e.g. John 18:14 – It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

This is in fact the jewel in the landfill.

I too hope you have a great thanksgiving surrounded by people who love and care about you.

In her column bio, Sally Quinn states: “I announced to my parents when I was 13 that I was an atheist. And I was a committed atheist all of my life…. I don’t have any idea who or what God is.” In her recent “On faith” [sic] column, “Sarah Palin’s ‘rogue’ Christianity”, it is difficult to tell whether Quinn was spiritually moved more by her terminal PDS or her obvious ignorance about Christianity.

This is not to say that it is impossible to find some isolated phrase of theological value in Sally Quinn’s columns; just as it is also theoretically possible to find something for your Thanksgiving dinner at a municipal landfill.

Now the rest are eucharistic sacrifices, which are called sacrifices of praise, Lev. 3:1f.; 7:11f.; Ps. 56:12f., namely, the preaching of the Gospel, faith, prayer, thanksgiving, confession, the afflictions of saints, yea, all good works of saints. These sacrifices are not satisfactions for those making them, or applicable on behalf of others, so as to merit for these, ex opere operato, the remission of sins or reconciliation. For they are made by those who have been reconciled. 26] And such are the sacrifices of the New Testament, as Peter teaches, 1 Pet. 2:5: An holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Spiritual sacrifices, however, are contrasted not only with those of cattle, but even with human works offered ex opere operato, because spiritual refers to the movements of the Holy Ghost in us. Paul teaches the same thing Rom. 12:1: Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, which is your reasonable service. Reasonable service signifies, however, a service in which God is known, and apprehended by the mind, as happens in the movements of fear and trust towards God. Therefore it is opposed not only to the Levitical service, in which cattle are slain, but also to a service in which a work is imagined to be offered ex opere operato, The Epistle to the Hebrews 13:15, teaches the same thing: By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; and he adds the interpretation, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. He bids us offer praises, i.e., prayer, thanksgiving, confession, and the like. These avail not ex opere operato, but on account of faith. This is taught by the clause: By Him let us offer, i.e., by faith in Christ.