“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” - Romans 12:1
When Paul writes his letter of introduction to the Christians in Rome, he knows that the congregation is a mixture of people who had been devout Jews and those from pagan backgrounds who worshiped the Roman gods. Those traditions are profoundly different, but in both there are cultic practices of sacrifice.
Jews had grain offerings, sin offerings, atonement offerings outlined in the Torah. Animals and produce were brought to the Temple as a way of showing gratitude or seeking forgiveness from God. Similarly, pagan worship involved making sacrifices before particular gods who were said to then grant the desires of the worshiper. Sacrifices could bring good harvests, healing from disease, or financial prosperity.
Paul honors the heart of such traditions while transforming the means by which sacrifices are made. Sacrifice in the cultic sense is an act of humility, a recognition that all of life is connected to God’s will. No one who presents sacrifices bows to the idol of being “self-made.” It takes the work and affection of a holy being to bring about the goodness of life.
Paul promotes this kind of humility and holiness, but he moves them away from the cultic practices of burning produce or slaying animals. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.
The Christian, therefore, does not seek out opportunities to put our bodies in harm’s way. It is a living sacrifice. Our devotion and love for God, then, is seen in our deeds of kindness, patient endurance in trials, and through generous gifts to the destitute.
In times when we aren’t in a pandemic it meant driving a friend to a chemo appointment or bringing a homebound member to church. It is the casserole for the family with the new baby, picking up school supplies for West End Center, singing in the choir, and chaperoning the overnight youth retreat. Using our bodily lives to enact the Jesus Way and thus show our love for God and our connection to God.
In COVID-19 times, the great irony is that we are a living sacrifice when we use our words and deeds to promote the safety and well-being of the vulnerable. Wearing masks, avoiding crowds, advocating for safety in schools and limiting our recreational plans. We are called to make sacrifices so that our neighbors can live, and in our self-restraint we actually show a deepening understanding and commitment of the neighbor-love our Savior teaches us.
The goal is not to sacrifice our lives for God. The goal is to be a living sacrifices, manifesting grace daily for as many days as we are granted.
Prayer:
Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-547)
O gracious and holy God,
Give us diligence to seek you,
wisdom to perceive you,
and patience to wait for you.
Grant us, O God,
a mind to meditate on you;
eyes to behold you;
ears to listen for your word;
a heart to love you;
And a life to proclaim you;
through the power of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-The Rev.. Andrew C. Whaley, Head of Staff
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Wednesday Communion Service
The Wednesday morning Communion Service has resumed. You are invited to join us in worship at 7:00 AM in the columbarium.
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Congregational Meeting Vote
Because of the nature of yesterday's meeting, both the election of Elders and Deacons and the Associate Pastor will happen electronically instead of by voice vote. Click here for a 2 question survey where you can vote on the two items before us. That survey will be live until Wednesday at 12:00 PM. Once we close the voting period, we will alert you of the outcome of the congregational meeting.
Click the image below to meet our candidate for Associate Pastor at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church, Isabella Fagiani
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The Recipes of Quarantine
With some restaurants still closed and trips cancelled, most people are cooking almost all of their meals at home. Each week we will feature a favorite family recipe from RCPC congregants.
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Opportunity for Generosity - August 2020
West End Center for Youth is a non-profit organization located at the corner of Patterson Ave and 13th Street. The program was created in 1979 to give the neighborhood children a safe place to focus on homework and fun activities. The center now serves over 100 children in the West End area of Roanoke and beyond providing after school care with homework tutoring and other opportunities to enrich their lives. RCPC has had a long-time relationship supporting the endeavors of the center.
The West End Center Friends Mission Group would like to encourage you to participate in the August School Supplies Drive. This year it is so important to help parents to not worry about paying for school supplies with all the other worries of how will I feed and clothe my children. There are various ways you can help. For questions please contact Susan Kessler. (skess21@gmail.com or 312-2331).
- You can purchase items and drop off by the church (see the list of needed items) from Sunday, August 2 through Sunday, August 16. The bin will be available during the week as well. Just come by the church and the bin will be close to the outside door from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. The bin will be cleared out each afternoon and brought inside so no deliveries after 2:00 pm.
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You can send in a donation. Use our online giving option or mail a check to the church. Be sure to mark in the notes: WEC School Supplies. It takes about $50 or more to supply a child with what is requested by their teacher each year. You can sponsor a child or send in a donation to cover some of the cost of one or more children.
- You can join the West End Center Friends Mission Group. Contact Susan Kessler to be added to our Group. We serve as tutors during homework time at the center. In addition, we also help to purchase and bag the school supplies, support their race fundraiser “Spooky Sprint” in October, run the Socks and Underwear for WEC kids in November, and provide items for the Spring Bling Silent Auction. Any member can participate in any variety of these activities and doesn’t always serve as a tutor.
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Habitat for Humanity
We are looking for construction volunteers to help on Saturday, September 12 with the construction of a Habitat for Humanity house. Must be at least 16 years old. Volunteers are needed from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Details of exact projects to be completed will be available soon. Sign-Up online at:
The Habitat Mission… and a little history…
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. HFH was founded on the personal conviction of Millard Fuller in 1976 that every man, woman and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all. Millard put his Christian faith into action personally and then shared his conviction, and now there are Habitat affiliates all over the world. Habitat-Roanoke was started in 1986 by members of a local church and for many years was a volunteer-run non-profit. Habitat-Roanoke now has a vibrant staff that oversees the mission in our valley.
Not able to volunteer but still want to support the mission? You can donate online at:
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House of Bread Update
House of Bread is up and running with a lot of COVID-19 precautions in place. We have new students and are baking the second and fourth Fridays of each month. Bread orders for August 14 are now live on our website (www.houseofbreadroanoke.com/new-products) and bread can be picked up curbside at the LEAP kitchen or at a pick up location in Raleigh Court or South Roanoke. We have a need for mentors who can commit to meeting with a student once a week for eight weeks as well as volunteers to deliver restaurant meals to our students the First Friday of each month. To volunteer please contact Lisa Goad (lbgoad@gmail.com).
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South Sudan Mission Group
A video about South Sudan has been produced especially for our Presbytery by Debbie Braaksma, coordinator of the World Mission's Africa Area Office, and Christi Boyd, mission co-worker based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is titled "Lessons Learned on Reconciliation and What the Church Is Doing" and will be shown at 11:30 on August 15 during the Presbytery meeting. Access is through the Presbytery of the Peaks Facebook page, where it will also be available for viewing, at your convenience, after the meeting. As we continue to work on discerning God's call for members of the Presbytery to be in a relationship with the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS), this will give us insight to some of the work that they are doing and give us a chance to think about how we might work together to use what they have learned to help with the reconciliation desired here.
If you would like to join with others in the Presbytery to explore more about South Sudan and how we might work together with PCOSS, contact Sandra Whitt (sandrarcpc@yahoo.com, 540-330-3451)
Thank you! Peace.
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#Blessed
We see it on Facebook and Instagram whenever someone sees a beautiful sunset from their beach house, or when someone eats a deliciously prepared meal, or when a person’s children have won an award or built something fantastic. #Blessed. To be blessed, in this way, is to have a life that is beautiful, fun, exemplary, and an envy to others. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, however, the notion of blessing is turned upside down. Join us this summer as we look together at the Beatitudes and how Jesus’ life embodies blessing for the poor in spirit, mourners, the meek, those seeking righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and even blessing in persecution. Together we will be asking what it looks like for Christians be to be #blessed.
Aug 9: Blessed are the Peacemakers pp. 109-122
Aug 16: Blessed are Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake pp. 123-136
Aug 23: No Readings
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Zoom Bible Studies
While we are unable to host our regular congregational opportunities, you are invited to join us for two different Bible studies using Zoom, an online meeting platform. There are two opportunities each week to participate. You will need to create an account on Zoom to participate: www.zoom.us
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Podcast
Did you know RCPC has a podcast on iTunes? Use your iPhone or iPad to subscribe today to the podcast. Each week the most recent sermon and the Wednesday Reflection are uploaded, so you can listen at your convenience as you walk the dog, take your daily run, or drive to the grocery store. Our spiritual lives are part of the daily routines. Use this podcast as a way to stay connected to your Church and God's Word throughout the week!
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AUGUST BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES |
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Special Birthday Wishes:
Tweetie Lyon celebrating her 96th birthday on August 2.
Jack Stanley celebrating his 91st birthday on August 8.
Special Anniversary Wishes:
Dennis & Glenna Fisher on celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary on August 17.
Charles & Nancy Favor on celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary on August 28.
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1 Gini Agee
Lisa Boylan
Sloan Sebolt
2 Tweetie Lyon
4 Robert Frantz
James Mountcastle
Robert Mountcastle
5 Jeff Newman
7 Genevieve Gannon
Anne Travers
8 Jack Stanley
9 Lyndsey Onyett
10 Van T. Renick, Jr.
11 India Atkinson
13 Charlotte Biddle
Joe McCrobie
14 Sue Cook
Patrick McGraw
15 Caleb Dietz
Jonathan Stanley
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17 Augusta Kessler
18 Sherry Frantz
19 Rob Jarrett
Jeanne Welch
21 Michael Sheets
22 Haley Lynch
24 Anthony Sackett
25 Adam Peters
26 David Kazner
Orin Reynolds-Saint
27 Leigh-Anne Williams
28 Peter Danyi
Susan Davis
Anne Larimer
Becky Marsh
Marilyn Martin
29 Elizabeth Danco
Sarah Grace Danco
Rosalie Flowers
30 Carolyn Kazner
31 Marion Raney
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THIS WEEK
The This Week is published every Monday morning via email. This publication is for weekly activities at RCPC. If you would like to receive this email please contact Julie Satterwhite at Julie@rcpres.org or call the church office at 540-343-5541.
The deadline for the This Week is noon on Wednesday prior to the Monday publication.
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Helen Barranger, Mary Frances Donnelly, Bill Gordge,, the Holt Family, Dick Kepley, Susan Lindstrom, Helen Lovelace, Irene Maygarden, Susan Moore, Jennifer Owen-O'Quill, Daryl Polythress, Marion Raney, the Rusgrove family, Bucky Thomas, Marcia Via, Betty Walker, and all caregivers.
(Prayers request as of Friday, August 7)
Names in bold indicate an addition to the prayer list this week.
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1837 Grandin Road SW, Roanoke, Virginia 24015 540.343.5541 |
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