“[God] has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does
the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Good Shepherd:
This verse has always played a central role in my faith,
especially during times of discernment. It
provides a beautiful summary and guide on how to live out a life of faith. It is also a reminder of the wideness of
God’s love. For God so loves all people,
that one of God’s greatest concerns is that we treat all people with dignity,
respect, and equity. This informs how we
can live out our daily lives as lives of faith.
One of my greatest faith concerns is moving faith out beyond
Sunday mornings and into the mission fields of everyday life. My own faith journey up to this point has had
its share of highs and lows. However,
the times when I have been most successful in living out my faith on a daily
basis, I have had life most abundantly.
This abundance is of spiritual things such as faith, hope, and love, not
material things. These spiritual
treasures are much more valuable than earthly treasures.
So how did I acquire such spiritual gifts? Nothing I did accomplished this on its
own. In fact, without the grace of God,
it is impossible to receive such things.
My own faith and will power was not enough to accomplish these
things. The faith of the church and
Christ’s faithfulness accomplishes that which I am unable to do on my own
power. When we come together in Word and
Sacrament on Sunday mornings, God instills us with faith. God graces us with spiritual food and
spiritual gifts to support each other as we enter the mission fields of our
daily lives.
As we begin our year of ministry together, I pray that God
blesses our time together, that we may grow together and explore the
possibilities of doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our
God.
God’s peace be with you,
Vicar Mike
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