Transformed

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been preaching a series of late about hospitality, in all its nuances. The very first scripture that always comes to mind, whenever I hear that word hospitality, is Romans 12, especially verse 13.

It seems to me that in order for us to come even close to living a Christian lifestyle like that which St. Paul so clearly spells out in these verses, then we must be transformed (see vv. 1-2). I.e., utterly changed...become something entirely different than what we are now. This is something which, in my experience, we cannot accomplish on our own, no matter how much we like to think we can, or how many personal empowerment seminars we attend, or how many New Age gurus we listen to telling we are essentially gods ourselves and have all the power to change the world. A couple of synonyms for transformation illustrate the point: conversion, transmutation, transfiguration.

To practice radical Biblical hospitality is no small thing!

Here's a prayer for transformation, based (very) loosely and adapted (significantly) from a prayer I found on some website in Australia...it was a strange, New-Agey type church, seeming to focus on the Self as some type of deity. Which really is the problem, no? :-)

Prayer for Transformation

God of my heart, help me to enter into the presence of my own self,
into the deep places within me, where You are waiting, dwelling,
where Your Spirit lives and breathes life into me.

Help me not to look to the right or to the left, above or below,
but to have a perception of reality, of all life, that is shaped by You.
Help me see he world as You see the world.
And help me see myself as You see me.
Show me the things You want to change in me, and help me submit.

Take away from me all the shields I have built over the years.
Tear away from me that which is false, that which is error, that which is not truth.
Give me an inkling of the greatness You will call forth from me,
and help me to bow down before You, in all things;
especially Lord, help me submit to Your love for others, and use me.

Use me, Lord, as a living sacrifice; help be conformed to Your will,
Transformed by Your love and power.
Help me love sincerely, cling to the good, welcome the stranger,
and freely, generously, offer all I can to everyone I can.

This I pray in the name Jesus, who saves me, loves me, calls me, teaches me.

Amen.