"The Real Meaning of Sacrifice"

Pastor Laura Guy

September 10, 2006

Note: Because this series involves showing film clips and finding connections to Scripture, the audio does not lend itself to the full experience of live worship. However, you are welcome to listen and follow along if you like. If you'd like to hear a message that provides a more-satisfying listening experience, please check out our message achive page.

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We read Romans 3:21-26.
We talked about those moments in time when we know we have hurt someone, when we have crossed a line and we can't go back, no matter how badly we wish we could. In the story of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the character Edmund has a moment like that. He betrays his brother and sister, and it becomes clear to him that he has put them in mortal danger, but there is nothing he can do to make things right again.
We watched how the White Witch came to make her claim on Edmund's life. Because he was a traitor, he belonged to her and must be killed upon the Stone Table. Aslan, the great lion and king of Narnia, speaks privately with the witch, and she renounces her claim on Edmund's life. It isn't clear until a short while later that the price of renouncing the claim on Edmund is Aslan's own life. He willingly submits to pain, humiliation and death so that Edmund can live.
We thought about the Christian symbolism in this story. We are all like Edmund, at times selfish and greedy and willing to hurt and betray others in order to make ourselves feel more important. But the only thing that really made Edmund important is when Aslan gave his own life in exchange for Edmund's. This is what Jesus did for us.
We realized the great love that Christ has for us, and we prayed with gratitude for the gift of grace that he offers us.
We celebrated communion around the table of love.
In Act(s) II, we shared our thoughts about the crucifixion of Jesus and what it means to us.