Frogs and Renewing
You may be familiar with the illustration about the frog in the beaker. Put a frog in a beaker of cold water and he will be happy. Then you can begin to very slowly heat the water. If you do it slowly enough, the frog will never even notice the change and will die before even attempting to jump out of the beaker. The frog simply isn’t aware of the water, nor of how the water is changing him.
The problem is that a frog is “cold blooded,” biologically speaking. It simply takes on the temperature of its surroundings and has no independent standard for temperature. People, like all mammals, are “warm blooded,” meaning that our bodies are equipped to maintain a very precise temperature, regardless of the outside temperature. Our bodies have a standard by which we measure our surroundings and respond appropriately. Put me in a tub of warm water and I’ll be fine, but I’ll notice if you begin to heat the water, and I’ll climb out long before it gets hot enough to hurt me.
Unfortunately, we lack that absolute standard when it comes to the influence of our culture. It surrounds us, permeates us, and changes us, and, like the frog, we don’t even notice the change. It wasn’t that long ago that Rob and Laura Petrie, on the Dick Van Dyke show, didn’t even share a bed. I don’t need to point out how much those standards of changed!
Without consistent, sober and prayerful effort, we naturally take on the values and perspectives of the culture and people around us. Yet, our faith calls us to be different. To be distinct. Paul saw the danger of this and warned the Romans, “Do 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.” (Click here to read the full passage.)
The antidote Paul offers is that we be “transformed by the renewing of [our] minds.” That requires work. Study. Careful thought. Conversation. Support. Read your Bible. Study it with others. Pray that God would renew you!
This is one of the reasons we offer small group Bible studies, classes, etc. in the life of St. John’s. Many of our studies are starting back up over the next couple of weeks. If you are not already involved in one, I encourage you to find one!
If you relax, you will find yourself conformed rather than transformed. But if you are faithful in the attempt, God will renew you!
In Christ,
Fr. Eric Turner
Rector
Collect for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
On Sunday we will read:
Exodus 1:8-2:10
Psalm 124
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:13-20
