Grace United Church of Christ

Who belongs? Who gets to decide? Our story is bigger and more complicated than we realize. God welcomes all of us, it is we humans that need to work on that. We need to tell the whole story and do what is right.

The purpose of life is more than work, it is shared, and that changes us. The sabbath was created for humans. Don’t let our hearts become hardened. If we love God, we must love who God loves … everyone.

Note, the sermon starts with about 4 minutes of (mostly) silence. We are biological machines that need to power down and rest perioically. God is not a workaholic, the purpose of creation was relational, so we can rest in and with creation and our neighbors. Savor it and give thanks for it. All we need is already here.

God’s grace is given to all of us if we will say “yes.” Adversity can help make space in our hearts for God. Affliction produces endurance which builds character which gives us hope. God and country are not the same, God is over it all. And, God sends us out to share the Good News to everyone

What is our mission? How do we respond to the resurrection? Yes, make disciples of all the nations, but we are also called to do what Jesus commanded, not our own ideas. Love all of God’s creation. Love your enemies and those who persecute you. Give without expectation of return. Do not judge. Treat others as we would like to be treated by them. Be the hands and feet of Christ.

The Holy Spirit unites us on many levels. In times of need, in times of celebration, reach out. Find the strength of connection. Don’t be an part time Facebook connection. Be a constant!

We are one body in Christ. Each part plays a role. Find unity through the heart of God. Find common purpose.

Spreading the power of God’s word can be difficult, even life threatening. But we move forward using the example of Jesus…represented so well by the strong women in the Bible and those in our lives.

What do we lose when we enclose our church in a small setting? What do we miss in the beauty of the world?

Our needs shouldn’t come first. God calls us to love all, seek justice for everyone, no one left behind or pushed aside. There is something more powerful than we are, something we can’t explain. The world needs us to embody this love.