Romans 12 Project - Vs. 6

^{Verse 6}

 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;

Grace for the gift

Faith for the prophet

Differing

Proportional

Each of us

How to know

How much

Actual faith

The prophet has

The prophecy is not

The indicator

Of great faith

Faith is worked out

In today

Faith is

..... Grown

      ...... Steeled

             ...... Honed

By walking

Walking beside

The just and the unjust

As it rains

Walking beside

The joyful and the mourning

As the sun shines

Walking beside 

The healthy and the sick  

As the ground quakes

The prophecy is not

The measure

The proportion of our faith

Is relative

To the Walk

The prophet

....Us.....

Grows the grace

That we have

Residing

In us already

Grace for the gift

Faith for the prophet

Differing

Proportional

And

Only measured

By the Walk     

Romans 12 Project Vs. 5

Verse 5

So we, who are many, are one body in Christ,

and individually members one of another.

If every 

Musician, singer

And composer

Used 

One note

To express

The message of the melody

One single note

Every player

Every blower

Every jammer

Used only

One

There would be 

No message

No melody

No harmony

No beauty

There would be

No notes

And rests

And clefs

And sharps

There would be

No arrangements

No voices

No symphonies

If every musician

Songwriter and singer

Used only

One note

There would be

No music

There would only be

One note

No matter

The passion

The purity

Or the intensity

With which

That note was played

Still no music

Just 

One note.

However with

Many members

All singing and playing

The same song

Different notes

And tones

And styles

And forums

Come together 

And agree

Music

Universally

Cannot be simply

One note

Played loud and long

Being a part

Of a bigger body

Makes us all

Connected

Gives us all a part

A bigger meaning

A grander scale

Simply one body

Weaving together

Like music.

Romans 12 Project Vs. 4

Verse 4

For just as we have many members in one body

and all members do not have the same function

The intricacy

Of individuality

Presumes that

When the creation

Intention

Came into being

Every iota

Was significant

Every atom

Created 

In sync

In design

In deference to one another

The intricacy 

Of individuality

Presumes that

When the intention 

Of creation

Came into being

Every flutter

Every breath

Every movement

Was

Specific to

The individual

The intricacy

Of individuality

Presumes that

When creation

Was intended

Every single

Piece and part

All work in harmony

All together

To serve

The 

Intricate

Individual

Who is

The Creator

Romans 12 Project Vs. 3

Verse 3

For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself then he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgement as God has allotted to each a measure of faith

An honest assessment
That's all
Simple
Honest


The tightrope 
Of honesty
Between the land of
Where we used to be
And 
The land of our promise


Between guilt and shame
And pride and vanity
Is where 
Our honest assessment
Lives
Simply honest


We aren't what we 
Used to be
Nor are we where we
Should be
We are somewhere
In between


Fighting doubt
And guilt
And shame
And self-promotion
And blind ambition
And pride
Even in the name of the faith


Our measure
Is only our measure of
Faith


The work done 
In us
The work still left
To do


An honest assessment
Of what grace
Has done
Of what victories
Have been won
Of what work
Mercy has wrought


Our measure of faith
Will help us
Make
An honest assessment
That's all
Simply 
Honest


No higher
And 
No lower
Than we really are


Honestly

Romans 12 Project Vs. 2

Verse 2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

There has to be a change
A change
     On the inside
A change
     In how we think
A change
     In what moves us
A change 
     In what we want

Otherwise

You, God, are unnecessary

Otherwise

We live for ourselves

Like we always have

There has to be a change
A change
     Of choices
A change
     Of dreams
A change
     Of desires
A change
     Of life itself

Otherwise

Proving Your will

Becomes unnecessary

Otherwise

We continue 

To drown in ourselves

There has to be a change
A change
     For good
A change
     For what is acceptable
A change
     Toward Your perfect will


Change begins
     In our choices
     In our habits
     In our lifestyle
     In our heart
     In our mind


There has to be a change
There must be renewal

Otherwise

We live for ourselves

Like we always have.

Romans 12 Project Vs. 1

Verse 1

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

The truth is

We all

Serve somebody

We all

Serve something

The truth is

We all 

Present

Our bodies

For service

Somewhere.

We present ourselves

In service

To what

Serves us best

To what

Fills our needs.

At the gym

At the restaurant

At the dealers house

At the store

At work

At home

At church

To be

Alive

And holy

And acceptable to God

As a sacrifice...

It takes

The mercies of God.

Because 

The truth is

Our natural 

Inclination

Is to 

Serve

Ourselves

The truth is

A spiritual

Service of worship

Is the very least

But the very best

We can offer

Because 

The truth is

Our natural 

Inclination

Is to

Serve

Ourselves.

Romans 12 Project Introduction

It is confession time.


I am an Old Testament woman. I am a 'picture person' which makes the Old Testament work really well for me. Stories and pictures of people and tribes and nations, kings and priests and travellers, ... well, the words jump off the page to me. I find myself in those people, those stories. I am drawn to those old friends time and time again to receive inspiration, to see myself, to see mercy, ... to see all the things I so desperately want to be evident in my experience.


These days I am finding myself drawn more often to the instruction of the New Testament. In my world, both  the Old and the New become the perfect balance. The balance of story and history and experience, with instruction and wisdom and guidance. It took me longer to warm up to the New Testament, but when I started reading them together, embracing the balance they both bring to my life, it all comes alive.


Apparently this writing project is not complete yet. With a couple of fairly clear confirmations, Romans 12 is the next passage that is burning in my heart. 


It will come the same way as Psalm 139, a verse a day.

Thanks for taking a look. Feel free to drop me a note, speak.timely@gmail.com if you like. I'd love to hear from you.


So this is how it speaks to me ...