Allow me to tell you about Jesus and what it means for us to be Lutheran…
“I love me some Jesus!” Yes, Jesus the Way, Truth, and Life. Jesus, the way to God our heavenly Abba. The One who speaks truth even when it may not be what we want to hear, but always what we need to hear. And the One where true life is found.
I know God only through Jesus. Jesus spoke truth into my life a long time ago and I am so grateful. Like Paul, I was chief amongst sinners. I thought the world was something to be conquered. One where those who gained the most “toys” won. And it didn’t matter how a person won as much as if the person won.
Then Jesus spoke truth into my life that I was missing life. I was seeking after things that made me feel good for a moment and left me feeling disappointed afterwards. Jesus spoke clearly, I am the way, truth, and light, no one comes to the Father except through me. I knew I had fallen short; I knew I had failed to live up to the expectations of God and myself, I saw that I was seeking after things that were not important. God revealed this to me through people, through Christians, Christians who were willing to share their faith story.
In other words, people like you who were willing to share. As Lutheran Christians, we emphasize this love and grace of God. We don’t put limits on God’s grace. When I say “all are welcome” I mean it and I hope you do too! It is why I identify as Lutheran. It is why I became a Lutheran pastor. God’s unmerited and unrelenting grace given to you and me as gift, received through faith. We love because God first loved us. We are called to forgive, love, and be grace-filled as I interact with other people.
We are commissioned by God to be outwardly focused, similarly to Jesus. Jesus never expected us to do this in our own strength and power, but gave us another to help us, to comfort us in times of need, to lead us in to knowing the truth, to be our advocate so that our testimony is not ours alone, but God’s. The Holy Spirit.
This Sunday we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers. That is exciting! God gives us God’s very self so that you are empowered to do God’s work in the world. YES! Let that sink in. My God is limitless in power and grace and love and mercy! God did not exclude me but welcomed me with open arms of love. Your God too! Let us all go forth knowing God is with us and let us be the instruments of God’s will to a world in need! Yes, “I love me some Jesus.” I hope you do too! Let’s share the love of God with everyone! For God loves us all!
