This morning I preached at Advent Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas for the second time in my new role as this congregation’s Interim Senior Pastor. And, following the service they held a reception to welcome my wife and I into the life of the congregation.
The Sermon
My message, “Your Healing Touch” kicked off a summer series titled “The Jesus Priorities.” The series was inspired by Christopher Maricle’s book, The Jesus Priorities: 8 Essential Habits (2007). Today’s message was based on the lectionary Gospel reading: Mark 6:1-13.
Compassion
While I relied on this manuscript, I’m aware that I went a bit off script on a few occasions. You can watch a recording of the livestream here (the Gospel lesson begins at 23:42 and the message at 26:02).
Excerpt
All week long, I’ve been asking one question over and over again: “Who is Jesus?”
I’ve asked the question in person and online. And, I’ve received a wide range of replies, including
- Some religious replies: “The image of the invisible God” and “Savior.”
- A few relational replies: “My best friend” and “someone I’d like to get to know better.”
- Some of the more radical replies: “Jesus is the reason I’m alive today” and “Jesus was first-century Jewish man born into poverty in Roman-controlled Palestine who grew up to become an itinerant rabbi. He challenged the powers that be . . .”
I wonder, who do you say that Jesus is? Does your answer overlap with any of the answers I shared or does it sound quite different?
I won’t put you on the spot today, but instead invite you to struggle with this question throughout the summer . . .
So What?
Take a few minutes to think about how you are an agent of healing, especially as you live each day with compassion.
- Recall a time when someone impacted your life through an act of compassion.
- Ponder the possibility of choosing compassion anew each day as a way of engaging the world around you.