How to be a sinner

By the power of the Holy Spirit, it is possible for us to live as God created us to be. We seek forgiveness, and we forgive others because that is the foundation of our existence. It’s how we came to be born of water and the spirit in baptism.

Here and now, we believe and know that life in God’s kingdom will be like what happens when we are gathered together: forgiving sin, baptizing and sharing the Lord’s Supper. We know that God calls us to live by the truth of that kingdom now, a living practice of everything that will be, because God is currently at work taking us there. Powers in the world might make us live in debt, but God will set us free.

Recognize that our prayer to God begins with “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Let us hear this as truth and believe. In this kingdom, there is no debt we owe each other. There is only the newness of life and possibilities that come from the changed hearts of repentance. In God’s kingdom, suffering and struggle give way to peace and the birth of God’s children in Christ Jesus.

Glory to God from generation to generation! Your Word alone has set us free! Amen. — JCB