by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Rooted in God’s Mercy

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”
John 17:15-18 English Standard Version

There are many churches that dot the landscape of my hometown, Colorado Springs. Each of these church buildings are unique. Some are large and others small. Some look old and others brand new. Some look like they could seat hundreds of people others maybe a handful.

No matter whether the structures are large or small, old or new, no matter how many people they seat, they are all planted in a place of constant change and challenges.

You might be thinking that I’m going to talk about the change and challenges that have been forced on us by the pandemic we’ve survived. That’s part of what has brought change; however, even if we had not gone through this pandemic, change would have taken place, change that would challenge the core of our faith.

When Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all of us in his high priestly prayer (John 17) he knew the challenges of living in the world, a world of constant change.

There are two ways for us to meet these challenges of an ever-changing world. We can hole ourselves up in our church buildings and act like the world out there doesn’t exist, or we can move out into the world.

Jesus reminds us that we are sent into the world. We are not of the world. We don’t live by the world’s standards, yet we are sent into this world to be a light of hope. We do this as a community of people who understand where our faith is planted. It is rooted in the mercy of God displayed in Christ.

The world is in desperate need of this mercy.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado