moving beyond the inconsequential

Yesterday was one of those difficult but good days. Difficult for me personally, but good for me in terms of re-centering myself upon Christ. My sense of brokenness stems from an experience I had while writing an exam unlike any other I have ever had before. I was working my way through my German mid term, there were no shocking surprises with any of the material that was covered on the test, but there was simply not enough time for me to finish all the material on the test. The clock became my nemesis. Each passing second brought the fifty minute class nearer to its end, and when the moment of reckoning came I had only completed about 70-75% of the test. This experience became a dark shadow consuming my every thought.

Wallowing in self pity, I spent my lunch break checking my email and to browsing a few blogs. It was then that I encounter Jayson's post on Ash Wednesday and Lent: Ash Wednesday: Lent. It was not so much the content of the post that struck me so hard, but a sense of how far I had allowed my focus to drift into inconsequential waters. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, a day set apart for followers of Christ to engage in repentance and complete surrender.

Later that evening, along with a group of friends, we were discussing the implications of Romans 12:1, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship."

Following this time of study, worship and prayer I was left asking question, "What does it mean for me to be a living sacrifice?" It is my desire to explore the answers to this question as we journey together through the contemplative season of Lent.