In this life, we need each other. We need structure and support for this greatest relationship of our lives. As we grow closer to God, we grow closer to that day when we will know God fully, even as God knows us.

The story of God’s love for all people is for every time and place. God’s endurance in the long, long battle against sin is the reason we have hope in tough situations. God’s victory over death changes how we see the present and the future. The holy word of God shows us how to follow God. It teaches us to love our neighbors and models how we repent and reconcile when things go awry.

And another thing!   Psalm 111:10  10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;   all who practice this have a good understanding. God’s praise endures forever.  It’s easy to overlook the psalms. On Sunday, they’re tucked in the middle of the readings. They’re poetry, but not like we usually get it. And when they’re out of historical context, they can be hard to follow. The psalms, when we spend time in them, are full of gems. The rhythms and reassurances cushion our s

The good news is that Jesus died for all of us. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is at work in us, making sinners into saints. The good news is that God made this beautiful world and set us to take care of it. God trusts humankind with everything God has done. We have a huge responsibility.

We know that there is life eternal and God wants to spend it with us. That changes how we live. We consider our lives. We set our priorities. And we know, beyond a doubt, that God has made us to be loved. The best thing we can do is to love one another in return.

Because God has handled salvation for us, we do not need to live in guilt or fear. We know that our eternal home is determined by the judge who loved us enough to die for us. That is taken care of. Now, we get to live lives that share God’s love with people around us.

God grants us the freedom to repent. God loves us before and after. God empowers us to be merciful and to change in the ways that bring in the kingdom of God.

Jesus wants followers who will become disciples. The Way of Jesus is a life-long commitment. One could say that the commitments goes longer than life itself. Crowds are great for getting the word out, but dedicated people are the ones who will be the foundation of the church.

. . . be humble. Don’t insult people. This is wisdom from thousands of years ago that Jesus references. It is wisdom that is needed and useful in every group and team. And it’s part of how we live with one foot planted firmly in the kingdom of God.

Not all behaviors are helpful at all times, but all God’s children have a place in God’s house. Jesus gathers all the people together. The ones who need him most seem to flock to him. How blessed are we that, when we need Jesus, he sees us and lifts us up. How blessed are we to get to share that welcome with others.

We live in a culture where to be Christian is a mainstream thing to do. We don’t often have to be uncomfortable in order to follow our faith. That’s got a lot of positives to it, but it also leaves us with the question: What do we miss out on by not being uncomfortable?

Along with that, we believe that Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life because we have faith in Jesus. We walk this life alongside Jesus and we see the ways our world is better because of it.

We promise in baptism to support the newly baptized and pray for them in their new life in Christ. That support from us and for us never stops. We are the body of Christ, all together, and it is a wonder to behold.

When the outside doesn’t change, we can trust that God is at work changing us, making us more like God, making us ready to live another moment, another day, and for all time in the Kingdom.

In the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), we see two different forms of loving God. Martha is all about doing what needs to be done, where Mary is at rest at the feet of Jesus. Both are good things. One of the things about the Christian life is living with one foot in each of these.

Why be strong? So that we might have all endurance and patience. I have often needed patience, but I don’t know that I’ve linked it with strength before. We could think of endurance as strength over time, so that makes sense. And God knows we need patience as a gift; we never have quite enough on our own.

This moment in history is loaded. When it becomes overwhelming, we know that we can lean on Jesus. When we’re not sure what to do, we can focus on loving God and loving our neighbors. When we cry out, we know that we are part of a tradition of prayer that goes back thousands of years. And when we rejoice, we know that we rejoice in the goodness of a God who has always come through for us and will always be there for us and for the whole world.

We need to spend time enjoying the world God has made, instead of trying to shape it or shape ourselves.

Galatians reminds me that we also wear Christ. When we were baptized, we put on Christ like a cloak that never comes off. We symbolize this sometimes in baptismal robes or gowns.  The robes worship leaders wear are white to remember our baptism.

The Scriptures use different versions of God’s name throughout the Old Testament and the New. . . there are no words in human language that can fully express the identity of God Almighty.