Grace and peace to you my sisters and brothers in Christ,

So many of our deepest questions about regret, faith, and life—come down to this: What does it take to be okay before God? This weekend we get to understand how the Bible holds together the ancient wisdom of the prophet Micah and the surprising grace of Jesus' Beatitudes. In Micah 6, God reminds the people that before there was any failure, there was grace. And in Matthew 5, Jesus goes up the mountain not to give another list of spiritual requirements, but to announce blessing—especially for those who know they are poor in spirit, weary, or unfinished.

Together, Micah and Jesus tell a freeing story: abundant life flows from grace, not fear. Justice, kindness, and humility are not ways to earn God's love; they are fruits of the grace God gives us. At the center is the good news that Jesus does what we cannot, so that imperfect, searching people like us can stand before God and be okay—not because we have it all together, but because grace has already met us where we are.

I am looking forward to seeing you in worship!

Blessings,