Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt-offering and the sin-offering and the guilt-offering were to be slaughtered.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, December 11, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Yes, the temple was a place of ritual slaughter. That was a huge part of the Jewish faith—making things right with God by offering God a sacrifice. We may not kill animals in our worship practices anymore, but truly communing with God still requires sacrifice. At a bare minimum we give up time for worship. And we are encouraged to contribute our talents and our financial resources to God’s work in the world.
On a more emotional/spiritual level, I have found the need to sacrifice my ego. Not my sense of self, but my need to be the one calling the shots. I need to leave on the altar my desire for control of people, places, and situations. I need to offer to God my best self, and open myself for God to work in and through me. When I make these sacrifices, I truly do connect more closely to God.
What things do I sacrifice—or need to sacrifice—to feel connected to God?
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
