"The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it." (Leviticus 6:12, NIV)
This quarter I noticed particularly that, "The fire (is) on the altar...." It is not "on" me, my church, my work.
I have concurred with the Unitas Fratrum Community's application of our text that, at least in part, our text can be a reference to that Acts passage, "but prayer was made without ceasing of the church...." Today, however, I took notice of the place of that, "fire...must be kept burning"; it was, "on the altar." Along with, "prayer...made without ceasing of the church," there is here a sense of the continual awareness, perhaps a perpetual honoring, worshiping of, "Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us." The Reformation Study Bible says, "The action was perhaps prescribed as a reminder of God's continual presence and the people's need for continual atonement. The first burnt offering at the tabernacle was consumed by fire from God Himself."
I have many problems with Catholicism, but there is something in the concept of the "daily Mass" which is seen in our text. Regardless of some mythological aspects of the Mass, it is focused on the Blood and Body of Jesus. Whatever they believe about it, this is not a "continual atonement," in the sense of perpetual sacrifice of Jesus. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is a, "once for all," completed act. Perhaps this is why the great Pastor-Statesman, G. Campbell Morgan took communion every day. I pray for an every-moment-of-every-day, "not go out," awareness of the Blessed Trinity Presence. I pray for an every-moment-of-every-day awareness, meditative, honoring, worhipping Jesus, "Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us." Prayer, "on the Altar," worshipping, "on the Altar," serving and living, "on the altar," continually remembering that we can/may only talk with God because, "Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us." In short, our text says to me that no matter what I do in life, it is not separate from, "the altar of sacrifice."
"Prayer...made without ceasing of the Church," should be, "....On the altar...prayer without ceasing...." How much less self-centered praying, how much less, "I declare" praying, how much less me, family, job, local church, nation-centered praying would be ours if the Shed Blood, Death and Resurrection of Jesus be the "Altar" upon which our 24/7 praying, serving, worshiping, "missioning," and everything else is centered, foundational! Pray all that we pray, but literally "begin" and "end" with, "on the altar."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I don't fully grasp all of this, but I know You are "there" somewhere in it. Amen.
**************
DC Mission: January 27
Berlin Mission: September
This quarter I noticed particularly that, "The fire (is) on the altar...." It is not "on" me, my church, my work.
I have concurred with the Unitas Fratrum Community's application of our text that, at least in part, our text can be a reference to that Acts passage, "but prayer was made without ceasing of the church...." Today, however, I took notice of the place of that, "fire...must be kept burning"; it was, "on the altar." Along with, "prayer...made without ceasing of the church," there is here a sense of the continual awareness, perhaps a perpetual honoring, worshiping of, "Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us." The Reformation Study Bible says, "The action was perhaps prescribed as a reminder of God's continual presence and the people's need for continual atonement. The first burnt offering at the tabernacle was consumed by fire from God Himself."
I have many problems with Catholicism, but there is something in the concept of the "daily Mass" which is seen in our text. Regardless of some mythological aspects of the Mass, it is focused on the Blood and Body of Jesus. Whatever they believe about it, this is not a "continual atonement," in the sense of perpetual sacrifice of Jesus. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is a, "once for all," completed act. Perhaps this is why the great Pastor-Statesman, G. Campbell Morgan took communion every day. I pray for an every-moment-of-every-day, "not go out," awareness of the Blessed Trinity Presence. I pray for an every-moment-of-every-day awareness, meditative, honoring, worhipping Jesus, "Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us." Prayer, "on the Altar," worshipping, "on the Altar," serving and living, "on the altar," continually remembering that we can/may only talk with God because, "Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us." In short, our text says to me that no matter what I do in life, it is not separate from, "the altar of sacrifice."
"Prayer...made without ceasing of the Church," should be, "....On the altar...prayer without ceasing...." How much less self-centered praying, how much less, "I declare" praying, how much less me, family, job, local church, nation-centered praying would be ours if the Shed Blood, Death and Resurrection of Jesus be the "Altar" upon which our 24/7 praying, serving, worshiping, "missioning," and everything else is centered, foundational! Pray all that we pray, but literally "begin" and "end" with, "on the altar."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I don't fully grasp all of this, but I know You are "there" somewhere in it. Amen.
**************
DC Mission: January 27
Berlin Mission: September
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
