Continual Worship

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, September 3rd, 2023:
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Romans
12.1-2

I appeal to you, 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. 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.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

I enjoy watching short videos and reels on social media. I really appreciate the hilarity – and to marvel at the chance of something unexpected having been caught on video. I love how funny people are – and the ridiculous things their pets do. It’s all good, clean fun – or is it?

In the past, I’ve given up social media for Lent, recognizing that it is taking up more time in my life than I would like. I’ve taken the apps off the home screen of my phone, but it doesn't take long before I’ve memorized how to find them anyway. I’ve succeeded in cutting back the time I spend scrolling, and I know I really should fully take them off my phone, but I don’t, because, well, we all know they are designed so that I don’t want to. And it has worked!   

Of course, social media is not the only way in which we are conformed to something of the world, nor is it all bad. But the truth is that renewing my mind is the last thing I want to do when I’m tired, or overwhelmed, or feeling like I need some rest. That’s when I want to zone out, to do something mindless, to be entertained. And of course, we all need time to recharge our batteries. But what Saint Paul is saying here is something different – it’s about a certain intentionality with which we are being asked to live. The times when I am tired or overwhelmed are exactly the times when I am prone to being conformed to the world, and without the discipline of regular prayer, how can I discern the will of God? Why am I even getting so tired and overwhelmed, anyway? 

The difference is restoration and renewal, not just escape from stress or boredom. Growth and discovery are God’s desire for me – He wants me to reach my full potential. Building relationships and creating memories, honing skills, feeding creativity, cultivating curiosity; these are all things that are good and acceptable and perfect. These things are the things that help me recognize He who is responsible for it all, who is more than worthy of my praise; my life then becomes a continual act of worship, and is all the more beautiful for it. 

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Thanks be to God!

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Lindsay Elford

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