We celebrate Reformation Sunday this week, and so we get to hear the promise that “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by God’s grace as a gift” (Romans 3). This is a gift that brings me much joy! When I look at my mistakes and sins, I am grateful that God’s welcome is wider and deeper than that. It also challenges me to see how I can be a part of a community and a society that reflects that kind of welcome.
Paul was writing to the Romans to encourage them to live in God’s grace that welcomed both Jews and Gentiles. Where there was a lack of trust between those groups, Paul said the uniting factor was God’s grace as a gift. In our day, where we find tension and conflict between various groups, how can we also learn to live through God’s grace? How can we see that there is something deeper than our group identities?
We are deep in election season, where we notice the divisions on many fronts. Those differences matter because we differ on important issues, yet we may also discover a call to deeper humanness in our interactions. How does Paul’s promise to the community in Rome 2000 years ago bring guidance for us in our democracy today?
People of St. Timothy, I am grateful for the ways you seek to hear God’s gracious welcome and to extend that welcome wider.
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
