For those who have wandered away from the community of the faithful, coming back can be filled with both fear and joy, both shame and redemption. Our text for today is no exception.
Each member finds their value, worth, and identity from the same inexhaustible source: The grace-drenched water of baptism which splashes every living body just the same.
It was the Lord’s delight to crush the Messiah Jesus for the sinners of the world. Reminding us how we would have nothing without the Suffering Servant.
The most counter-cultural action any Christian church can take right now would be to foster healthy and constructive conversations among its members and neighbors across their variety of opinions and perspectives.