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. Romans 12:1

I was praying in our Good Shepherd Chapel. It had been one of those days and I was in need of spiritual renewal. When that happens, I often find a quiet place to stop, pray and listen. I love the chapel for that reason. There are no phone calls; I leave my cell phone in the office and slip away.

I looked at the stained glass window in the chapel - for which it is named. This is the window that came from our old church building to our present Peachtree site. Once here, it has been moved at least once, maybe more. But it has stood the test of time. I glanced up and wondered how many pastors had served before that window; how many people had worshipped before it and how many, like me, looked up and felt the presence of the Good Shepherd.

There is a strength and comfort that comes from living before the Good Shepherd, Jesus. More than that, there is a sense of purpose that transcends today, this week, and this season of difficulty.

Maybe that is what St. Paul is referencing, in part, in the scripture passage from Romans. It is an interesting turn of phrase he uses. After all, most of the references to a sacrifice would have conjured up images of slaughtered, dead animals or cut and harvested grain. This would have been true, I'm told, whether the cultural reference point was Judaism or another religion in the Greco-Roman world. But Paul calls us to be living sacrifices. The Call of God is to a life - full, rich and purposive. This life is the demonstration of our spiritual worship.

God wants to be in relationship with living beings. Elsewhere Jesus says that our God is "the God of the living not the dead." The invitation to the Christian faith is always an invitation to more life, more joy and more of what makes living worthwhile. God loves our engaging fully in living. And that's good news!

So, no matter what may defeat us or discourage us, God stands with us to invite us back into really living, not just getting by. Today I am reminded of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost lamb in order to keep it alive. The Savior comes to invite us to be fully alive - all the days of our lives.

Lord Jesus Christ, remind me that I am most fully alive when I am living in your presence - no matter what. Amen