Thursday, July 15, 2010

Body and Mind: A Living Sacrifice

In today’s Epistle reading taken from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Paul tells us:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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. (Rm. 12: 1-2).

Paul asks us to make our bodies a sacrifice. The word “sacrifice” comes from two Latin words, “sacra” meaning “sacred” or “holy” and “facere” meaning “to make.” To sacrifice is to make something sacred or holy.

In the person of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, God emphatically tells us that our bodies are good and holy. Jesus’ resurrection puts an exclamation point on the goodness of our bodies. Therefore, we must use our bodies in such a way that we reverence them. The use of our bodies for physical labor sanctifies that work.

But Paul doesn’t stop there, he goes on to tell us that we must also make our minds holy by renewing them to conform our wills to God’s will which is holy and perfect. Paul calls us to make everything that we think holy.

Some of the greatest examples of bringing the body and mind together to make things holy exist in the arts. Creative individuals express the wonder of God and the beauty of creation through their painting, sculpture, music, dance and cooking. Bodies and minds working together as a living sacrifice to God participating in the act of creation.

Let us pray: God and Father of all Creation, in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, You bless our human nature and raise it to glory in the resurrection. Send Your Holy Spirit to sanctify all that we do so that it may glorify You, one God, who lives and reigns now and forever. Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS:

Adult Christian Formation: Join in the series on heaven and hell, Angels with Harps or Demons with Pitchforks, Or Something Else, on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the nave.

Feeding Volunteers at William Temple: Today at 6:00 p.m. Here is the menu:
Bubba Pierce: Brisket
Liz Mack: Mac & Cheese and Fried Chicken
Corlie Jackson: Fruit Salad and Rolls
The Makowskis: Salad
Janie Richardson: Beans
Melva Pope: Potato Salad
Pat Tate: Pineapple Cole slaw (Bigmista's recipe)
Evelyn McNeil: Vegetable

UBE Youth at St. Augustine: 31 July to 1 August. The Youth will stay with us at St. Augustine to learn their history and the place of this Church in the Diocese of Texas, and to use our facilities as a base of operations as they do mission work at St. Vincent's House.

Kitchen Shower: First weekend in August.

If you are able, please help Valerie Boyer to realize her study trip to Cambridge. The deadline is this Friday.

The Feast Day of St. Augustine & Blessing of the New Facilities:
Dinner celebration on Saturday, 28 August 2010
Eucharist, Sunday, 29 August 2010

PLEASE REMEMBER ALL THOSE ON OUR PRAYER LIST and especially:

Russ Viska who had a double bypass yesterday
Sue and Sean Coleman as Sue continues to recover from brain surgery
Roylene Lemons’ continued recovery from cancer surgery
Baby Hayden and for his mother, Clarrissa Blevins
Tammie Taylor’s continued recovery
Gladys Simon

Let us pray for all of those serving in the Armed Forces, especially:
Lewis Lemons
Brian Taylor
Lt. Col. Bryan Leslie Runion

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

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