Lord of Creation whose word creates life, grant that our ears may be open that we may hear your good news in Jesus Christ and that the waters of baptism may roll over us daily that we can be continually renewed by your living Word. Amen.
Discovering the power of a word and living by it is an extremely significant event in life. It surrounds us constantly in our everyday and yet many people fail to recognize its importance. It is by the power of a word that we marry and are given in marriage. This exchange of words changes everything about the future of our lives. A judge hands down a judgment and by the power of a word we are declared “not guilty” or “guilty” or we are issued an order to make recompense or serve a sentence or probation and our lives are transformed and our path is different. We sign a contract and the words agreed to shape the future and our obligations and the obligations of others to us. Words are powerful.
Each Sunday we speak words of confession. Words that we should not take lightly but rather ones we take very seriously about our sinfulness and our dependence upon God’s mercy and grace in judgment. Words admitting we are dependent upon Christ for any hope of an eternal relationship with the source of life. And when we understand the importance of our words we must take even more seriously the divine words of forgiveness spoken to us at the altar. “Given for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sin.”
It is by the power of a word that God’s grace and hope is conveyed to us. It is by declaration we are set right with God, by words. It is our response to trust and live out the reality of that declaration. Trusting the words we live as people set free from sin and who are no longer bound by guilt and shame.
Trusting those words we risk living forward in a manner different from a dead man walking, we live as people empowered by God for very important work. God says we are called to go into the world making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them what God has commanded. By a word set free and by a word sent out into the world on God’s behalf.
If human words can change everything be they wedding vows, court declarations, or mutual covenants called contracts how much more should we trust and believe that the very word of God changes us and our lives all the more.
As we continue now in the middle of Lent and our Lenten journey in the word of God, the question put to us is “Are you trusting the word of God?” and “How is that living Word changing your life?” The word of God isn’t magic it doesn’t work in a vacuum it works upon the human heart calling it to trust and to believe what it has declared.
Remember the words we hear in the absolution, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” These are words for us to trust. Thanks be to God whose Word is so generous and gracious bearing the sins of the world on the cross for us. Live abundantly in the life God has given you in his Word, Jesus Christ.
Discovering the power of a word and living by it is an extremely significant event in life. It surrounds us constantly in our everyday and yet many people fail to recognize its importance. It is by the power of a word that we marry and are given in marriage. This exchange of words changes everything about the future of our lives. A judge hands down a judgment and by the power of a word we are declared “not guilty” or “guilty” or we are issued an order to make recompense or serve a sentence or probation and our lives are transformed and our path is different. We sign a contract and the words agreed to shape the future and our obligations and the obligations of others to us. Words are powerful.
Each Sunday we speak words of confession. Words that we should not take lightly but rather ones we take very seriously about our sinfulness and our dependence upon God’s mercy and grace in judgment. Words admitting we are dependent upon Christ for any hope of an eternal relationship with the source of life. And when we understand the importance of our words we must take even more seriously the divine words of forgiveness spoken to us at the altar. “Given for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sin.”
It is by the power of a word that God’s grace and hope is conveyed to us. It is by declaration we are set right with God, by words. It is our response to trust and live out the reality of that declaration. Trusting the words we live as people set free from sin and who are no longer bound by guilt and shame.
Trusting those words we risk living forward in a manner different from a dead man walking, we live as people empowered by God for very important work. God says we are called to go into the world making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them what God has commanded. By a word set free and by a word sent out into the world on God’s behalf.
If human words can change everything be they wedding vows, court declarations, or mutual covenants called contracts how much more should we trust and believe that the very word of God changes us and our lives all the more.
As we continue now in the middle of Lent and our Lenten journey in the word of God, the question put to us is “Are you trusting the word of God?” and “How is that living Word changing your life?” The word of God isn’t magic it doesn’t work in a vacuum it works upon the human heart calling it to trust and to believe what it has declared.
Remember the words we hear in the absolution, “In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” These are words for us to trust. Thanks be to God whose Word is so generous and gracious bearing the sins of the world on the cross for us. Live abundantly in the life God has given you in his Word, Jesus Christ.
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