Homily for Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 23 August, 2020
“Conformed” or “Transformed”?
by the Rev. Ernie Lewis
Romans 12 1-8
Any time a passage of scripture contains the word “therefore”, we need to stop and ask, “Wait a minute, what just happened?”
We need to back up and see what preceded that “therefore”
This is happening as we arrive at the first verses of the 12th chapter of Romans we just heard.
So, let’s back up to the end of the 11th chapter of St. Paul’s letter to that group of believers in Jesus living in Rome. They’re probably mostly Gentile converts to what they call “The Way”. Rome is a pretty sophisticated place. It considers itself the center of the known world, the focal point of a vast empire, a center of learning and culture. Romans consider themselves “special”.
In those final verses, Paul is transported, enthusiastic and he waxes poetic! He recalls some of the words of Job and the prophet Isaiah:
“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!
‘For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?’
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen”.
NOW, we’re ready to move ahead. He continues:
“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.”
In other words, “Considering the magnificent glory and power of God,
don’t keep trying to cram your old ways of thinking about God into the ‘new you’! Start thinking in a completely different way; God’s way!”
It’s about “Transformation”, not “Conformation”!
That will entail, Paul continues, “a renewal of your minds.”
“Your ‘old mind’ can’t take it all in! It’s passe!
It will mean a radical change in the way you think about things…..in fact, how you think about EVERYTHING!
So, “How do we begin?”, they probably wonder.
“Well,” Paul responds, “It all starts with something called “metanoia”…”renewal”…turning around and striking off in a new direction. We call it “conversion”. Sometimes it’s dramatic like the experience of Paul himself on the road to Damascus. But more often it’s the gradual development of that new way of thinking, a slowly developing “Aha!”…. but a change of direction, a “conversion”, nonetheless.
Paul describes the result of this conversion as presenting ourselves as “a living sacrifice” to God.
Now that concept would have seemed strange to anyone familiar with Jewish tradition. Sacrifices, doves, lambs, even oxen were killed before being placed on the altar where they were consumed by fire. The problem with “living sacrifices, is that they would tend to crawl off the altar!
So, Paul explains what he’s talking about. He sets them on their journey of transformation with some instructions. He uses an example they would all understand: the human body. He says,
1/. “Don’t hold a too high an opinion of yourself. To accomplish that, he says, will take some sober soul searching and self-examination.”
2/. “Recognize that you are an integral part of a group of people called to that same journey of transformation as you but each one having different abilities.”
3/. “Realizing that, give each of them the freedom to use what they are able to do to the best of their ability.
And finally:
4/. “Recognize that all of you are parts of something new, something BIG! It’s called “The Body of Christ”! And just like there are parts in the human body: arms. legs, heads, toes, fingers, there are among you different abilities: prophets, ministers, teachers, exhorters, generous givers, leaders, and cheerful and compassionate folks!”
It all becomes part of who they are as they embark on that journey of transformation! They begin to develop what Paul calls the “Mind” of Christ!
Think about it!
THE BODY OF CHRIST COMPOSED OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!
NOTHING is more important!
We call it “The Jesus Movement”!
We live in a community which values the intellect. Perhaps this is true in any town built around a great university. Intellectual curiosity and the discoveries of the “new” motivate many of us. That is as it should be in such a setting.
But is that enough?
Doesn’t that sometimes result in excessive individualism, falling into the creeping sense that the most important thing is “my work”, “my projects”, “my research”? Isn’t there danger of isolation?
Isn’t there a need for a new kind of thinking, particularly in these difficult days of pandemic, political conflict, and divisions over issues of ethnicity, sexuality, poverty and homelessness? Many of us are expressing feelings of isolation and even depression.
I believe there has seldom been a time when there has been such a need for people who are earnestly on the journey of transformation toward developing the mind of Christ! There are many pilgrims on that journey!
I recently listened to four such people who encourage me on my journey of transformation:
One is a nun who is one of “The Nuns on the Bus”, a group of Roman Catholic Religious who travel around the country in a bus raising awareness of issues of social justice.
The second is a member of the United States Senate who sees his voting and the issues that concern him as outgrowths of and informed by his Christian faith and his care for the larger community.
The third is the pastor of Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, who has led his congregation to a place of forgiveness and mercy for a young man who brutally murdered 9 members and one of their pastors as they met for prayer and Bible Study.
The fourth is a nationally known historian and author, whose thoughts and comments are often sought by the media who openly and freely expresses his grounding in his Christian faith and the part it plays in his thinking and actions.
“Saints”? They would each vigorously deny that!
“Conformed”? Absolutely not!
“Transformed”? Utterly!
“They lived not only in ages past,
There are hundreds and thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,
For the saints of God are just folk like me,
And I mean to be one too.”
Amen!
