which, Jeremiah declares, “My portion is Yahweh,” says my soul, ‘and so I will hope in him.’”

How? How do we respond to such endless mercies?

How do we react in the face of unceasing Love?

How can we?

For we are constantly faced with what theologian Karl Barth calls, in his commentary on Romans, “The impossible possibility of God”!

For, surely, Paul’s urging is, itself, impossible, isn’t it? “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your [intelligent] spiritual worship.”

Wait!

What?

Our bodies as a living sacrifice?

But we have been taught for so long that our bodies are objects of shame – guilt, even!

Not so.

This has never been true!

As the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made!” Indeed, our bodies are “wicked”, as the kids might say!

Yet also “Temples of God’s Holy Spirit”, according to Paul.

For as Jesus is the Christ, the incarnation of God, so Paul also reassures us - time and time again – that it is Christ in and as us, our hope of glory. “As he is in this world, so also are we,” wrote John to his disciples. In a very real, existential sense, we follow the pattern of Jesus who stated, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” in response to Phillip’s incredulity. So, we too are being transformed from glory to glory in order that we can also, humbly say, “if you have seen me, you have seen Jesus the Christ and so, the Father!”

YES!!

As St Athanasius famously wrote, “God became man, in order that man might become God.”

Ponder that in your meditations, my friends!

Anyway, Paul continues, “Do not be conformed to [that pattern of] this world [with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed [progressively changed] by the renewing of your mind so that you may discern what is the will of God – that it is good, and acceptable, and perfect.”

In this way our mind set – our distorted perception of truth – is totally transformed until, as Paul again notes, “we have the mind of Christ”!

Jesus told us that to be his true disciples we need to “take up [our] cross and follow [him].” Likewise, Paul explains how we do that in a practical, daily way. He points out that we “are crucified to the world, and this world is crucified to us.” The Cross is the fulcrum of revolutionary, resurrection reality; it is the lynchpin of history: globally, universally and personally.

“For I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Indeed, the life I live in this body, I live through the faithfulness of Christ of loved me and gave himself up for me.”

By remembering that and speaking it out every day – morning, noon, and night if necessary – we begin to enable and enact a renewing of our mind set that aligns us with resurrection truth concerning ourselves and our way of life.

When Christ died, all died. When Christ rose, all rose. This is the Gospel – the Good News – of the fate of all creation.

Including you.

Including your family and friends.

Including your enemies.

Hence the urgency of love.

Let us live in the reconciling, redemptive reality of love as those who are raised through death to kingdom life in Christ.

So, please stand as you are able, and let us say together the words now on the screen (or on the papers you were given).

“Father, Yahweh God of wonder;

I acknowledge that I am crucified with Christ and that it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

The life I live in my body, I live through the faithfulness of Christ

Who loved me and gave himself up for me.

So, I present myself as a living sacrifice,

Holy and acceptable to you,

Which is my reasonable response in worship.

I let go my desire for power and control;

I let go my desire for safety and security;

I let go my desire for

Approval, affirmation, and affection;

I let go my desire that

Everything and everyone

Conform to my needs,

To My opinions - To my will,

And abandon myself

To You – for I am your beloved

And you are mine

And your banner over me

Is LOVE.”

Amen.

Toby Perks, Lay Minister in training