Aug. 19, 2026
After spending a glorious 5 days near Sandbanks Provincial Park, I have returned refreshed and ready to head into Fall. I feel that I have visited enough wineries and have done my part to support the economy of Prince Edward County. The rest was what I needed, and it was not nearly long enough. Following is a reflection on the scripture that will be read and preached on this Sunday.
Romans 12:1-8 marks a major shift in the letter to the Romans, moving from deep theological truths to daily Christian living. Paul urges believers to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, avoid worldly conformity through a renewed mind, practice humble self-judgment, and use their unique spiritual gifts to build up the community.
The Pivot to Worship and Transformation
The Living Sacrifice: Instead of animal sacrifices on an altar, believers offer their everyday physical lives as a continuous, active form of worship motivated by God’s mercy.
Mind Renewal: True change happens from the inside out. Resisting the pressure to copy the
surrounding culture requires an intentional redesign of thought patterns.
Discerning God’s Will: A renewed mind naturally discovers what God desires—a life path that is good,pleasing, and complete.
Humility and Healthy Self-Image
Sober Judgment: Paul warns against arrogance, telling people not to think too highly of themselves.
A Measure of Faith: Humility comes from realizing that value and faith are gifts distributed by God,
leaving no room for pride or social boasting.
Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ
Interdependence: Believers form one single body with many diverse parts, meaning everyone belongs
to one another and relies on each other to function.
Differing Gifts: Grace equips individuals with distinct capabilities—such as prophecy, teaching, serving, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy.
Intentional Action: Paul challenges each person to lean fully into their specific role with practical
attitudes, like giving generously, leading with zeal, or showing mercy with a cheerful heart.
How to Call Blessings into Your Life
By Holly Lebowitz Rossi
Many years ago, at the convocation that began my time in divinity school, I heard a sermon that I’ve never forgotten. The preacher shared the story of a woman who was walking along the beach on a cloudy day, lost in thought and enjoying the solitude.
Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of someone shouting just up the beach from where she stood. It was a man, just visible through the mist. His arms wide, he shouted, “Come, blessings!” He turned toward the water, then away from the woman, again shouting, “Come, blessings, come!”
The woman stopped in her tracks, taking in the scene. Her pensive mood deepening, she thought about the pure, direct spiritual appeal she was witnessing. Here was a man, she thought, who had made his way to the quiet, enduring presence of nature to call blessings into his life, to literally shout into the wind for the blessings he yearned for.
She started walking again, hoping to speak to the man and thank him for the much-needed inspiration she had gleaned from his spiritual practice. As she walked, the wind continued to carry his voice. “Come, blessings!
Come, blessings, come!” She started to speak the simple, powerful words along with him, feeling buoyed and increasingly freed each time.
Then, just as suddenly as when she first heard him, the man stopped shouting. And just as suddenly as when she first noticed him, the woman stopped walking.
A big, floppy-eared dog bounded joyfully toward the man, seeming to have emerged mystically from the mist.
The woman was close enough to the man to hear him, as he tousled the dog’s fur, exclaim, “Blessings! There you are! I thought I had lost you!”
At first the woman felt silly, having confused a dog named Blessings for a profound moment of communion with the divine. But as she continued on her walk, she smiled contentedly. The message she had received, the inspiration to ask clearly and plainly for the goodness, hope, peace and other blessings she yearned for, was real, even if the bearer of the message had four legs and a tail.
Perhaps, she thought, it was not a coincidence that the man had named his dog Blessings. And perhaps the dog had not been lost at all.
How do you call blessings into your life?