4-12-2014

Good Morning All,

         Titus 3:5; “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”

    So yesterday we began the trek towards spring.  We started to get the lawn chairs out.  Our grandson played on the slide at church.  We are eating smoked brisket sandwiches for supper.  It is starting to look like spring more and more.  The grass is beginning to green, even the weeds are getting a green hue.  My wife is talking about flowers in the different flowerbeds.  I have to start cleaning up the garden area and building a new garden box for some more tomatoes.  There are buds on the apple tree, so it looks like spring is just about sprung.

    There is only one thing lacking.  We need a really good spring rain.  After the snow melts, it just looks dirty outside.  The dust that settles on the plants makes everything kind of drab looking.  A really good rain would wash the dirt away and really give the perennials a shot in the arm to spurt their growth.  It would help warm the ground and cleanse the air and wash the houses and just bring about a richer and deeper green; that sign of abundant life.

     This is what we need as well.  We need a good cleansing.  We need a good washing to get rid of the dirt and the grime.  We need that really good wash job to enrich our lives, to enhance our growth and to provide for us abundant life.  We need God’s gift of Baptism.  We need the washing and the cleansing of our sins that we receive in Baptism.  So at this washing, the connection of God’s Word with the water, we have forgiveness of sins; we have eternal life.

    So we live in this baptismal grace.  We live in the daily remembrance of this washing away of sins.  We live in the remembrance that daily we have been washed cleaned in Baptism and that we have received the forgiveness of sins.  This daily cleansing regenerates us into the holy people which God calls us to be.  The dullness and sadness of sin is washed away and the bright and vibrant life is given to us.   

      This is God’s promise to us; that our sins are forgiven to us each day.  We have this cleansing and renewing on a recurrent and continual basis.  Every day we are declared holy; every day we are cleansed.  All of this we receive because God is merciful and loving.  All this we receive because God is a God of love.  God loves us enough to send his only son to die for us.  Through his wondrous grace, we are saved.  Through his merit we inherit eternal life.

Father of all grace, your mercy is new to us each day and washes over us like a river.  Through the blessing of baptism we are washed.  We are cleansed by your abundant mercy.  Give us your Spirit that we may ever enjoy the peace and harmony of your fellowship.  Be with those who struggle in their faith.  Strengthen them and renew them that they may hold fast to you.  In the name of Jesus our risen Savior, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret