Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

The Coliseum in Rome Scripture: Rom. 12:3   For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Observation: Every follower of Jesus Christ is to live and serve humbly before God and within the Christian community. We are to work and function as one body, and to use our gifts for the whole body. We have to assess ourselves and then use our gifts for the common g...

A family in Rome, gathered to pray.  Scripture: Rom. 12:1   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. 2 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. Observation: Therefore — we bear in mind all the preceding 11 chapters of Romans. They have brought us to this moment in time, and we celebrate all that Christ has done for all of us, Jew and gentile alike. Because of his great work and mercy, we come before him and offer our bodies as a sacrifice. This sacrifice is profoundly different from that of the world and pagan worship where the sacrifice is dead. Our sacrifice is to be living, holy and acceptable. All of this becomes our spiritual worship before God.  The first-century Roman world had an u...

  Gratitude for Mystery and Mercy Prayer and praise at General Assembly 2023. Scripture: Rom. 11:25     So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, “Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” 28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in d...

Two trees in Seville, grafted and living together.  Scripture: Rom. 11:11   So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Rom. 11:13   Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry 14 in order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead! 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy. Rom. 11:17   But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to sha...

Table fellowship in Central Asia -- enjoying some Bezparmak.  Scripture: Rom. 11:1     I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Rom. 11:7     What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a sluggish spi...