May 29, 2022 by achristoffels

Leading with Kindness

Readings for the day (7^th Sunday of Easter – Sunday, May 29, 2022):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

A few weeks ago, our family went and explored Quarry Park. It was a beautiful day for a hike and our children had never been to the park before. They wanted to be in charge of deciding which trails we went on. So, when we came upon a fork in the trail, they raced to the posted map to see where we were at and made the choice of which path we were going to go on next. Which was fine because I know how to read maps too. So, I was not worried at all about getting lost. We might end up zig zagging and back tracking. But we won’t get lost. It would have been an entirely different adventure, though, had we not had access to a map of the park, or GPS on our phones.

A map or GPS are wonderful tools, and they certainly help us know where we’re at. But without various mapping tools, we can easily lose our bearings and get all turned around to the point where we don’t know where we’re at. Where we get to a point of being lost. And when we get lost and don’t know where we’re at, a feeling of hopelessness begins to set in.

The same is true in times of suffering or pain. It’s during these difficult times where the pain gets to us and becomes overwhelming to the point where we lose our bearings and get lost. And when we get lost, instead of doing the will of God and following Him, we seek to find relief from the pain by endlessly searching this world – this world that at best can only provide us with some temporary relief, and yet that relief is still filled with hopelessness.

This past week, we had yet again another school shooting. A senseless act of violence that murdered nearly an entire classroom. And of course, this incident has already restarted the ongoing political debates – from both sides. But let’s keep politics out of this because 19 children were killed. This isn’t a political issue; it’s a human issue. It’s a neighbor issue. Why are we literally killing each other? Why do we lack respect for one another? Why do we not value the lives of our neighbors? If we actually valued each other and had respect for one another, then the things we stay and the actions that we take would look and feel completely different than they currently do.

God knew through personal experience that valuing and respecting our neighbors is a hard task for us to follow. Going all the way back to Cain and Abel, God knew that we struggle with respecting each other. So that’s why when the Ten Commandments were given to Moses, only three of the commandments address how we are to respect and honor God. The other seven commandments (70% of the commandments) instruct and guide us in how to live with each other – how to care for and respect one another.

So, instead of making this a political debate that will never get us anywhere because of the deep political divide in our country, let’s focus on what is really at stake here – valuing and respect one another. And we begin by leading with kindness. So, we don’t say nasty things about other people – whether to their face or even behind their back. We talk about our neighbors in the best possible way. And we give ourselves this same treatment. If you are not first loving and caring for yourself, you won’t be loving and caring to your neighbor either. So be kind not only to the people that you encounter, but also be kind to those whom you live with, and that includes yourself.

Before being arrested in the garden, Jesus prays for His disciples. This prayer begins in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel, and it continues through chapter 17. Now at end of the prayer, Jesus’ focus turns to not only His first disciples who are with Him in the garden, but for anyone who believes in Jesus in the future. Jesus says that He prays on behalf of all those who will believe in Him because of the word that His disciples will share with the world.[1] So not only do we have others praying for us, but Jesus Himself is committed to praying on our behalf.

Unfortunately, tragic situations get turned into political capital. And so, we’ll hear one side saying, “our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.” And then the other side will say, “Now is not the time for thoughts and prayers, but action and policy changes.” Meaning political action. And I say, do both. Pray and act. Do take action to better yourself and to better our community. Take action to be kind and respect your neighbors. And pray. Pray for the victims and their families. For prayer is a form of action. After all, Jesus believed in the power of prayer, and He instilled this belief in His disciples. Talk to God. God listens. And God responds. Plus, Jesus not only prayed for Himself and His disciples, He also prays for you.

So, we pray. We pray that God would once and for all bring an end to these tragedies. We pray that we may never get used to these senseless acts of violence. May we never get to a point where we accept these tragedies as our new normal. And when we do stray away. When we do get lost in the ways of this world, when we do lose our bearings and don’t know where we’re at, may we see the light of Christ that guides us to regaining our bearings and walk with God. For Jesus is our light in the midst of the darkness. Jesus is the One who is making all things new. For surely Jesus is coming soon, so that we may never lose our bearings, always having the light of Christ to guide us in the way of peace. Amen.

[1] John 17:20

May 22, 2022 by achristoffels

Seeing the Next Few Steps

Readings for the day (6^th Sunday of Easter – Sunday, May 22, 2022):

Acts 16:9-15

Psalm 67

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

John 14:23-29

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Last Sunday evening, I went out onto my deck and watched the lunar eclipse. I watched as the earth slowly blocked the sun’s light from reaching the moon. And although the moon didn’t completely disappear, it was very dimly lit with a faint reddish tint. With all of the artificial lights in town, the loss of the moon’s light really wasn’t all that dramatic. But now when we go camping, some evenings can get really dark – especially when there isn’t much light coming from the moon or the stars. When everything is going well in our lives, life feels bright and it’s easy to see what’s going on and where we’re going. But when everything gets crazy, when life feels like it is spinning out of control like a car that starts to hydroplane or hits some black ice, then life feels dark and difficult to even know where we’re at, let alone to know where we’re going.

Today’s readings are preparing us for Pentecost, the day in the church year where we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit – our guide and our advocate. And here Jesus is preparing His disciples for the dark road ahead, but He promises them that they won’t be alone. That there will be a guide, a helper, to assist them in navigating this chaotic and crazy life.

And we know crazy, don’t we? How everything can be going just fine, and then it feels like all hell breaks loose. Someone gets hurt. The stove breaks. The printer won’t connect. The car needs new tires. And then you forget an important meeting because you can’t even remember what day of the week it is. FYI – today is Sunday. Life gets crazy. And when life gets crazy busy, it becomes hard to prioritize and make space for God. We’ve already got a million things to do on any given day, and trying to find time to add one more thing to our “To Do List” is nearly impossible. Sometimes, even being here at worship is challenging to fit into our busy schedules. Because there’s so much going on in our lives. And that’s just the day-to-day things.

Today we are celebrating our seniors and all of the accomplishments that you have made in getting to your High School graduation. Now all of you seniors who will be graduating soon, you’ve already gotten a taste of this crazy thing we call life and having to prioritize your life. And soon you’ll be off on your own, exploring and navigating and prioritizing this crazy life. And whether you’ve got everything figured out as to what you plan to do after graduation, or the reality hasn’t even hit you yet that you’re graduating in 5 days and you might just need to start thinking about your future plans, know that no matter how crazy your life gets, and it can get pretty crazy, know that you have a helper who is always with you. For we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and the light of Christ to lead us. And in the book of Revelation, the Apostle John describes how the light of Christ helps us in this crazy life.

In this book, John describes a vision (or a revelation, hence the title of the book) that he has. It is certainly a rather vivid vision that compares two very distinct types of communities. The first community that John sees is one that at first glance looks to be a fine place. They have many wonderful things, amazing clothes, mounds of money. It appears to be great, but it’s foul. It’s immoral. It is filled with weeping and mourning and throwing dust on people’s heads. It is a place where everyone cares only about themselves.

The other community that John sees is one that is secure and vibrant, filled with abundance. Instead of having a vast array of possessions, this community has walls and many gates for security and openness. Instead of mounds of money, the community is covered in gold.

The first community that John sees is an image of how we can be. How communities can be so focused inwardly on themselves that we forget about each other. And when we do just that, we become foul, immoral people who care less about our neighbor and more about ourselves.

The other community that John sees however, describes God’s abundant kingdom that provides security not with walls of bricks but of mutual support within each other. A community that is covered in gold because what it values most is the river of life that flows seamlessly through the community and is abundantly provided by the tree of life. The river being a symbol of the importance of baptism in God’s community and the tree of life being a symbol of the life-giving sacrifice that Jesus gave for us.

Now as we go through this crazy thing we call life; we have a choice. We can choose to be like the first community. The one that is foul and immoral. And if we choose to be like that community, we will certainly suffer its fate. Or, we can choose to live in God’s kingdom. Where Jesus is our light. And when we keep Jesus at the center of our lives, it is easier for us to see the path that we are on. This doesn’t mean that we’ll be able to see the end of the path. But the light of Christ helps us to see and understand our present. It’s like walking around the campground in the dark with a flashlight. When doing so, you can’t see everything around you, but you can see where your next few steps will be. The light of Christ gives us just enough light to see where we are going.

Seniors, as you prepare to leave home, know that you don’t go alone. Through your baptism, you are given the light of Christ. And no matter where you go, God plans to make His home with you. God is with all of us wherever we go. And He promises to always be with us, to the end of time. At baptism, at the river of the water of life, God claimed you as one of His own by putting His name on your forehead. At the cross, at the tree of life, Jesus gave of Himself for you so that you may have life and have it abundantly. You may not always be able to see the end, but with the light of Christ, you will always be able to see your next step no matter how crazy or how dark this life gets. Amen.

May 15, 2022 by achristoffels

Reimagining Boundaries

Readings for the day (5^th Sunday of Easter – Sunday, May 15, 2022):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

In our backyard, we have a large privacy fence, which is so wonderful to have. It does a great job at keeping out what I don’t want to come in – for example, the neighbor’s dog. It’s also pretty good at keeping in what I don’t want to leave – like my children; although maybe that doesn’t sound quite right. And although the fence is beneficial in providing protection for my young children, especially with living so close to a main artery road, it does though tend to hinder the building of relationships with my neighbors.

Having barriers and some established boundaries provide many wonderful benefits. Like having a fenced in backyard for keeping children protected. These boundaries contain and shelter the people, and animals, and other things that we value most. Boundaries are good for defining who’s responsible for getting certain tasks done at work. Boundaries are clear in knowing where your plot of dirt ends, and where your neighbor’s property begins.

Wherever we go, we will encounter various barriers or boundaries. And there are many benefits to having said boundaries. But we know that boundaries and guidelines can also be restrictive. Boundaries can exclude. Boundaries can prevent growth from happening.

In the story from Acts today, Peter has just received a vision from God. One day, he went onto the roof of the house that he was staying at in order to pray, and there he has a vision – a vision of various animals on a large sheet. God told him to kill and eat, but Peter refuses. He refuses because his faith practice tells him that these animals are unclean, that they are unworthy to be consumed. Peter stays within the boundaries of what he was raised to follow – don’t eat anything that is profane or unclean. Peter, unsure of what this vision all means, notices that some men are at the door of the house looking for him. They were sent by Cornelius, a Roman centurion.

Now Peter willingly goes with these men to Cornelius’ house. When he arrives at the house, Peter is still rather unsure about why he’s even there. For the boundaries of the early church were very clear – this message of Jesus, is for the people of Israel and only for Israel, God’s chosen people. This message is not for the Gentiles. It is not for people outside of the Jewish faith. And Cornelius and his family were certainly not Jewish. Cornelius, and his entire family, are outsiders. People who don’t belong. People who are to remain on the other side of the established boundary. And Peter, as one of the insiders, is not supposed to associate or interact with these outsiders.

Now making distinctions like this and setting up boundaries of who belongs and who doesn’t belong, is nothing new for the church. The church has a long history of putting up barriers and creating divisions to clearly define who does and does not belong in the church.

SLIDE

In ancient and medieval churches, there are what’s called rood screens. These are barriers in the sanctuary, put in place to clearly see the boundaries. The chancel, the area by the altar was reserved for the ordained. Then the first third of the nave was reserved for the men who were baptized. The second third was reserved for the women who were baptized. And the last third was reserved for all of the unbaptized. And when it came time to celebrate Holy Communion, the partition between the baptized men and women and the unbaptized, was closed. Clearly showing who belongs and who doesn’t.

But this isn’t just an ancient or medieval tradition of the church. This boundary creating is also in the church’s more recent history. Such as when people who took their own lives, who committed suicide were not allowed to be buried in the church cemetery. And for churches that did allow their burial into the boundary of the church’s cemetery, they were only allowed to be buried on the outer edge of the cemetery grounds.

Ever since the church began, we have been setting up boundaries. And remember, not all boundaries are good. But not all boundaries are bad either. My fenced in backyard is great, that is, until my children figure out how to open the gate and get out. Then, we have a whole new challenge. And I’ve noticed that they are figuring out exactly how to open the gate right around the time when they get some wheels – like a bicycle. So now, the boundary that once protected them is now restricting them from growing. The boundary that once protected them is now holding them back from their potential growth.

The early church in Jerusalem was experiencing some growing pains. At first it worked great to simply say that this good news message of Jesus was for the people of Israel – God’s chosen people. That’s it. They didn’t have to worry about anyone else. If someone wasn’t Jewish, they could just ignore them. But, even without various social media platforms, this good news traveled quickly and broadly. To the point where the church was faced with a challenge on whether or not to have the boundaries of this good news redrawn…reimagined.

This story is quite terrifying for anyone who prefers the comforts of the church of yesterday, because as Peter learns, God’s vision for His church is bigger and more expansive than what we can possibly imagine. In Peter’s vision, he didn’t want to eat the unclean animals because they went beyond the boundary of what he knew. But God challenges Peter to reimagine that boundary. And it took a visit to Cornelius’ house for Peter to say, “Who am I to hinder God?”

Seven years ago, I officiated a small, intimate wedding with about 30 people present. The couple wanted to celebrate Holy Communion as one of the first things that they did together as husband and wife. After the service was over, I was in the sacristy, cleaning up from Holy Communion and my son, who was three years old at the time, came up to me, and pointing to one of the small cups of wine, he said, “Daddy, that’s Jesus.” Now prior to this moment, I held strong to the idea of not communing children prior to fifth grade. My three-year-old son challenged that boundary, getting me to reimagine who really needs Jesus. And at what age is a person ready to receive Jesus. The look on his face when I knelt down and handed him the host and said, “This is the body of Christ, given for you.” Priceless. Absolutely priceless. He was overjoyed to now be included in the celebration of this holy meal. I found myself asking, “Who am I to hinder God?”

Boundaries work to a point. But God has a history of challenging those boundaries and pushing the limits of our understanding. God broke all the barriers and all the boundaries in this world, by coming to dwell among us. Jesus is living proof that God can and will push the boundaries. And in Revelation, God promises that one day He will dwell with us forever. And that is God’s ultimate goal, to make His home in your midst. To be with you. To wipe every tear from your eye. To once and for all, put an end to death. So that you will no longer mourn or cry or experience pain. Who are you to hinder God? For it is God, who is pushing the boundaries to be with you, forever. Amen.

May 8, 2022 by achristoffels

More Than an Acquaintance

Readings for the day (4^th Sunday of Easter – Sunday, May 8, 2022):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

In my office, there are a couple of picture frames that are worth quite a bit of money. And actually, the frames themselves aren’t worth much. I’m pretty sure that they were a Walmart special. But inside the picture frame is what makes it valuable. Inside these frames, they hold not an important picture, but rather an important document. Documents that were expensive to acquire. These documents that are on display, show my credentials. They show where I got my education from. I have my diploma from college and from seminary in these frames, and I joke that I did all that work and in return all I got was an expensive piece of paper. But these documents remind me, and inform others, that I am qualified to do what I do – at least that’s what the paper says.

Today is often referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday. So, every year, on the fourth Sunday of Easter, we focus on scripture readings that support and show us how Jesus is qualified to be our Good Shepherd. How Jesus has the credentials to be our Good Shepherd. And to do this, we go back in time to Jesus’ ministry prior to His death and resurrection.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus is in the temple. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Jesus spends a lot of time in the temple. And so, some people ask Jesus, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, [just] tell us.”[1] The people are looking for Jesus’ credentials. They see Him in the temple a lot, but He doesn’t have an ID badge on, nor does Jesus have any documents displayed as to where He got His education on God’s Word from. They want answers. They want to know how He has the permission and the authority to do what He does. Where are His credentials?

So, Jesus answers their Messiah question with, “I have told you, and you don’t believe.”[2] He’s already told them where He comes from and by what authority Jesus has in teaching and healing the way He does. But that’s not good enough. They don’t want complicated answers. They want one simple answer. Are you the Messiah, yes or no? But it’s like when I help my children with their homework. I could just give them the answer, which would be clear and simple, and probably exactly what they would want me to do. But if I do that, they won’t actually learn anything, except how to ask their dad for answers to a math problem. Instead, I help them figure out the answer on their own. Because then, they not only learn how to solve their particular homework problem, they also learn a valuable connection that will help them for the rest of their lives. They learn important problem-solving skills that will benefit them beyond one particular homework assignment.

Jesus could simply tell the people if He is or is not the Messiah. But the connection that is formed between Him and His people won’t be genuine. It won’t be authentic. The relationship between the Messiah and His people won’t be anything more than an acquaintance at best.

And there certainly is a difference between being an acquaintance and truly knowing someone. Sure, you can recognize someone – you can pick them out of a crowd of people. But you know, social media can do the same thing now. Social media has the capability of recognizing faces in pictures that are posted. When I go to tag someone in a picture, the software puts the correct name at the top of the list. So just because you recognize someone’s face, doesn’t mean that you know the person.

The people in the temple are not interested in getting to know Jesus, or having Jesus get to know them. All they want to know is if He is indeed the Messiah, the One they’ve been waiting for. Or is He not. Because if He’s not, they aren’t going to waste any more time with Him. They have no interest in forming a relationship with Jesus. And yet, that’s what Jesus desires for them, and for us. Jesus wants to know everything about us, and He wants us to know everything about Him. And the only way to get to know someone is to take the necessary time to do that. To get to know someone. Parents don’t just instantly know everything about their child from the moment they are born. No, we have to learn and study our children. Eventually we learn the difference between a hungry cry and a tired cry, and when they’re crying because they need diaper change.

Getting to know someone takes time. It takes a commitment. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable with each other. As Jesus tries to explain to the people where to find His credentials in being the Son of God, Jesus connects His identity to knowing His sheep and His sheep knowing Him. Jesus answers their question with an answer that doesn’t describe who He is, but rather what He desires – specifically, Jesus desires a relationship with His sheep. A relationship so close that He can recognize your voice, and you can recognize His.

When you take the time to truly know someone, you learn to recognize subtle things in their life. You begin to notice when something just isn’t right, simply by hearing a change of tone in their voice. You truly know someone when you know just what to say or do that will bring a smile to their face.

It is this type of relationship that Jesus desires of you. He wants you so connected to Him that you recognize Him, and you recognize the works that He does for you. And Jesus promises you that if you are sheep in God’s flock, then He will be your shepherd. And even better, Jesus will be your Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd that lays down His life for you. So that even when you find yourself in a dark valley; even when you complain; even when you question or doubt – the Good Shepherd reminds you that He knows you. That He loves you. That He cares about you. He’s with you wherever you go. He knows you by name. And He’s got the credentials to prove that He is your Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd who speaks and His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. The Good Shepherd who leads and guides you. The Good Shepherd who protects and nourishes you. The Good Shepherd who will give you life for all of eternity, in the Father’s House. Amen.

[1] John 10:24, NRSV

[2] John 10:25, NRSV

May 2, 2022 by achristoffels

Screwup to Promotion

Readings for the day (3^rd Sunday of Easter – Sunday, May 1, 2022):

Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.

We are creatures of habit. Whether we admit to it or not, we enjoy having a routine. Most of us even function better when we stick to that routine. As bizarre as this sounds, I remember how wonderful it was to have the chaos of getting children ready and out the door for school after spending months doing school at home. It was wonderful to be franticly getting the children ready for school again. It sounds weird, but it felt like life was normal again. Whether we admit it or not, we enjoy (and even need) to have some sort of routine in our life.

And this is all well and good until the routine gets messed up and our lives are thrown into chaos. A child has to stay home from school because they’re sick. A co-worker doesn’t show up for work on time, or at all. A family member gets rushed to the hospital. A loved one dies unexpectedly. Routines are fine, until the routine gets messed up. Then, we have to shift. We juggle our schedule around. We adjust to do whatever needs to be done in that moment. And that’s fine, right? We can make temporary adjustments from time to time. But when the adjustment begins to appear more permanent than temporary, we get frustrated and wish for life to just go back to being normal again. Whatever that may mean. We want to get our routine back.

Life for the disciples has been in chaos. Jesus died, they put His body in the tomb, and then they hear He’s alive again. And now He’s appeared before the disciples twice. And in our story for today, Peter is now done with the adjusting and the shifting. He’s ready to go back to something that is normal. So, he tells his fellow disciples, “I’m going fishing.” Now remember what Peter’s previous vocation was, that’s right, fishing. So, when Peter says, “I’m going fishing.” This isn’t the same as when I say, “I’m going fishing.” Because when I say it, I’m going fishing to get away from the chaos, to get a break from the daily routines and the chaos of life. I’m going fishing to relax. To enjoy a peaceful, quiet time on the lake without the chaos and noises of life (and probably without my children present). That’s my plan when I say I’m going fishing. But when Peter says it, he’s going to reestablish some sense of normalcy in his life. He’s been shifting and adjusting for the last three years and with all of the chaos of these last few weeks with Jesus’ death, His resurrection and appearing randomly inside locked rooms, he’s done. He wants his life back. He wants life to go back to normal. So, he goes fishing. He goes back to what he knows best. And he fishes all night, and catches…nothing!

When morning comes, Jesus appears to them and He almost sarcastically asks, “You have no fish, do you?” As if to say, “You thought you could do this on your own, without Me. And how far is that getting you?” We cannot do this on our own. We can try. We can try to live life without God’s help, but no matter how hard we try, we fail. The disciples tried to go back to their normal lives and act as if nothing ever happened. But when they tried to do so, they failed miserably. They didn’t catch any fish. We can try to do this on our own, but alone, we can do nothing. But, with Jesus anything is possible. And He proves that, when the disciples listen to Him and throw their nets on the other side of the boat. They pull in 153 large fish.

Peter is so overjoyed, that he jumps in the lake and swims ashore. But shouldn’t Peter be a little bit nervous as he approaches Jesus? Remember, he’s the one who said, “Let’s go fishing.” “Let’s go back to doing what we know how to do.” Plus, when Jesus was standing trial and facing a death sentence, Peter was out by the fire warming himself. And when asked if he was one of the followers of Jesus, he denies it. Three times he denies it

Now Peter’s encounter with Jesus on the beach could be seen as Peter’s performance review as a disciple. Jesus calls Peter over and asks him, “Do you love me?” Three times, Jesus asks if Peter loves Him. Jesus asks once for each time that Peter denied Him. Peter, do you really love me? Do you really care about this message that I’ve called you to proclaim? Do you really want to be one of my disciples? After each question, Peter responds with, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Now when we do something wrong and we know that we’ve done something wrong, we can expect to suffer some type of consequence for that action. If we’re misbehaving in school, we can expect to spend some time in the principle’s office. If we drive over the speed limit, we can expect to get a ticket. If we aren’t meeting expectations at work, we can expect to get a not so good report at our annual review. But for Peter, he doesn’t get into trouble as Jesus is reviewing his performance as a disciple. Instead, Peter gets a promotion. He gets promoted to a new position of caring for the Good Shepherd’s sheep.

A similar thing happened with Saul. He was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. With Saul there was no mercy for anyone who was Christian, and God calls on Saul and instead of him getting into trouble for what he had been doing, God promotes him to bring this message of Good News to the Gentiles (to all of those who were not Jewish).

Even though our lives can be filled with crisis and chaos, Jesus doesn’t hang our bad choices over our heads. Rather, He forgives us. And promotes us, saying, “I forgive you. Now go and share this good news.” With Jesus, we can find peace and order in the midst of chaos. We can find sanity in the midst of crazy. And we can find abundance in the midst of scarcity.

God’s love knows no bounds. Jesus took someone who was completely against the church and was even persecuting her, and transformed Saul into one of the greatest evangelists in the church. Jesus took these seven disciples, who had seen Jesus after the resurrection. They saw that Jesus was not dead, but alive, and yet, they still go back to their ordinary lives of fishing. They wanted their routine back. They wanted their normal life back. And yet, Jesus took them, and transformed them, into leaders of the church.

God’s love and forgiveness is transformative. You can try to do stuff on your own. You can try to rely on your own abilities. But no matter how much you try, God’s forgiveness, God’s love, and God’s mission will always be what truly defines you as a child of God. God does call on you for a performance review, but in that review you don’t get into trouble because of your sins. Instead, Jesus forgives you and promotes you, giving you something to do in God’s kingdom. And it is God’s kingdom, which you are a part of, that will reign forever and ever. Amen.

The Rest for The Weary

Sermons & Thoughts from Pastor Anthony Christoffels

Month: May 2022

Leading with Kindness

Seeing the Next Few Steps

Reimagining Boundaries

More Than an Acquaintance

Screwup to Promotion

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