11-8-2016

      Good Morning All,

          Romans 6:4; “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

    I am getting to the stage of life when one starts to look really close at what is in the retirement account.  You begin to calculate how much there is and what the estimated payouts are and then you try to figure what kind of lifestyle you will have.  Some are looking at a nice retirement home in a warm state with a very healthy monthly payment.  Some, if things fall right, will live comfortably the rest of their life but cannot afford any great surprises.  The rest of us, well, I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with an occasional treat of “beanies and weinies.”

   Retirement is a major discussion with many of my friends and colleagues.  For some it is a dream within reach, for some it is a nightmare to face.  Yet most figure they will face it eventually.  It is interesting to me that when listening to the retirement discussions, some will comment on how they have the greatest retirement plan in their faith.  When they die, they are going to heaven and nothing is better than that.  This is true but it is incomplete.  While we, as the redeemed of Christ, have the greatest retirement plan; one that is “imperishable, undefiled and unfading,” we have so much more.

    We have more than a great future; we have a great present.  We are baptized into Christ.  We are joined with him now through Baptism into the kingdom of heaven; that restoring and reconciliation that occurs with the proclamation and hearing of the Gospel.  Having been baptized into Christ, we have the rich gift of forgiveness of sins.  We no longer need to carry the weight and guilt of our sin rather we are free from this burden because of Jesus.

    We have been given the Holy Spirit who empowers us to believe, to trust in the promise of God’s mercy.  The Holy Spirit also gives us the power to be obedient to God’s law.  These two gifts are of tremendous value in that our natural sinful state is unable to believe and unwilling to be obedient.  Yet through the Holy Spirit we return to what it truly means to be human to be God’s beloved and loving servants.

    We receive the replenishment of our faith and the nourishing of our spirit through the Lord’s Supper.  Here we receive the body and blood of Jesus, we participate in his glorious mercy and incredible grace.  It draws us into the remembrance of all that Jesus does for us through his death on the cross.

    Finally, we are blessed with our fellowship of the redeemed.  We have flesh and blood brothers and sisters to share in our joy and our sorrows, our fears and our victories.  We are a people and not just lonely individuals.  We have the peace of God to keep us secure.

Father, you give us such wondrous gifts of mercy.  You allow us to live as your children.  Keep us safe from the devil’s attacks.  Protect us in your loving arms.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret