Praying Together 23rd August 2026

So the commandment is a challenge. To love those who betray you. Those who jeer. Those who wield the whips embedded with flint, hammer in the nails, pierce your side.

Trinity 12

Romans 12: 1-18

I appeal to you therefore, 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. ²Do 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.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Do not be conformed to this world – it’s in a whole lotta trouble

Be a transformer instead

Reflection

Cambridge dictionary definition: ‘Conform’ – to behave according to the usual standards of behaviour that are expected by a group or society.

So what are the world’s standards of behaviour? Perhaps we should look to the current behaviour of our world and its leaders, and measure them against the will of God as illustrated and expected by the Commandments, summarised by Jesus as ‘Love God and Love your neighbour.’ If God sent a team of angels to do an audit on current world leadership, what would they find?

Billionaires using social media to maximise profit by targeting children.
Reckless destruction of the environment – fossil fuels, deforestation, overfishing.
Ongoing economic and physical violence against any ‘tribes’ whose values/ traditions/ cultures/ religions differ.
Fundamentalist and/or populist political leadership telling barefaced lies without shame.
Deployment of technologies without assessing consequence – weaponised AI, ultra-processed food, uncontrollable Internet.
Increasing domestic and gender-based violence exacerbated by childhood exposure to adult examples.

So in rejecting these, what would the angelic report offer as alternative non-conforming and positive transformations?

You.

Yes you, with all the baggage you brought and left at the foot of the cross, as you accepted forgiveness and resolved to start again with The Holy Spirit as your guide. All that is needed to put the Commandment to love God and Neighbour into daily practice is for you to commit to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with Him in your life, and the Victory is sure.

Walking with you, He has overcome the World.

Open your eyes but don’t let go of His hand…