Connected in The Word 10-22-25
For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:22b-25a
You’re going to need to use your imagination today. I want you to pretend that you are me. I want you to pretend that you are a 51-year-old man serving as an LCMS pastor. I’m a husband and a dad and serve a congregation that cares deeply for me and my family. I find great joy living out my many vocations, enjoying God’s creation, and more recently watching the New England Patriots win football games again.
If you were me, then you would know that my whole world, every aspect of my life, revolves around this message – WE ARE SINNERS. GOD LOVES US. JESUS LIVED, DIED, AND ROSE TO REDEEM US. THIS IS A GIFT RECEIVED BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. THIS GIFT DELIVERS LIFE, PEACE, JOY, FORGIVENESS, AND FREEDOM TO LOVE OTHERS AND CARE FOR CREATION!
This is a message that God wants me to believe, and it is the message He wants the world to believe. Here is my struggle. My sinful nature tries to distort that message, drown out that message, and convince me that the message isn’t true. We live in a world full of sin where this message that I’m tasked to proclaim is distorted, drowned out, or labeled as not true. This creates tremendous tension in my life. What is this 51-year-old pastor to do? The same thing every believer in Jesus should do. Receive God’s Gifts of Word & Sacrament regularly, confess my sin and believe the Gospel, and continue loving others, caring for creation, and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus! I guess you didn’t need to use your imagination after all.