Welcoming Gifts

<p><span style="color: rgba(30, 31, 33, 1)">In modern parlance, the word </span><em style="color: rgba(30, 31, 33, 1)">sacrifice</em><span style="color: rgba(30, 31, 33, 1)"> conjures images of suffering, loss, and even martyrdom. But sacrifice as practiced in the Old Testament and throughout the ancient world was most often the occasion of joyous celebration-a way of drawing near to God and to the other members of the community. </span><em style="color: rgba(30, 31, 33, 1)">Welcoming Gifts</em><span style="color: rgba(30, 31, 33, 1)"> explores the history of sacrifice, the meaning of Christ's sacrifice, and what the concept should mean for Christians today-a way of expressing and cementing our relationship with God.</span></p>