So many stinkin' rules

Dear Family, There are some really weird “rules” in the Old Testament. It tells me stuff that can't be eaten or worn or planted or read.  I am pretty persuaded that we aren’t meant to be bound by all that stuff, but that doesn’t make it irrelevant. It’s part of a story about what it means for God to get close to us. Leviticus (for instance) has a lot to unpack hermeneutically and I won’t do all of that here. What I do want to do is show you Jesus in these ancient ritual “rules.” I want to show you how we are made clean and how we offer that to others. This sermon is about how our consecration (being made holy) is infectious and changes the world.   Since this sermon comes from like 10 chapters, I want you to spend a few minutes thinking about how your own list of rules that you think should be followed may have kept you from infectious holiness. It may have kept you from seeing the world the way God does—as a place and people that he loves and longs to draw near. Pastor Jace