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Jesus said: “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.” John 15:16
I remember a family in a previous parish that had adopted three little boys. The boys had faced many challenges in their early years, from drugs in the home to each having a different biological father. Their mother voluntarily gave them up for adoption, which was sad, but better in the end.
I remember talking to their adoptive mother one day and she shared how the kids at school would often pick on them, especially the oldest boy. Sadly, kids can be mean, really mean. A bully was telling the oldest boy that his biological mother didn’t love him, that he was rejected by his mother! A reject.
It is just heart breaking to think about how that felt for that adopted boy. As I listened to her tell the story this verse came to mind – “You did not choose me but I chose you.” I shared a few other verses like it that talk about how through faith God adopts us into His family.
I then went a step further. It might not be the nicest thing to say, but I said that the bully’s mom was stuck with him, but the adopted boy’s mother chose him, like God chooses us. My wording may not have been the kindest to the bully, but it is a reminder of how God, despite our brokenness, our circumstances, and no matter how bad we are, still chooses us first.
God has chosen you – and me, to be his children, to be part of His family. With that chosen status comes a full inheritance of forgiveness and eternal life. God is not like the bully, who, like Satan, wants to make us feel unloved and worthless. God does love us and values us enough to die for us!
Remember this week that you did not choose God, but that God chose you! That’s pure grace, and it’s what we need today and every day!
In Christ;
Pastor Dan
Special Announcements:
At our Special Congregational Meeting last Sunday we voted unanimously to approve the Sanctuary Roof Repair project for a cost of $168,820-$188,820 to be paid out of our investment portfolio account. We’re expecting the work to begin by early June, depending on permit approval, materials, and the contractor’s schedule. We’re exciting to see this finally move forward, praise be to God!
Mother’s Day Pictures – Sera Butz is putting together a video with your pictures for Mother’s Day worship, May 12th. Please send her pictures of your mother or the mothers in your life. Sera’s email address is: sebutz@outlook.com Please send them by May 6th or bring them to worship and she can take a cell phone picture of it.
Installation Service – Sunday, June 2nd at 10:00 a.m. Pastor Alan Peacock, the Dean of the Sonshine Mission District of the NALC, will be our special guest to officially install Rev Dan Baker as our pastor. Other pastors are invited to come and take part in the service.
