Epiphany 7, February 19, 2017

There is so much pressure to be perfect!  Perfect job, perfect body, perfect family . . . It can be a lot to handle for imperfect people like us.

 

• Sometimes parents give that idea to their kids – that they have to be perfect. We may not say it as overtly, but kids get that message somehow.  “Don’t screw up.  You have to be perfect.”

 

• Coaches and employers have that implied message too . . . be perfect! There is no tolerance for error or any slip up.  You usually get one chance.  Don’t blow it.  Be perfect all the time.

 

• And then there’s that inner voice inside of us that loves to torment us with unrealistic expectations every day. “Be perfect” we repeat to ourselves.

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Epiphany 6, February 12, 2017

Lutheran congregations are especially known for preaching Law and Gospel.  These are the two main messages of the Bible, right?  Every confirmation student knows that!  And every Lutheran preacher is trained in this very important distinction: the Law shows us our sin; the Gospel shows us our Savior.  The Gospel ALWAYS has the last word, because the Law cannot save us.  Only the power of God’s love, revealed in the good news of Jesus can do that.  So we call ourselves GRACE of GOD – not WRATH OF GOD Lutheran Church.  And we embrace the word EVANGELICAL in our name – a word that means Gospel-centered.  This is who we are and this is what we love:  the Gospel.

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