Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise

Today, we had a special musical performance of Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Today, we had a special musical performance of For the Beauty of the Earth by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran with Gwynne Kadrofske on Flute at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Earth Sunday/Third Sunday of Easter

April 19, 2026

Faith Okemos

I Peter 1:17-23, Psalm 104, Romans 8:18-27, Luke 24:13-35

Because the World Is About to Turn

My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great, and my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait. You fixed your sight on your servant's plight, and my weakness you did not spurn, so from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn? My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn. Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn.

From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone. Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne. The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn; there are tables spread, every mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn… ELW 723

When Victor Orban, the authoritarian prime minister of Hungary, was soundly defeated a week ago today, it did seem another sign that our world was about to turn. Increasingly throughout the world more and more nations have been led by far-right dictators. They and their cronies have amassed for themselves enormous wealth at the expense of the health and well-being of those citizens they were elected to lead and of the Earth itself. But on this Earth Sunday 2026, we see signs of hope, signs of resurrection that God is birthing in the hearts and actions of millions of people throughout the world, including millions in our own country…Signs of hope and resurrection through the forthright words of religious leaders like our own Bishop Julie and like Pope Leo.

Could it be that the world is about to turn? I think of all the money given in recent weeks (including from us) to fully fund the purchase and installation of a solar array, a project co-sponsored by Michigan Interfaith Power and Light for a Habitat for Humanity home near Sparrow Hospital, now a home for adults with autism and for their support staff, a home that will receive much of its power directly from the sun.

This "great turning" looks like the 900 people (including several of us from Faith) who journeyed from Pilgrim Congregational Church on Pennsylvania Ave. to the Capitol four Sundays ago, pledging anew to see Jesus in feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and welcoming the stranger.

In a book titled Active Hope, the authors share this poem about grace and trust and courage in a world about to turn: When you act on behalf of something greater than yourself, you begin to feel it acting through you with a power greater than you own.

This is grace.

Today, as we take risks for the something greater than our separate, individual lives, we are feeling graced by other beings and by Earth itself.

Those with whom and on whose behalf we act give us strength and eloquence and staying power we didn't know we had.

We just need to practice knowing that and remembering that we are sustained by each other in the web of life. Our true power comes as a gift, like grace, because in truth it is sustained by others.

If we practice drawing on the wisdom and beauty and strengths of our fellow humans and our fellow species, we can go into any situation and trust that the courage and intelligence required will be supplied.

In our beautiful gospel for today (a favorite of Pastor Megan's), Jesus our risen Lord and a "fellow human," walks with Cleopas and another disciple (likely his wife, one of the Mary's who followed Jesus on his earthly journey), albeit incognito, unrecognized… until in their home Jesus takes and blesses and breaks and gives them the bread at supper in their home.

A word I've been living with all this past week is a Greek word, panentheism, that literally means "all in God, God in all." I thought of these words in Ephesians 4: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Panentheism, all in God, God in all. For me this radically changes everything and everyone I see. When I look at Ray and Tabitha and each of you… and when I look at the daffodils in our backyard, or when I look at the food and juice or coffee I will drink after worship, I see God, I see Jesus!

I saw God when I was with Ledith on Thursday evening. Ledith, long-time member of Faith and beloved child of God, is now at the precipice of her death. When we softly sang together a verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy" and of "Beautiful Savior" and her favorite, all the verses of "How Great Thou Art," I saw God.

What a difference it makes when you and I look at any and all of the peoples and creatures of the Earth, all the vast and varied combinations of elements and molecules that comprise our common home. Above all, through all, and in all is our crucified and risen Lord and God. How could we not cherish and love and respect all of it? How could we not think twice about trashing or misusing or exploiting any of it when we know that Jesus is in it?

So important that together we think and celebrate that Greek word, panentheism, all in God, God in all, God in everything. But so important too that we mourn creation's brokenness together with God and with each other…

If we felt the pain of loss each time an ecosystem was destroyed, a species wiped out, or a child killed by war or starvation, we wouldn't be able to continue living the way we do. It would tear us apart inside…By speaking our concerns and giving voice to our feelings [to each other], we make them more visible not just to others but also to ourselves. The more we draw issues into the open, the more inclined we become to tackle them…Rather than attempting to fix feelings of distress, we accept their validity and significance. Doing this is in itself an act for the Great Turning.

Active Hope, page 77

And these words from Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

[Jesus'] supreme work is to reconcile us to God and to one another and, indeed, to all of God's creation. It is possible to have a new kind of world where there will be more compassion, more gentleness, more caring, more laughter, more joy for all of God's creation, because that is God's dream. And God says, "Help me. Help me, help me realize my dream."

And from Jim Antel, a public theologian and pastor in the United Church of Christ: God is calling all of us to unleash our imaginations, unmuzzle our mouths, unbind our hands, unshackle our feet, and open our wallets. Each of us must use our unique God-given gifts to hasten the day when each human heart is governed not by grief but by hope…not by selfishness but by sharing. Yes—God still has a dream…As we live into God's dream, we will rediscover who we truly are and all of creation will be singing. Climate Church, Climate World, pages 168-169

Because the world is about to turn… St. Peter writes, Make your minds ready for action… Put your hope in nothing but the grace that will be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. Be children of obedience…It is through Christ that you are believers in God, the God who raised Jesus from the dead into glory…Therefore, love one another constantly, from the heart. [I Peter 1:13,21-22]

By the grace and great mercy of God we are born anew every day into a living hope because Jesus lives "above all and through all and in all." Jesus walks with us. Everything changes when you and I see him in every thing and every one. Therefore, love one another constantly, from the depths of your hearts.

Daniel Erlander in a little book entitled Baptized, We Live, writes, "The ruler of the universe hides himself in the common, in the stuff of this earth. God lives in creation; he lives in all… Here is God… in the home, in the forest, in the face of a child, in the sunset, in human love, in the enemy, in the mountains, in the cry of the poor, in the sea, in the sharing of food, in the prison, in the sunshine, in the hospital, in the rain, in the aged, in governments, in the dying, in the air, in the broken home, in the stranger, in outer space, in the third world, in death." Daniel writes: Because of Jesus, we see God in all, weeping where there is pain and alienation, rejoicing where there is wholeness and love.

So, because God in Jesus is with and in us and all of creation, albeit often incognito as on the road to Emmaus, we may dare to believe that the world is about to turn, that other powerful autocrats and dictators besides Prime Minister Orban will soon be brought low. We can live with hope that soon compassion and respect and a just peace will rise up, albeit imperfectly, in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe, in Africa, and, yes, in our own country.

Imagine that one day, maybe 50 or 60 years from now, our descendants asked us three questions about when in our day there was a great turning:

1. "Ancestor, I hear stories about the period you are living in, with wars and preparations for wars, with some people absurdly rich while huge numbers are starving and homeless, with poisons in the seas and soil and air, and with the dying of many species. We are still experiencing the effects of all that. What was it like for you to live with this knowledge?"

2. "Ancestor, we have songs and stories that tell of what you and your friends did back then for the Great Turning… You must have felt lonely and confused at times, especially at the beginning. What were some of the first steps you took?"

3. "Ancestor, I know you didn't stop with those first actions on behalf of life on Earth. Where did you find the strength to continue working so hard, despite all the obstacles and discouragement?" Active Hope, page 155

Let us sing "God Bestows on Every Sense," a song of hope and of "signs of what the earth will be." Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of the Land of Rest by the Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir, including Megan Nyquist, Addie Thompson, Matt Schnizlein, and Rich Weingartner at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Second Sunday of Easter – April 12, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 20:19-31

Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, our risen and wounded Savior. Amen.

This past week, I've been thoroughly enjoying the dispatches from Artemis II… seeing the pictures and hearing the interviews with the astronauts who have now traveled farther than any human has ever traveled.

These four amazing humans gave us all a bright flame of hope for the future of humanity and our ability to come together across borders for collaboration… to wonder enough about what's just beyond our reach that they were willing to risk exploring.

On Friday, I felt tense, thinking about and praying for their safe return to this planet we call home, and I have felt such joy seeing them now safe.

They gave us images of our world, and our Moon, that we've never seen before… incredible images of an in-space lunar eclipse, and the dark side of our cratered Moon…

I imagine God's delight in our discovery… and celebration of our newfound ability to explore God's awesome Creation. It is also incredible, in this moment in history and profound discovery, that today – April 12th - is the anniversary of Galileo being brought before the Inquisition in the year 1633… for supporting the idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun, rather than the other way around.

Galileo insisted that scientific research and Christian faith are entirely compatible, and that study of the universe would promote a more proper interpretation of Scripture.

And he was right! …we know that now… even if it took some longer than others to come to that conclusion. …and yes, there are still those fringe few who would deny all of this… and that is their loss.

But to allow our new discoveries to shape our ongoing understanding of Scripture, and of God in, with, and among us, means that we must let go of certainty… and approach Scripture, and God's continued revelation …with a healthy amount of wiggle room in our own conclusions and understanding.

We must always leave room for wonder… and for new encounters with the Divine…

That's a challenging stance to take… it's one that would have me thrown out of some churches… especially those that place a heavy stake in "religious authority" …but I stand by it.

…I personally prefer to hold the position of "religious wonder," because faith… for it to truly be faith… will always be just beyond the edge of what we know for certain.

And holding onto "religious wonder" rather than certainty… requires an even stronger… more robust faith in the saving power of the living God… than any kind of certainty could ever have.

Which brings me… to Thomas. Poor Thomas… forever labeled "Doubting Thomas." He's really gotten a bad rap that I don't think he deserves.

Thomas wasn't there in that room on that first Easter evening… all the other disciples were locked away for fear of the religious authorities… but not Thomas.

It's quite possible that he alone dared to hope in Mary's testimony and was out looking for his Lord… hoping to encounter Jesus himself.

We don't know why he wasn't with them.

But while he was away, the others were met by Jesus, who showed them his wounds… and he gave them the Holy Spirit.

I can only imagine Thomas' frustration… and how hurt he must have been. This is… a traumatic story… and being the one left out of receiving a glimmer of hope from Jesus… must have cut him to the core.

So, when we hear Thomas declare, "Unless I see the mark of the nails… and put my hand in his side, I will not believe" …I hear him declare this through tears and anguish.

He is not doubting… he is devastated… and he is only demanding what his companions have already received… he is trying, just as they are, to understand this new information… this new encounter… trying to understand what it means for them moving forward.

I also appreciate that Thomas doesn't want to see Jesus in an unmarked and perfect body… perfection will not convince him… because for Thomas, Jesus' woundedness is what will make him real… it's what will prove that this resurrected body is that of his Lord, Jesus.

Our imperfections… our flaws… our wounds and our scars… are what make us human… and authentic… and Jesus' wounds are what keep him connected to our imperfect humanity.

So Jesus meets Thomas… exactly where he is… Jesus meets him and shares his vulnerability with him… his open wounds… his marked body.

Jesus shows Thomas that doubt and fear will not keep Jesus away… nor will sin or shame… Jesus meets us where we are, and though he is wounded, he is not delicate.

And met with this authentic and wounded Jesus, who defeated sin, death, and the devil and has come back to them… Thomas… is the one who puts it all together.

"My Lord… and my God."

Jesus is more than the Messiah who saves… Jesus is God, who meets us in our pain… our sin and our suffering… meets us in our messy lives… and still claims us… and loves us.

Jesus faces our doubts and our questions… even our anger… and our rage … Jesus faces our best… and our worst… by coming closer to us… by sharing in our authentic humanity… and offering us the peace of the Holy Spirit.

And yet… Jesus tells Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen… and yet have come to believe."

Seeing is believing… or so they say… but Jesus invites us into a far more robust relationship than one that relies on physical signs.

Jesus invites us to go beyond our certainty… beyond what we think we know… and step into what is now made possible in the light of a crucified and risen Lord… and God.

Jesus invites us to lean into… faith… a faith that is not delicate… a faith that withstands all our humanity can throw at it… and yet, remains because it comes from God.

Our faith… does not originate within us… our faith is a gift from our wounded and risen Lord.

And Jesus invites us to receive this faith that will continually draw us into a state of wonder… and amazement… at all God has done for us… a faith that knows that God is not done with us yet.

Belief that relies on seeing and certainty is weak… but faith… faith leads to hope in the coming fulfillment of God's promises… and faith leads to the incredible power of love to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world.

Yes, faith… is trust in the things we cannot see… it is our comfort for our deepest hurts… it is the flickering flame of hope when all seems lost… and it is our guiding light… through life's darkest valleys.

Faith… leaves room for wonder… room for new discovery… room for hope in the redeeming power of God's love.

Jesus walked among his disciples after his resurrection and gave them a new vision of what was possible… a new vision of hope… he showed them his wounds… and told them… this is only the beginning.

Over the past 10 days, the crew of Artemis II gave us a new vision of the Universe and our world… a planet that all humans call home… and they gave us a new understanding of what is possible for humanity.

But, of course… that mission started with concrete facts… and math… and prior experience. It's ok to start with what you know, but we can't get stuck there.

Don't ever be ashamed to ask God for what you need, to bring you back to Christ… for we know that Jesus meets us where we are… but…

Be prepared for Jesus to show up… to greet you with love… and then call you into a deeper relationship… to receive something stronger and more daring… that relies on trust in God's promises that are still in the making.

Yes… be prepared for Jesus to call you to receive the faith of Christ… for it is so much stronger than a belief that relies only on seeing and certainty.

Blessed are those who have not seen… and yet have come to believe. Amen.

Today, we had a special musical performance of the Hallelujah Chorus by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Today, we had a special musical performance of See, What a Morning by the Faith Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Published Under License From Essential Music Publishing, LLC

Year A – Easter Sunday – April 5, 2026

Pastor Megan Floyd

Acts 10:34-43

Colossians 3:1-4

Matthew 28:1-10

Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, our Savior. Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

***

This past Holy Week has been… really something special.

Last week, on Palm Sunday, many of us here participated in the Palm Sunday March in Lansing. We were surrounded by a crowd of about 800 people from various denominations, who came together to march with palms in hand, bound by our shared commitment to the foundational teachings of Jesus.

We marched to share our commitment to love our neighbors… to feed the hungry, clothe the naked… to care for the sick, and the poor… and those who are outcast… and to welcome the stranger.

And our group here in Michigan was part of a larger movement across at least sixteen other states… thousands and thousands of Christians showed up… disciples of Jesus… marching to proclaim the saving words and promise of Christ.

Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive!

And then on Thursday, I had the profound honor to care for you by washing and anointing your feet… and by allowing my own feet to be washed and anointed.

We do this because Christ did this for his disciples… and told us to continue the practice, and so trusting in the words of our teacher, we wash…

There's a closeness there, in that simple and ancient practice, that just cannot be replicated any other way… and when sharing this practice, Jesus is profoundly close.

And then we shared our meal of Holy Communion together… and yes, we do that every week in remembrance of Christ… but on Maundy Thursday, we recall why we celebrate this meal… and we recall together the grace, love, and inclusion that Jesus demonstrated for all, even those who would later betray and deny him.

And so, we share our meal with all who are gathered… more than just trusting and hoping that Christ will show up… we expect our Christ to show up.

Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive!

And then on Friday… on Good Friday… we gathered with our siblings from All Saints Lutheran and St Paul Lutheran, and with our bishop… we gathered together as one community… to remember and honor Christ's death on the cross.

Even as we acknowledge that Christ is with us, always, we know that we cannot get to the Resurrection without going through death and the cross…

and so we gathered …as one body… and honored the presence of Christ that was there with us… and in each of us… it was, so very holy… and special.

And still we proclaim… Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive!

Jesus Christ is risen today! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!

I came here today… knowing that I would meet Christ… I expect him to show up because Christ promised to show up… and I know Christ lives in you… and in me… and so wherever we gather… Christ is there… alive… and with us.

That expectation of meeting Jesus everywhere we go… that's what it means to follow Jesus… to follow our God who became human… who defeated death and the grave…

That's what it means to follow a crucified and risen Lord… it means that we show up in the world expecting to meet Christ there.

We expect to meet Jesus… because we trust the Word of our God… we trust… and we dare to hope.

Just like Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, who showed up at the tomb on the third day… I believe they showed up expecting to meet Jesus! …or at least, daring to hope they would.

Now, I know that in the gospels of Mark and Luke, they write that the women showed up at the tomb with spices to anoint his body.

But not in Matthew… The Marys have been disciples of Jesus all along, following him and hearing his teaching… hearing him proclaim that he must die, but would rise again on the third day.

And all four gospels record that Jesus was anointed for his burial before he was crucified.

The women did not desert him or betray him… they stayed near… and watched. They felt the earth shake at the moment he died and heard the Roman Centurion proclaim that, truly, this man was the Son of God.

The Marys stayed… and on the third day… they came to the tomb… not carrying spices for anointing… but coming with fear… and outrageous hope… that death did not win.

They came… at the dawning of that new day… expecting to meet their risen Lord!

And the earth shook for the second time in three days as the stone was thunderously rolled aside… and the angel of the Lord descended from heaven to meet them.

The Roman guards fainted with terror, but the women stood strong, and they witnessed with awe and wonder that the tomb was empty. They stood strong because they expected something wonderful…

Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive!

The angel sent them on to meet Jesus, and they go with great fear and joy… but Jesus doesn't wait… he finds them and greets them with love… and they worship him… and bless his resurrected body.

And then, full of grace and forgiveness, Jesus instructs the women to gather those who deserted him… gather together those who fled… so he can be reunited with them… to remind them of his love… and to mercifully commission them to witness to his resurrection.

For the dawn from on high has broken upon us, and a new day has begun. Alleluia!! Alleluia!!

But Easter morning… is only the beginning.

Just as those first disciples had to decide, we, too, must decide who we are now… and who we must become… in the light of the risen Christ?

But do not be afraid… Easter faith does not mean perfect faith… not for the first disciples, and not for us …our faith is almost always a mixture of trust and doubt… of belief and unbelief.

Jesus knows… this is what we have… an imperfect faith… and yet, he still calls us to be with him… and to celebrate with him… on this new day.

And if we dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection… then we can show up, expecting Christ to meet us… trusting that God's grace precedes us wherever we go.

We can rest in the promise that Christ not only lives in you and me… but Christ also lives in the stranger whom we welcome… in the sick whom we minister to… in the hungry whom we feed… in the naked whom we clothe.

We expect Christ to meet us… and we rejoice in his presence.

If we dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection, then we can draw on the strength of Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and resist the powers of this world that would pull us toward greed and violence… toward bigotry and corruption.

If we dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection, then we expect Christ to be here, and we can shape our lives around Christ's way of enduring love… and grace… and mercy.

Because Easter is not an event that we remember and celebrate only once a year.

Easter is a way of living… it's a way of loving… a way of shaping our communities in such a way that don't bend to the wills of the powerful… to the wills of greed and Empire…

But instead… Easter is a way of living that glorifies God through loving the least among us, as Christ loved us… and knowing that there is nothing in the world stronger than God's love.

Yes, we are Easter people.

We are children of God who dare to hope in the promise of the resurrection, and we expect to meet our living Christ wherever we go, and in all whom we meet.

For Jesus Christ is not dead and gone… he is alive! Alleluia!! Alleluia!!

Year A – Maundy Thursday – April 2, 2026

Pastor Megan Floyd

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who loves us to the end. Amen.

***

This is a somber night… somber for us, because we know what's coming. We are bracing ourselves for the wave of grief… over what we have done… and what we have left undone.

We are bracing ourselves for the final moments before the cross… and we gather this evening to willingly dwell in that place of grief with Jesus, our Savior.

And yet, let us also remember… that our story with Jesus is ultimately… a love story.

It's a story so personal… so intimate… a story of our God who created us in love… and refused to allow us to drift away… and so, our God emptied themselves into the form of a slave… being born into human weakness… into the person of Jesus.

And at every turn of his life on earth… Jesus subverted the usual power structures.

On this night… we gather… we gather with the disciples around the table… a table of celebration… they don't know what's coming, but Jesus does.

We gather around the table with Jesus, as Jesus does his very best to say farewell to his disciples… to his friends… whom he loves… completely.

Jesus is imploring them to understand what he has taught them through his preaching… and shown them with his actions.

Jesus is intent… and they can feel the tension… the heaviness in the air… the importance of their meal together… even if they don't fully understand why.

This night… it feels different. And yet… how could they have known it was their last night with Jesus as he was?

And then… "Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." …to the end… not only a great, heavenly love, but… he loved them to completion…

Jesus loves them… and loves us… with a fullness that began with the creation of the world… and continues to the end of the ages… Jesus loves them to the end.

And knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, Jesus took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself…

He poured water into a basin… and began to wash his disciples' feet.

I can imagine the silent wonder of those whose feet Jesus washed first… not daring to say a word.

But I think… I think I would have reacted like Peter… horrified at the idea of Jesus lowering himself to wash my feet!

Having our feet exposed… and washed by another… it's vulnerable and awkward… and if you feel that way, too, you're not alone!

And yet… this is what Jesus does.

Jesus… our God incarnate… through his life and ministry… through his actions and his love… gives us a vision and an understanding of who God is.

Our God is one who loves us enough to come close to us… who shows us how to love each other through humble service… but also… how to receive love in return.

And as Jesus also washed the feet of Judas… he shows us how to even love those who would betray us… that is how deeply we are called to love.

On this special night… we are called by Jesus… commanded… to not only love and serve others… but to allow ourselves to be loved… to both give and receive… service and care… and love.

This life as a disciple… it's not all toil and suffering… it is a life of reciprocal love… and in that mutuality… in that holy community with others… there is joy!

The kind of joy that bubbles up from the relief of bearing the weight of our shared need… of daring to be vulnerable with another, and being met with love, just as Christ has loved us.

That is what Christ Jesus has shown us… this life of discipleship… is full of wonder… and love… and joy.

And every day we live into this truth… every day we are made clean… and sent again by Jesus to walk in the world… to walk in the light of this commandment to love others as we ourselves are loved.

However, the commandment to love others is not itself new… it is ancient and foundational for our relationship with God.

But what is new… on this night… is how we now understand this command through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus… through how he cared for others, especially those who were most vulnerable… the outcast… the sick… the poor… the widows and children.

And how through Jesus, God revealed the depth and strength of this love that we both receive and share.

For as we practice bearing one another in love, we also practice receiving love from God.

And as we practice humble service for one another, we also practice receiving what we need from the Holy Spirit.

As we practice bearing another's vulnerability with tender loving care, we practice allowing our spirit to be vulnerable and true with our Creator, who loves us to the end… who loves us… to completion.

This is the beauty and joy in Jesus' commandment to love… that as we practice this love for others, we grow in love for both ourselves… and for God.

And as we practice loving others as we love ourselves, we more fully recognize the presence of God in each person, and the light of Christ that dwells in ourselves.

So on this night… this somber and beautiful night… let us remember that practicing the vulnerability of having our feet washed… is to practice the necessary vulnerability to receive love and care.

…not only from others, but from Christ himself.

And then later, as we gather around the table to share Christ's promised presence in the bread and wine… remember that we gather with amazement and joy as those who are loved beyond the violence of cross…

We gather as those who are loved… to the end.

Amen.