Rochester, MN UCC - “Sanctified In Truth, Sent Into The World” - John 17:6-19

In the 17th Chapter of John, Jesus is saying goodbye to the disciples, giving them the last bits of wisdom they will need after his death, resurrection, and ascension. At one point, Jesus begins to address God directly, saying that he has protected all those whom God has given him, and that they all believe that he came from God and that God sent him into the world. Finally, Jesus asks God to sanctify his followers in the truth before he sends them out into the world.

 This Sunday, Amber and Annika are confirming their faith in our service of worship. Over the last year they have spent hours learning about the truth of Christianity. They have heard how God sent Jesus to be with us, to love us, to forgive us, to restore us, and to send us forth to share the good news of God’s love. In short, they have learned that in Jesus Christ, God is with us and for us. This Sunday, they will proclaim the faith in which they were baptized and confirm that they have chosen it as their own.

 The Church chose both Amber and Annika before either could speak for themselves through the sacrament of baptism. They have each been raised in the church as one of Her beloved children, receiving love, forgiveness, guidance, and service. Now that they are claiming the faith as their own, Jesus Christ and His Church send them into the world to testify to this faith. They are now called to offer love, forgiveness, guidance, and service to others, to welcome them into the covenant of love and service we share in with Jesus Christ. They will, of course, still have needs of their own that must be tended by the church, they will still need the love of God, the grace of the church, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But now they too have publicly accepted the call of God to serve in the coming of the kingdom, to boldly share the love of God with the world. Join us this Sunday as we welcome Annika and Amber into the full life of Christian discipleship and pledge to support them with all our hearts, minds, spirit, and strength.

 Rev. Andrew Greenhaw