When the pastor speaks - who do you hear? What rules are there for pastors when they say things like, "thus saith the Lord?" And so - part of what is supposed to happen when we come to church is our hearts and minds and souls are to be continually baptized - not with water - but with grace and mercy and peace so we are able to take all that we are - and all that the world is made of and use it for the sake of the Gospel. I forget to remind you as often as I should - I do not expect you to be perfect. What I expect is for you to be forgiven. I would rather point to the scars you bear - because those are the stories of grace and love and mercy and the strength that few see because you wear those scars so well.
