God is faithful, and you were called by him to partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:9 (CEB)
We have great news to share! You may recall that the Cloverdale congregation in Searcy, Arkansas, agreed to host our missions fund this past December. It was a temporary first step that allowed us to start collecting funds, especially for those of you needing to take advantage of year-end tax benefits. This arrangement was a gracious gesture from Cloverdale while we continued to explore the possibility that they might become our full-fledged Sending Congregation. I am happy to report that Emily and I have now completed this process with the Cloverdale eldership and missions committee!
Beginning July 1st, we will officially be a part of the Cloverdale missions team. God be praised! The Cloverdale family has a strong emphasis on missions which includes many years of experience with Japanese missions in particular. In addition to coordinating our working funds, this congregation will provide mentoring, oversight, and encouragement as we partner together to spread the Gospel in Tachikawa, Japan. As a result, we will spend much of our remaining time in the US in Searcy getting to know the members at Cloverdale as best we can. We are excited!
With a Sending Congregation fully in place, we have now been able to submit our applications for the first step toward getting Japanese visas. We sent applications and supporting documentation for the Certificate of Eligibility to Nao Fukushima in Japan, and he was able to take them to the immigration office on our behalf. The Certificate of Eligibility is a type of pre-approval process required for a long-term residential visa. Our certificate applications have been processing for almost four weeks now. We’ve been told that it is a 1-3 month process, so I am hopeful that we will hear something soon. Once our certificates are approved and received here in Memphis, then we can take them to the Japanese Consulate in Nashville to apply for the actual residential visas.
And, with visa applications in process… it’s now officially time to start packing! We don’t feel like we have just a whole ton of stuff, but trying to separate what goes from what doesn’t can be a little overwhelming at times. Sometimes it feels like I’m choreographing a giant, slow-motion dance number. This piece needs to be done before that piece can be processed. That other pile needs to be sorted before these items can be packed. Oh, and what are we going to do with all this stuff in the corner? It all makes me thankful that our particular circumstances don’t involve things like selling a house or trying to pack up kids and/or pets. Whew!
We are scheduled to fly to Japan in the first week of August, but we are hoping to be able to send most of our stuff with the movers around the end of May or beginning of June. That will, of course, depend on whether or not we successfully have visas in hand by that time. They estimate that the transit time (including warehouse transfers and clearing customs) will be between 60-75 days. Sending our things at the beginning of Summer will mean that we won’t have to wait so long for it to be delivered when we arrive in Japan. It does mean, however, that we will essentially be living out of our suitcases for June and July. It’s a lot to keep straight, but we are confident that God will work it out – He certainly has done so to this point!
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! ~ Isaiah 30:18
It is March! That means spring is close at hand, and it seems like everything around us is starting to wake up after a long, cold winter. One such indicator is the buds forming on the sakura (cherry) trees. To say that the Japanese people enjoy sakura season would be an epic understatement. For them, it is an annual obsession which the whole country heartily enjoys. Sakura Forecasts have already started appearing on the evening news. They break it down in detail for each area of the country when to expect the “first bloom” and “peak bloom” so that everyone can make plans to spend time enjoying outings to see the flowers. It’s one of those annual reminders that signals a shift from one season to another and many people eagerly wait for the sakura blooms to come again.
Waiting is hard. Sometimes, like with sakura blooms, we spend much more time waiting for them to arrive than we do actually experiencing them. Then, when the fleeting blooms have run their course, we are faced with having to wait another whole year for them to arrive again. We do enjoy the shade of the tree’s green leaves during the summer months. Also, the cherry trees provide homes and food for a number of creatures in the neighborhood. We just don’t seem to get as excited over those benefits as we do when the flowers bloom.
And yet, the cherry tree is hard at work all year long. It is making progress towards growth and strength during the summer months that will make the blooms possible. It generates next year’s buds during the fall season and then encapsulates them to protect from winter weather. Even during those cold winter months, the tree is focused on conserving its energy and gathering its strength in the root sections. In fact, some arborists suggest that a cherry tree that does NOT experience at least one deep chill during the winter won’t be able to reach its full potential bloom in the spring.
Seasons of change and renewal happen in our lives as well. They are exciting and fresh when the “blooms” happen, but for long stretches it can feel like those dark, cold weeks of winter when not much appears to be happening. I chose the picture above because it shows the first bloom opening in the midst of a branch full of buds that aren’t quite ready yet. When we see the buds appear, we know that the flowers are not far off and we begin to anticipate the beauty they will display.
Emily and I are in the midst of a season of waiting as we prepare for mission work in Japan. Yet God has been working in us and through us all along. He has been faithful in walking alongside us each step in this process, and as we draw nearer to our target date we can’t help but feel like we are starting to see some activity in the “buds” along our branches. We are encouraged by ongoing conversations with a potential sending congregation. We have begun assembling the necessary paperwork and accompanying documentation for applying for visas. We have even gotten a small start on cleaning out attic spaces and organizing our belongings into different categories like “take to Japan” and “pass along to others.”
But we are also mindful that there are some important steps that still need to be completed. A formal agreement with a sending congregation is still at least a couple of weeks away. Our paperwork for living in Japan is still incomplete and cannot be submitted yet. We have reasons to believe that God is making a way for these to happen soon, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still waiting. So, we are trying to remain focused on waiting with the right mindset. We trust God to provide, and He has an infinitely better understanding of all of this than we do. We look forward to being able to share good news with you all in the very near future.
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. ~ Psalm 105:1-6
A number of the Psalms encourage the practice of looking back. We gain proper perspective when we take a moment to reflect on where we have been and how that has helped shape who we are now. It is important, as Psalm 105 shows, to also remember God’s providence throughout. By properly reviewing the past, we develop an appreciation for what God is doing now. Importantly, we also cultivate a proper mindset for joining God in the future.
Not long ago, we began a third year of sending monthly newsletters. Recently, I took a little time to look back over the first 24 newsletters and reflect a little on where we started and how we have seen God along the way. That first message, February 2024, went to just 36 subscribers. In contrast, this month’s message will go out to more than 250! God has blessed us with such a cloud of witnesses and we are grateful to each of you who pray regularly regarding the work in Japan.
Similarly, our website launched in October 2023, just a few months before we started sending emails. It contained a few static pages of information and a couple of blog posts. That first month logged six visitors who read a total of 15 items. It is amazing to see how God has blessed these efforts! The information pages have increased in number as well as content, and I have somehow managed to publish more than 60 blog entries. It is even more humbling to realize that in the last 30 days, 112 visitors viewed 210 items. Since the website launched, a total of nearly 2,000 visitors have viewed over 4,900 items. Whew!
Looking back is helpful when we remember that it is God who gives these blessings. Emily and I are not the reason for this growth. Instead, we point to our Father in Heaven and give Him all of the glory. Your love for us is evident through your prayers on behalf of the people of Japan as well as your frequent encouraging comments. The numbers and statistics really just confirm what we already know God is doing through each of you.
Ultimately, this looking back should lead us to look forward. With your help, through consistent prayer, encouragement, and financial support, Emily and I have been able to begin realizing our goal of starting full-time mission work this August. We still have several important steps to complete in the coming weeks, but we are confident that God will continue to provide. We are eager to join with the work being done in Tachikawa, Japan. May God’s name be praised for what He has done AND what He will be doing through us all as we continue in the Son’s footsteps.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. ~ John 15:15-17
The winter months of January and February can seem dull and muted. Most of the earth seems to be in a state of waiting. The trees have shed their green leaves. Most of the flowers have disappeared while waiting for Spring. Many animals even tuck themselves away to wait for warmer weather. The days are shorter and the sun’s rays are weaker due to their low angle.
People are not exempt from this. We experience a lull in activity and thought during these months too. Many people experience fatigue, mood changes, and feelings of hopelessness due to decreased sunlight disrupting their biological clocks. Others are simply trying to recover from what feels like running a gauntlet from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s – especially if you have kids!
Our spiritual lives experience these seasons of quiet as well. We contemplate and remember Jesus each Sunday morning as part of the Lord’s Supper, and it can be a challenge to keep these thoughts fresh and meaningful week in and week out. When you add in the factors above that come with the winter season, a meaningful communion time each Sunday can prove elusive for many.
Winter comes right between Christmas and Easter. During the Christmas season it is easy to remain focused on the birth of Jesus. We see nativity scenes in people’s yards. We hear about Mary and Jesus in songs. We sings hymns and carols throughout the season. The beginning of Jesus’s life on Earth seems to be all around us in December. During the Easter season, our thoughts are focused on the cross and the empty tomb. We dwell on the sacrifice of Jesus to pay our debt. We relish in His resurrection and the conquering of death. Easter Sunday is a declaration of the events surrounding the end of Jesus’s earthly life and a glorious celebration of what comes next for those who believe.
So, if Christmas is focused on the beginning of Jesus’s incarnate life and Easter is focused on the end, then how should we approach this weekly time of reflection in the Lord’s Supper during the months in between? I suggest one option is to focus on Jesus’s ministry. The life and teachings of Jesus are what happened between His birth and His crucifixion, and the words of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, make a great starting point. Jesus himself begins this way in Matthew 5:
He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
May your winter’s communion times be special and fruitful.
Note: As I continue to learn the Japanese language and culture, these Spotlight posts seek to highlight things I find curious, interesting, and meaningful. The relationship between language and culture runs deep. In fact, there are many points where it gets hard to tell one from the other. “Language is not merely an indifferent mechanism for cataloguing men’s experience but the language itself affects the cataloguing process…. The language system of each culture is a fluid factor in culture; it varies with each generation and serves as clue to its thinking as well as actually coloring and molding this thinking.” In other words, if I am going to learn how to reach Japanese people, I need to understand how Japanese people think. The process of how they think is intimately intwined with the language they use. Unfortunately for us, it goes far beyond simply using “Google Translate” to come up with the right vocabulary. Language embeds the foundational concepts of culture into everyday interaction. So, deeper we go into this wonderful world of language exploration! Much of this information comes from Charles Corwin’s Biblical Encounter with Japanese Culture (Tokyo, 1967).
Kōfuku (幸福) is comprised of two characters in kanji. The first character can represent “lucky” while the second character can mean “blessing”. The original words behind this one had to do with one’s arrow hitting the mark. In an ancient hunting and fishing society, successfully taking prey or making a catch meant food, health, and prosperity. We tend to think of hunting and fishing as more skill-based activities today, but the Japanese sense of this idea leans more toward the hunter or fisherman finding his quarry because of “good fortune” rather than skill or hard work. To be sure, skill and hard work are highly prized in Japanese society, and one is expected to employ both earnestly in order to expect good results. But one’s luck is given more weight.
The Japanese concept of happiness inherits these ideas. It is primarily a way to express that things have turned out well, or that one has achieved a “full” condition. It has also evolved to include a good aspect found amidst a disaster (what we might recognize as “a silver lining”).
With respect to the Old Testament, the word “happiness” does not occur in a noun form. This can perhaps be traced to our English nuance in which “hap” seems to introduce an element of “chance” into the meaning. We use other words like haphazard and happenstance in this way. So, biblical translators almost always chose the word “blessed” instead to convey the Hebrew conviction that man comes into happiness not by chance but by Divine help.
In the New Testament, the idea of happiness remains rooted in God’s blessings, but with an added eschatological element. One may be happy based not only on possession of the quality or experience of current life, but also on the present or future rewards that come with it. The Beatitudes are a prime example. On the surface, they appear as a paradox. They renounce the very things that most people seek and think are required for happiness (wealth, power, joy). Instead, those considered “blessed” or “happy” in the Beatitudes have sacrificed their natural desires. They have given up many things that seem desirable to the natural heart, and embrace many other things that make most people wince. But just as Jesus himself experienced glorious exaltation after emptying Himself, His followers also take up their own crosses in order to receive the inheritance of the earth and a great reward in heaven.
Japanese kōfuku is strictly a happiness which consists of material benefits, fullness, wealth, and a happy turn of events. It speaks of a mystical play of events turning out in one’s favor, either positively in material blessings or negatively in the avoidance of an impending disaster. The concept of happiness is so fixed in Japanese thinking that its importance is raised almost to the ultimate in values, or the measure of all things.
Biblical concepts of happiness instead develop an emphasis on blessing over current experience. This is possible because of the promise of Jesus. There is a circle of blessing: it flows down from God the Provider to men, who in turn bless God by giving Him due thanks and worship, and the circle is completed with a heavenly life of eternal rewards.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ~ Revelation 21:5
Happy New Year! Emily and I hope that you are able to look back on 2025 with appreciation for what God has done. We are also praying that 2026 will provide many opportunities for you to share God’s blessings with those all around. We certainly feel God’s care and love through your comments and prayers.
We received great news to close out 2025. A seeker had been studying the Bible on her own and started attending Tachikawa on Sundays. After some additional Bible study with Fukushima-san, she chose to commit her life to Christ on the final Sunday of the year! We rejoice with our new sister Sari Obe (seated, middle front, with glasses) as she had her sins washed away in the saving waters of baptism. Please pray for Obe-san as she joins the Tachikawa church family and begins the next part of her spiritual journey among this community of faithful believers.
As we turn our thoughts toward 2026, it is more than just a new year. Our coming transition to Japan is starting to feel more and more real. But we are not the only ones! For this post, I am focusing on what feels like the start of a new season of missions in Japan. There are a few missionaries who have been working in Japan for some time – Les and Sarah Taylor in Matsudo (Chiba prefecture), Joel Osborne in Mito (Ibaraki prefecture), and Jeanne Ray in Tomobe (also in Ibaraki prefecture). But we are excited to know that several new missionaries have committed to working in Japan as well.
William and Randi Adams recently landed in Shizuoka. There are a handful of small congregations clustered in this part of Japan about 1.5 hours southwest of Tokyo by bullet train. This is the area of Japan where Sarah Andrews worked. William and Randi are partnering with Shinozako-san, a native minister, to help revitalize these congregations. Read more about what God is doing through the Adams family through their Facebook page.
Angel Alcantar will soon join William and Randi in Shizuoka. Angel is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University and is currently enrolled at Sunset International Bible Institute to further prepare for missions. Currently, Angel has submitted all of his paperwork and is awaiting final visa approval. You can read more on his website.
Brandon and Ocean Furbee have also decided to join the mission team in Shizuoka. Graduating from Harding University, they have felt a calling toward missions in Japan and are in the process of gathering support.
Additionally, Emily and I have been in contact with three more couples who have expressed a desire to work with missions in Japan. We pray that the Lord will open doors for these and others who are willing to step beyond the familiar and serve His kingdom in this way. This year is going to be great!
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ~ Acts 2:46-47
Would you like a handy way to tell people about what we are hoping to do in Japan? We have updated our one-page mission summary. It’s a quick PDF that is easy to share. Simply click on the thumbnail below!
Note: As I continue to learn the Japanese language and culture, these Spotlight posts seek to highlight things I find curious, interesting, and meaningful. The relationship between language and culture runs deep. In fact, there are many points where it gets hard to tell one from the other. “Language is not merely an indifferent mechanism for cataloguing men’s experience but the language itself affects the cataloguing process…. The language system of each culture is a fluid factor in culture; it varies with each generation and serves as clue to its thinking as well as actually coloring and molding this thinking.” In other words, if I am going to learn how to reach Japanese people, I need to understand how Japanese people think. The process of how they think is intimately intwined with the language they use. Unfortunately for us, it goes far beyond simply using “Google Translate” to come up with the right vocabulary. Language embeds the foundational concepts of culture into everyday interaction. So, deeper we go into this wonderful world of language exploration! Much of this information comes from Charles Corwin’s Biblical Encounter with Japanese Culture (Tokyo, 1967).
Dōsatsu is comprised of two characters in kanji. The first character (dō) can represent “cave” while the second character (satsu) can mean “look”. More specifically, the first usually refers to a cave or hole scooped out by flowing water. Satsu is a bit more complicated. It is actually the kanji for “look” but with a piece that means “veil” added on top. So, dōsatsu is really more of the concept of looking deeply (as into a cave) and perceiving the reality of an object.
We have some English idioms which get to a similar meaning. “Read between the lines” comes to mind, as does “See right through someone”. We also tend to use expressions like “get to the bottom of” and “determine the mood” in a parallel sense.
In the New Testament, insight often refers to spiritual discernment or understanding. We look for insight when we seek divine revelation in Scripture. We also gain “insight” when we understand someone’s innermost reality.
Japanese dōsatsu and Biblical insight both denote a seeing that is more than observation. It is seeing that cuts through the obvious and seeks to perceive something’s essence. However due to the influence of Buddhist thought, Japanese understanding of this concept has traditionally focused its attention on achieving insight through clearing away all mental impairments and attitudes. Biblical insight, on the other hand, is centered in more moral and spiritual terms. It is a seeing beyond the outward symbols of something and perceiving the inner reality that those symbols portray.
Unlike its Buddhist counterpart, Biblical insight cannot be achieved unaided, but must come through the assistance of God’s Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:9-10). Rather than simply determining the essence of something, Biblical insight is more concerned with seeing the spiritual truth behind the visible words and actions.
…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ~ Philippians 2:13
A typical Sunday morning gathering
This blog post will be focusing on Tachikawa, Japan. Emily and I have committed to working with the congregation here and we are excited to share some of the reasons for our decision. The photo above was taken during our trip last summer. Although some members couldn’t be present the day this picture was taken, it is a good representation of a typical Sunday worship gathering. Over the last two summers as we worked and worshiped alongside this small but faithful group, these people have gradually gone from anonymous Japanese individuals to beloved brothers and sisters laboring for Jesus despite tough cultural challenges.
Downtown Tachikawa
Tachikawa is a suburb on the Western side of the Tokyo metropolitan area. While not as densely populated as central Tokyo, most Americans would still consider it to be crowded. Tachikawa Station serves as a major suburban hub at the intersection of five different train lines. Current estimates suggest that at least 175,000 people transit through this station each day. Consequently, the Tachikawa area has seen a steady increase in development and is an attractive destination for people who want to live away from the congested parts of Central Tokyo yet still have easy access to all parts of the greater Tokyo area.
In particular, this part of the city is attractive to young families. Despite most areas in Japan dealing with the twin crises of low birth rates and an aging population, Emily and I have observed over the past two summers that the Tachikawa area has an abundance of families with small children. We believe this presents a number of exciting possibilities for ministry!
Tachikawa Church of Christ
For over 60 years, the Tachikawa Church of Christ has faithfully stood in this area of Tokyo as witness to the Gospel. The congregation also serves as host for the Japan School of Evangelism which utilizes the classroom and library spaces on its second floor, and dormitory lodgings on its third floor. Nao Fukushima serves as minister and evangelist along with his wife Noriko. Tachikawa is one of Japan’s larger congregations, with a membership around 30 individuals.
When most people think of missionary activities, their first thoughts often tend toward evangelizing a local community and establishing a new church plant. Spreading the Gospel into new areas is critical Kingdom work, and for many missionaries around the globe this is the only option available. So when Emily and I talk with people about our plans in Tachikawa, they are often surprised that our work will focus on an existing congregation that already has a minister in place. There are several reasons for this.
It would be very difficult to plant a new church, legally. In recent history, Japan has had to endure reprehensible behavior from a variety of religious groups. From the sarin gas attacks in Tokyo subways by cult members to extortionist fundraising practices by other groups, a number of events have caused the Japanese government to be extremely reticent to issue new licenses under the national Religious Corporation Law. Ultimately, the behavior of these non-Christian groups has put the brakes on any process which would recognize a new church plant. Without this legal designation, it would be impossible to enter into contracts for rental agreements, bank accounts, building projects, taxes, and a whole host of other legal relationships needed to exist as a congregation. The best we could hope for would be to operate as a “satellite” location of an existing congregation, requiring the host group to sign for everything.
Similarly, the visa standards in Japan require Emily and I to be sponsored by an existing Japanese congregation. While it is possible to ask the Tachikawa congregation to sponsor our visa in order for us to work in a different place, we are hesitant to ask the congregation’s leaders to shoulder additional administrative responsibilities in this way. I am confident they would be willing to do so, since it is a necessity of the Japanese visa system, but we don’t wish to impose upon these brothers and sisters who already give so much of their time serving the Lord.
More importantly, Emily and I have committed to working with the Christians in Tachikawa because they have asked us to come. We see great opportunity for mission work within this church family and among this community. Although this congregation has a long history and faithful core membership, they have struggled to bounce back from the disruption of the COVID pandemic. Nao and Noriko Fukushima serve the congregation tirelessly, but they both must work secular jobs to make ends meet. Other core members faithfully help week in and week out, but the Tachikawa congregation would greatly benefit from an infusion of new energy. This is a main reason why they began seeking missionaries to come and join their work.
Godly mentors are a blessing to be treasured. As Emily and I transition to life as Japanese missionaries, there will be many personal and ministry challenges. By working with the Tachikawa congregation, we also get to deepen our relationship with Nao and Noriko Fukushima. These two have decades of experience working for Jesus in the cultural context of Japan, but they have also spent time in the United States while completing college degrees. In other words, they have experienced both sides of the transition Emily and I will be making. We have already grown so much through getting to know them. Taking this mentor relationship to the next level will help further equip us for the work ahead.
Tokyo Academy of Communication Language Institute
Our first two years on the field will be primarily focused on language study. Living and working in Tachikawa will allow easy access to an exciting opportunity. On the recommendation of Les and Sarah Taylor, we took some time this past summer to visit the Tokyo Academy of Communication. Located near Ochanomizu station in central Tokyo, this school teaches the Japanese language with missionaries and their families specifically in mind. Takahashi sensei and Yamamoto sensei (at far right and left in the photo above) were both very welcoming and encouraging. They even let us experience a whole day’s activities as a preview. It is clear that they approach language learning as Kingdom ministry, and we are looking forward to their guidance and coaching as we learn the intricacies of Japanese language and culture.
As a mission field, Japan is a very unique place. Everywhere you look, there are reminders that Japan is a curious blend of ancient tradition and modern life. As we learn to navigate this reality and seek to reach the people here, Emily and I are grateful for the many ways that working with the church in Tachikawa will help make our efforts more effective. We believe that God is already at work in this community. By listening to His word and looking to His leading, it is our conviction that the Spirit will give us the words to use and the opportunity to speak them.
The first part of Romans chapter 12 is one of those passages that you hear a lot. “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices” and “in Christ we who are many form one body” are phrases that get used often in everything from sermons to worship songs. I’ve even seen them on t-shirts and social media posts. It is such a pivotal chapter, that we often forget where it is in the context of Romans as a whole.
Romans has this reputation of being one of the most theological books in the Bible. And that reputation is WELL DESERVED. Basically, in the first 11 chapters Paul has been systematically laying out a complete theology for understanding what it means to be a Christian. This reputation for being so theological has caused some people to wonder why Paul includes these practical chapters toward the end.
Romans 12:1-2 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
What we can sometimes fail to remember is that ALL theology is practical. And all Christian practice IS theological. You can’t have one without the other. The Good News of Jesus Christ is meant to transform a person’s life. Unless we start to LIVE OUT our theology, the Gospel hasn’t accomplished its purpose.
We offer ourselves as living sacrifices, and that is how we worship God. Here is where a little bit of first century context might be helpful. When we think of the word “sacrifice” we often think of giving up something or going without something. But when the first century person thought of the word “sacrifice” they equated it with the word “worship.” In the ancient world, ritual sacrifice at a temple WAS how you worshipped your God – Jews and Gentiles alike. The temple in Jerusalem AND countless temples all over the Roman Empire were constantly busy with people coming to sacrifice something AS THEIR ACT OF WORSHIP.
As you might expect, many Gentiles practiced a cheap version of worship. They reasoned that if all we have to do is offer this animal at an alter once a year (or however often), then we’re golden. We’re straight with the gods. I can live the rest of my life however I want. Israel, by the way, wasn’t immune to this kind of thinking either. The Old Testament prophets spoke against this again and again.
For a better example, look no further than when Jesus himself calls out the Pharisees for being white-washed tombs. Pretty sacrifices on the outside, but no genuine worship on the inside. That’s why Paul follows his word about offering yourselves as sacrifices with a caution to not conform to the pattern of the world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
No, the sacrifice that we offer at the alter – our worship to God – is an INFORMED sacrifice. I’ve written before about how Paul saw the world as being caught between two ages. When we accept Christ as Lord and seek to follow him, we have switched our allegiance from the “present age” and instead seek to live in “the age to come.” And so our sacrifice is a living one. Literally. We sacrifice the right to live however we want to and instead live in ways that honor God. We align ourselves with “the age to come,” but “the present age” is still all around us.
Some might feel that it is enough to simply “live a good life.” Try not to sin, study your Bible, pray regularly, show up on Sunday morning… you know. Doing the things. But if we stop there, then I’m not sure that’s really an informed sacrifice. We need to ask ourselves, “What does God really desire from our worship?” I think it is what He has always desired.
Think about Abraham. When God chose Abraham and told him to leave his family, leave his homeland, and set off on this adventure, what is the reason that He gives Abraham. Do you remember? Genesis 12: “I will make you into a great nation… I will bless you… and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” God desires that His people are a blessing to the whole earth. That’s what He has always wanted humans to be. Isaiah echoes this as well when the Servant of the Lord (that is, Jesus) isn’t just going to restore the people of Israel, he is going to “be a light for the Gentiles, that salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” God chose the people of Israel so that the rest of the world could see and be drawn to Him.
As Christians, our purpose is the same. Jesus commands us to “go into all the world” preaching the Gospel and making disciples. You can’t just BE CHRISTIAN. You have to also “DO CHRISTIAN.” Theology and practice go together. They are two parts of the same thing. Or, as James will write, “faith without works is dead.”
Romans 12:3-8 – For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
So in the first two verses, Paul says we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices – and that those should be “informed” sacrifices. Realizing that BEING Christians inherently involves DOING Christian things. And then he rolls right into this analogy of being part of a body. Lots of people get wound up exploring this analogy. How does this body part fit in with that body part? Does the thing that I think I’m good at fit into the body of Christ and if so, how and where? Is this body part working well with that body part? Is this body really working together as a whole unit? OK. Those are good discussions and someone needs to be looking at that. Sure.
But I want to step back and make sure we don’t lose sight of Paul’s main point here. It is NO accident that he follows his words about living sacrifice and renewing your mind with the body analogy. If we are going to BE CHRISTIANS and DO CHRISTIANITY, then the proper place for that is WITHIN THE BODY. It is in the community of Christ that we become most effective. It is by serving the world around us TOGETHER AS A CHURCH that outsiders are best drawn to a life in Christ.
When we work together as a body, we get to take advantage of each other’s strengths. Paul lists a few of them in these verses – prophesying, teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy. I don’t think Paul means to limit the list to just these seven. There are lots of ways that you can plug in and become part of the body of Christ. Figuring out what that means for you is part of being “informed” with your sacrifice.
Besides, working as part of a group is just better. Think of it in terms of movies and TV shows. These days, super hero movies often feature groups of main characters: Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Four, The Avengers, Justice League. Or go back in time a bit to my day: Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Original Transformers, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings. Or look at it in the Anime genre: Frieren, Delicious in Dungeon, Kpop Demon Hunters, One Piece, My Hero Academia, …and the list goes on. I love a good Superman movie, but the group of heroes is just so much more relatable. No one person can do it all. They have to rely on each other to overcome whatever challenges they face. It’s a similar dynamic as you and I become part of the body of Christ.
Being part of the body is also where we grow as Christians. “As Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” That’s actually in Proverbs, which is part of Israel’s heritage. But it is equally true in the body of Christ. My gifts can be used to reach non-Christians, but they can also be used to build up the body through mentoring or teaching, or even just encouraging other Christians. Your gifts can do the same for me. It is when we are in each other’s lives that we can have this effect on each other. It’s when we are in each other’s lives that we are attached to the body. And it is when we are attached to the body that we receive the spiritual nourishment needed to live and grow in our faith.
This was proven in a negative way in the COVID pandemic. Suddenly, we all stayed home and watched Sunday morning on our TVs. Sure, we still got a sermon and we still heard communion thoughts. Most of us sang along when the songs were played on the screen. But as necessary as these changes were for the physical health in our city, they were devastating for the spiritual health of our community. I’ve known quite a few people who quit watching during the pandemic and haven’t returned now that things are back to normal. Being members one to another is vitally important in our life as Christians.
So, BE Christians, DOING Christianity, as part of the BODY of Christ. That is what Paul is saying in this passage.
