Reflections
God is For You – A Reformation Sermon
Posted on October 30, 2017 | Posted by Pastor Daniel
Pastor Daniel’s sermon on the the Commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, October 29, 2017. 1 Kings 8:1-13
“In a world where it often feels like you’re going it alone, God is for you. In a world where it can feel like it’s you against the world, God is for you. When you are overcome with grief; when temptation or sin are stronger than will power; when you feel aimless, like you have no purpose or calling worthy of getting out of bed, God is for you. Or, when you feel called, but too scared, too anxious, too poor, too young, too old, too … whatever! – God is for you.
God is for you in the person Jesus, who was born among stinky animals and died humiliated and rose again – not for God, but for you! God is for you in the meal of bread and wine surrounded by other people God is for, a meal of grace and mercy. And, you know, God needs that meal about as much as God needs a fancy temple. But the temple wasn’t for God, and the meal isn’t for God either, it’s for you.
God is for you in waters of promise. God is for you in words of promise. God is for you through this community of grace, called to serve. These tangible things you can see and hold and feel and taste, because – well not because God needs any of it, but because we do and God is for us, so here they are. God gives this all to us, all to you, because God is for you.
So don’t forget it. There’s a lot to that thick darkness we can’t see it, but this truth is shining bright. There’s a lot of mystery in this life, but this is Gospel. There’s a lot of fear and scarcity in this world, but this is abundant. God is for you. Amen.”
