It always comes back to baptism. Every time we baptize, the following words (or something like them) are said:

In baptism God claims us, and puts a sign on us to show that we belong to God. God frees us from sin and death, uniting us with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection. By water and the Holy Spirit, we are made members of the church, the body of Christ, and joined to Christ’s ministry of love, peace and justice.

Sanctification is the process of growing into all these hopes and promises.

Throughout the letter to the Romans, Paul works diligently to help us—or, more specifically, the Gentile converts to Christianity that didn’t have the benefit of the Hebrew Scriptures for reference—to make sense of it all. What happened when Jesus died on the cross—specifically, and, globally? What difference did it make? Why do we—followers of Jesus, Christians—look upon this horrific thing, as a good thing?

Paul begins his long letter by sharing his longing to see the people he loves (but has never met) face to face. He is longing to share encouragement with them. He is longing for communion, and so are we.

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” ~Matthew 18:4-5

...

We walk by faith, as Paul has told us, and not by sight. So, for us, for Christians walking around in 2015, we don't receive the revelation at the tomb—we don’t walk there in the darkness, we don't get thrown to the ground by the earthquake, we don’t shield our eyes from the the snow-white, lightning bright angel rolling back the stone majestically and then plopping himself down upon it with his good-news words, "Do not be afraid." And we certainly don't get to see Jesus, dressed, perhaps, like a gardener, showing us his holy hands and side, and letting us cling to his poor battered feet....

"After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb." ~Matthew 28:1

...It is a powerful instinct, not limited to our species. To go there, to be near, to look, and weep, and remember, and wonder. The women go to see the tomb...

You have eaten this meal; you have gathered around this table.

You have sat opposite the one you love, the one who loves you.

You have sat near the one with whom you are vying for position.

You have sat next to the one who betrayed you.

You have sat next to the one whom you betrayed.

You have leaned into the bosom of the one you knew

would not live to see another sunset….

and you have leaned close to the one whose parting

was an earthquake of surprise.

Do you remember?

For all of us: there comes a time when we are confronted with the question: What must we give up in order to have truly abundant life?

Family stuff is never simple.

Even the most loving families, even people who you know are there for you, who you know deep in your gut love you like crazy and have your back, can sometimes make it clear—very clear—that they don’t understand you...

... There is a wedding. This is a consistent, powerful image Jesus used often, to tell us what the kingdom of God would be like. The kingdom of heaven—not that pie in the sky, in the bye and bye heaven, but heaven as it unfolds on earth when we start to live the gospel with every breath we take. The reign of God looks like a joyful feast, a feast celebrating love, and union, and unity....

A Sermon on Matthew 22:1-14

A Sermon on Matthew 20:1-16

A Meditation on Matthew 8:5-13.

A Sermon on Matthew 18:15-35.

Matthew 18:1-6.

A sermon on Matthew 16:24-7:8.

A sermon on Matthew 6:24-35.

A sermon on Matthew 3:1-17.