³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:3-8)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

Ironically, most of us are familiar with Romans 6 from funeral experiences. While this passage does have can apply to eternal life after physical death, Paul was primarily talking about a struggle in this life. The Romans were struggling with the concepts of sin and grace. Some folks wanted to experience more grace so they figured they needed to sin more. While on some level, there might be a sliver of logic there, they were assuming grace was a quantifiable resource.

Grace is not a quantifiable resource. It cannot be sold in the market or traded on Wall Street. Grace is a powerful force bestowed upon us by God. As an expression of God’s goodness and love, it cannot be contained or measured by human beings. Paul is calling the Romans (and us) to an awareness of the ongoing reformation God compels in our lives. God’s power works on us and in us. It transforms us from sinners into saints.

As a force, grace is constantly reforming your lives on earth. Faith changes you. Christ transfigures you into His image. God’s Word transforms you. All this is accomplished to the glory of God. (Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Christus, Sola Scriptura, Sola Deo Gloria) The mantra of Martin Luther and the other 16^th century Reformers was a call to daily rebirth in Christ. It continues to be a call to each of you to undergo constant change from sinful humans into Christ’s image. By God’s power this transformation continuously reforms each of our lives. “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9) His reforming power will keep you in that fellowship.

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

                                                                      In Christ,

Pastor Carla

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. ³⁵ Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. ³⁶ The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷ For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:34-38)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

We are workers together for the sake of the Gospel. Together, the whole church on earth goes about the business of sowing and harvesting under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We share that privilege with the rest of the church. This endeavor requires trusting God and fellow believers throughout the world.

Unlike the planting and harvesting of vegetative crops, which complete their growing cycle in the span of months, souls take much longer. It is extremely rare to see this particular crop grow from start to finish. This crop grows over the course of lifetimes.

We plant the seed in some and witness the harvest in others. Those moments usually seem more noticeable to us. Most of the time, we simply witness the Spirit causing undramatic growth in those around us. It can feel a little bit like staring at the corn during July, trying to determine how much it grew since the day prior. Just like micromanaging corn during July can lead to unnecessary worry and anxiety, micromanaging spiritual growth markers can do the same thing for both the workers and the crop.

The Spirit is leading us. The path may not be exactly as we imagined or even planned, but the Spirit has greater resources than just our little corner of the world. Sometimes we plant, sometimes we reap, sometimes we grow by little bits and pieces – but Holy Spirit always guides and manages. Praise be to God!

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

                                                                      In Christ,

Pastor Carla