Immanuel Lutheran Church Augsburg

06/08/2026

06/07/2026

Immanuel (Augsburg) Lutheran Church
Shobonier, Illinois
Pentecost 2A - Proper 5A
June 7, 2026
Matthew 9:9-13

Follow Me; Mercy Not Sacrifice

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:9-13 ESV)

In the Name of Jesus, the Good Physician, the only Savior of the world:

In the long green season after Pentecost, we learn about the growth of the Church and the Christian life, what it is to follow Jesus and live as His disciples. Today, we hear Jesus call Matthew to follow Him and thus demonstrate His mercy – to Matthew and to us.

Now, to the world’s way of thinking, Matthew was not exactly a prime candidate to be Jesus’ disciple. After all, he was a tax collector, a “publican,” one who was especially despised by his fellow Jews. For tax collectors collected taxes for the Romans, the foreign power occupying Israel. So they were seen as collaborators, those who cozied up to the enemy for their own advantage. Furthermore, they often enriched themselves by charging, or collecting, more than they were authorized to do in order to line their own pockets. In the eyes of the public, he was most certainly a sinner, a traitor and a robber.

Yet, when Jesus called him, he followed. Jesus’ word did what it said. And while we might ask why Matthew left all and followed Jesus, it shouldn’t be hard to see. For in calling Matthew, Jesus showed him mercy. And tax collectors didn’t get much of that.

They certainly don’t get mercy from the Pharisees. Then again, no one else did either. For the Pharisees had no problem spotting sinners–except when it came to themselves. How about you? If you’re anything like me, you’re better at pointing out sin in others than in yourself. But if we look into the mirror of God’s law, we see that, like Matthew, we too are sinners. Oh, we may not have a tax booth, but inside each of us there is something even worse: Take whatever I can get to satisfy myself. Take the gifts God has given me and use them only for myself. Take from others whatever they can do for me. The symptoms of our sinfulness may not be as obvious as they were in Matthew’s case, but the underlying disease is still the same.

It is to sinners like Matthew, and us, that Jesus comes with a gracious invitation. As our text says: “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.”

Clean and crisp and powerful the call comes. The initiative is all with Jesus. He chooses His disciples. We don’t choose Him. The essential and decisive thing is His gracious call. It’s not because of anything in us that Jesus calls us. It’s only because of something in Him: His divine mercy and grace.

But Jesus does more than call sinners, He also eats with them: “And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’”

The Pharisees were shocked that Jesus would break bread with a houseful of Matthews. But He did. It’s not that there’s anything virtuous or noble about tax collectors and sinners. There isn’t. The point is that God’s grace is deep enough to deal with their sin. Thus, He forgives our sin and calls us to repentance and faith and a new way of life.

Indeed, Jesus welcomes sinners. That’s great news! Our Lord is not ashamed to have fellowship, table fellowship, with the likes of you and me. Every time the Lord’s Supper is offered here in this house, Jesus invites us to eat and drink at His table. At this table He gives you His body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew and you and I all share the same sickness. It’s called sin, and it is a chronic, terminal illness. But thank God, we also have a great physician, namely, Jesus Himself. Jesus says, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” And Jesus is that physician, the doctor who cures our illness and works our healing. His mercy is the healing balm that brings comfort and relief to our sin-sick souls. That’s why this Sacrament is called “the medicine of immortality,” because it will give life to our dying bodies.

Suppose for a moment that there was a brilliant physician who founded a hospital. What’s more, this doctor’s personal efforts developed the very effective medicine that the hospital uses. The medicine is based on a rare antibody found in the doctor’s own blood. Still today he constantly donates blood with which to make new batches of the medicine. Every drop of the medicine used in treatment gives the patient, as it were, a transfusion of the physician’s blood. Therefore the hospital and its patients live in ongoing dependence on the founder for life itself.

In this story, the Church is the hospital, a hospital for sinners. We are those sinners, the patients. And Christ is the doctor who established the hospital and continues to give life to the patients. Just as the medicine has healing power because it is made from the founding doctor’s own blood, so the blessed Sacrament applies to us, again and again, the very blood of Christ, which makes us whole.

You’ve undoubtedly heard someone call for “free universal health care.” Of course, what they don’t tell you is that it is never free. Somebody’s got to pay for it. And so you and I would end up paying a lot more at the tax collector’s booth.

But with the “free universal health care” that Jesus, provides, it is truly free. Absolutely free to you. A free gift, all by grace. Of course, there was a price, there was a cost, and somebody had to pay it. And someone did! Jesus paid it all for you! Christ paid the full cost for you on the cross. By His wounds, you are healed. You are fully covered, and your coverage comes to you free of charge. No co-pay required, or allowed.

Yes, the care Christ provides is free, and it is universal. Everyone is covered. The Son of God paid the price for all sinners, everywhere, for all time, with His holy precious blood. Everyone is covered; no one is left out. And the care that Jesus provides gives you healing for your soul, in the forgiveness of your sins, and ultimate healing for your body, at the resurrection of the dead.

So far, we’ve been using the word “doctor” in the sense of “physician.” But there’s another way we can call Jesus “doctor.” That’s in the sense of “expert teacher.” Jesus is the teacher of His disciples. He also wanted to teach the Pharisees the lesson of mercy, but they would not listen. He says: “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

While the Pharisees had no room for mercy, Jesus is full of mercy. While the Pharisees were all about sacrifices, at least outwardly, they had no mercy. To be sure, God had required sacrifices from His people, but they were not everything, or even the main thing. Jesus shows us and teaches us that mercy is greater than sacrifices. He is our example and instructor in dealing mercifully with others.

We extend God’s mercy to others by our Christian witness. We tell our friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors about the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. We do not keep to ourselves the refreshing mercy that we have discovered in the gospel. We share it with others. We invite other thirsty souls to join us in receiving God’s mercy in Christ.

We also extend mercy to others by our acts of Christian kindness. We don’t think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but in humility we serve our neighbor in love. We don’t look down our noses in smug superiority at those still caught in the web of sin. We recognize that we too are sinners. We realize that the only reason we are anybody is by the mercy of God. Forgiveness is the gift of God by which we live, and it is forgiveness, then, which we practice and extend toward others. As disciples, we follow Jesus in extending God’s mercy to sinful people, even those who sin against us.

Yes, Jesus is the great Physician and the great teacher of His disciples. We are fellow sinners and fellow disciples. And as the hospital of the Church is only for sinners, the good news today is: The doctor is in! Your appointment is now. The bill has already been paid. Come, receive the medicine of immortality! “Follow me,” Jesus is calling out to you today. “Follow me, and learn what mercy is.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

05/31/2026

Immanuel (Augsburg) Lutheran Church
Shobonier, Illinois
Holy Trinity A
May 31, 2026
Matthew 28:16-20

Baptized In the Name of the Holy Trinity

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20 ESV)

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Those words are vital for the children of God. For they are the name into which we are baptized. They confess the one true God who created the heavens and the earth and who is our life and salvation. That’s why today is so important. That’s why the Athanasian Creed is confessed. If we lose that confession, we lose everything. After all, it was written in the midst of struggle with false teaching. There were some who claimed that Jesus wasn’t really God. Some said He wasn’t really human. Some said that the Holy Spirit is not really God, but merely a force, or maybe an energy. Some said there was one God, but not three persons. But if we don’t have the Holy Trinity, we don’t have the true God, our salvation is lost, and our baptism is worthless.

Sometime during the forty days between his resurrection and his ascension, our Lord Jesus met with His disciples on a mountain in Galilee, and He told them: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

And the church has done that ever since, making disciples by baptizing and teaching. Thus, you are a disciple who has been baptized in the name of the Triune God and continue to be taught all that Jesus has commanded.

Being “Baptized in the name” gives you confidence because God’s authority stands behind it. The baptism you received was not some quaint custom invented by men. No, this is Holy Baptism, God’s baptism, instituted by Christ Himself. He is the one who told us to baptize. Jesus Christ, the Son of God from heaven, the crucified and risen Lord, having completed His saving mission on earth, comes to His apostles and says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” It is on this authority that He commissions His church to baptize.

That’s why Baptism is done “in the name of” the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “In the name of” designates the authority behind an act. For example, when a policeman says, “Stop in the name of the law,” the power of the law stands behind his order to stop. Well, baptism has behind it not law but gospel authority. Baptism doesn’t say, “Stop in the name of the law,” but rather, “Go in the name of the gospel.” Go and live free by the power of the gospel! Go, knowing that God has done this good work for you and in you. God’s own name stands behind your baptism, backing it up with His gospel power. In the Large Catechism, Luther writes: “To be baptized in God’s name is to be baptized not by men but by God himself. Therefore, although it is performed by human hands, it is still truly God’s own work.” Thus, God’s authority gives you confidence, knowing that God was doing His own mighty work when He baptized you.

Secondly, Baptism gives you a real sense of belonging. Because now you belong to God. He put His claim on you by putting His name on you. It shows that you are His. God bought you at the price of Christ’s own blood. For Christ my Lord has redeemed me, purchased and won me, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom. Christ owns you, my friend. He purchased you at a tremendous price. In fact, you belong to God three times over. He created you, giving you life and breath. He redeemed you, with the precious blood of Christ. He sanctified you–the Holy Spirit gave you new life and the gift of saving faith. You belong, quite literally, to God.

But this ownership that God has over you is not an oppressive bo***ge, this is no awful slavery. No, this is a most blessed thing, that you belong to God. You have come under God’s protection and provision. His lordship over you is the best thing that could ever happen to you. It sets you free from the slavery to sin and death that you were hopelessly locked into. Now you are free. Now you belong to God. Now you bear His name.

Next, Baptism puts you into a right relationship with Him, the one true God. Now we know who God is and that we have come into a living, life-giving relationship with Him. Before, you and I did not know who God really is. Men by nature have only the vaguest notions of what God must be like. Almost everyone knows that there must be a God, or at least a higher power. That’s obvious from nature and from conscience. But who is God? What is He like? And who am I in relationship to Him? Is God for me or against me? My guilty conscience gives me no peace. Nature does not give me a clear picture. If the sun shines and the crops are good, then I figure God must like me. But if the rain washes out my crops–or if my wife dies, or I lose my job or–pick your misfortune–then God must be against me. Is it because He is a mean God or because I am a bad person? How do I get back on God’s good side? Do I offer sacrifices? Do I try harder? Do I compare myself to people who aren’t as good or as moral as I am? These are the questions that haunt and hound man to the grave, when man has only nature and his own warped conscience to go on.

But that’s not all we have to go on, for God has revealed Himself to us clearly in the gospel. Now we know who the true God is. That’s what this “name” business is all about. The “name” of God is His revelation of Himself, God making Himself known to us. For Christ Jesus, the only Son come from the Father, makes God known to us. Now, in Christ we know a God who is with us and for us, no matter what. Christ has revealed the Father to us, His Father, who now in Holy Baptism becomes our Father also.

“Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We have been baptized into a relationship with the Father–a dear Father who regards us as His own dear children, children of the heavenly Father who hears our prayers and takes care of us, who has an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Likewise, we are baptized into a relationship with the Son–Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sins, who rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, assuring us of forgiveness, life, and eternal salvation. And we have been baptized into a relationship with the Holy Spirit – who brings us to faith in Christ and keeps us in the faith, through the gospel and the sacraments, in the communion of the church. Thus, as the Large Catechism says about being baptized in the name of the triune God: “Where God’s name is, there must also be life and salvation.”

And this gives us a strong sense of identity which guides and empowers our life every day of our life. So, how does that work itself out? Well, here’s what the Small Catechism teaches, under Daily Prayers. Start each day as a baptized child of God: “In the morning when you get up, make the sign of the holy cross and say, ‘In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.”

This is a good way to live out your baptism, to live in and from your baptism. To live each day, consciously, in the name that was put on you in your baptism. By calling on the name of the triune God, we commit ourselves and that day into God’s hands. By invoking that holy name, we remember who we are and whose we are. We are new people in Christ, led by the Holy Spirit. We take to ourselves all the gifts that God has given us with His name: forgiveness, new life, the power to live as God’s people, the sure hope of the resurrection of this body that God has put His name on. By invocation of the name of the triune God, you claim your identity as a baptized child of God. And every time the divine name is placed on you here in the Divine Service–at the Invocation, the Absolution, the Benediction–you can likewise make the sign of the holy cross and remember your baptism.

Think of it! You have been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit! The Father, who loves you so much that He sent His Son to be your Savior. The Son, Jesus Christ, who carried out His saving mission and returned to His Father in heaven and from there sent us the Holy Spirit, that we would know who we are and whose we are and what is ours in Christ. In Holy Baptism, we become God’s children, we are washed clean by the saving blood of Christ, and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who works faith and new life in us. The triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all working together for your good and your salvation!

Thus, we also give attention to the teaching which follows Baptism throughout our lives. For it is through baptizing and teaching that disciples are made. And yet, the church doesn’t do this alone. For Jesus also promises, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

That’s what makes our Baptism into the name of the Holy Trinity so special. For “His name is a treasure greater and nobler than heaven and earth.” “Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us.”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

05/27/2026

June, 2026

Dearly Beloved of Christ,

Father’s Day falls on June 21. It’s a day to remember and honor your father, and we do that best by honoring our heavenly Father by gathering with His, and your, family in His House.

Another pastor suggested having a conversation with your parents (if possible) and your children (if possible) about their lives of faith so as to pass it on to further generations. The conversation can be as formal or casual as you want. You can take written notes and/or a recorder of some kind so you have their actual voice speaking the answers. If that’s not possible or desirable, you could also answer the questions for your children in a written journal or a voice/video recording of you answering the questions. No matter your situation, the questions are worth considering and discussing. How would you answer them?

1. Who do you remember first teaching you about Jesus? Was it a family member, Sunday school teacher, or pastor? Is there someone in particular who helped you grow in faith and understand “Jesus loves me” isn’t just a song?

2. When and where were you baptized and confirmed? Do you remember either? Talk about what you learned about the family story. Was there a Baptismal gown that was worn by previous generations? Were you baptized or confirmed the same day as another family member?

3. What family member, friend, or other person best modeled God's grace to you when you were young? As a teen? As an adult?

4. Tell about your prayer life. How do you pray? How often? When? What do you pray for? Do you have a favorite place for prayer?

5. Tell about a time when you had to trust the promises of God.

6. Tell about a time when it seemed God was silent, or when you felt distant from Him.

7. Tell about a time when God answered your prayers or a time when He did not answer your prayers like you had hoped.

8. What has been the greatest joy as a child of God? What has been the biggest challenge or struggle?

9. Has there ever been a moment where you thought your faith died? Has there been a moment when your faith grew?

10. Has there been a moment where you particularly felt God's love, grace, mercy, and compassion?

11. Finish this sentence: "I go to church because..."

12. Finish this sentence: "My prayer for you is..."

13. Bonus: What is your favorite Bible story? Why?

These are all good questions to think about and try to answer - for yourself and for your family. I pray you are edified by the exercise.

God bless you and keep you always in the grace of your baptism and bring you at last to life everlasting.

In the love of Christ,
Pastor Landskroener

P.S. BTW, can you guess my answer for number 11?

Here are the readings for the upcoming Divine Services:

June 7 Pentecost 2A Proper 5A
Hos. 5:15–6:6
Rom. 4:13-25
Matt. 9:9-13

June 14 Pentecost 3A Proper 6A
Ex. 19:2-8
Rom. 6-15
Matt. 9:35–10:8 (9-20)

June 21 Pentecost 4A Proper 7A
Jer. 20:7-13
Rom. 6:12-23
Matt. 10:5a, 21-33

June 28 Pentecost 5A Proper 8A
Jer. 28:5-9
Rom. 7:1-13
Matt. 10:34-42

05/24/2026

Immanuel (Augsburg) Lutheran Church
Shobonier, Illinois
Pentecost A
May 24, 2026
John 7:37-39

It’s a Miracle

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39 ESV)

In the Name of Jesus, the only Savior of the world,

Miracles happen all around us, though we don’t always recognize them as such. Oh, yes, when someone recovers from a difficult, even deadly, illness, disease, or affliction, we my say it’s a miracle. In fact, we often pray for just such a miracle. It’s a miracle when someone survives a horrific accident of some kind and walks away unscathed. Or when someone makes spectacular progress after suffering injuries of some kind - perhaps a police officer or fire fighter, unable to walk because of injuries sustained on the job, walks a few steps after months of intense therapy. And while such things are certainly miraculous, there are other miracles too, such as the birth of a child. And yet, not all miracles are so dramatic or spectacular. Many ordinary things in life are also miracles.

And this Day of Pentecost is a day of miracles. After all, the Holy Spirit has gathered us together in this place to witness a miracle. Maybe nothing as dramatic as that other congregation saw that day, but certainly as significant. Maybe nothing as out-of-the-ordinary as the sound of a rushing, mighty wind or something like tongues of fire appearing on someone’s head or people speaking in strange languages. Nevertheless, it is a day for miracles.

For the Holy Spirit has gathered us together to hear about Jesus, God in the flesh. And as we hear about Jesus, we can’t help but say, “It’s a miracle.” For God the Father sent His only-begotten Son to offer Himself as the final sacrifice for sin. Jesus was born of a virgin. He did many “miracles, wonders, and signs.” He was given into “lawless hands” and was “crucified and put to death.” He rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples. He ascended back into heaven and has taken His place at the right hand of His Father.

It’s a miracle! Not only did all of that really happen, it happened for you. Not only did you just hear the story again, but through that story God has given you life. Through the Holy Spirit, you have been directed to Christ as your only Savior from sin, death, hell, and the devil and your only source of life. Yes, our bones, dead and dry in sin have been raised from death and destruction to vibrant life through the Word of God. By Jesus’ death on the cross all our sins are forgiven. It’s a miracle!

Now some of you may be wondering what any of this has to do with our text. After all, it says nothing about miracles. In fact, it doesn’t seem to say much at all. Yet, there is a miracle in the text.

When Jesus spoke the words of our text, it was during the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. This was a feast set aside to remember and celebrate the deliverance of God’s people from bo***ge in Egypt. Throughout the feast the people were reminded about God’s miraculous power and grace as He sustained them through their 40-year journey in the wilderness. They were reminded of the ten miracles (plagues) and the crossing of the Red Sea. They were reminded that God used Moses to bring forth water from a rock, and two times at that. Yes, the Israelites experienced many miracles. They needed to hear again and again what God had done for them and for their salvation.

For they couldn’t be saved by the dry dust of the Pharisees as they taught their many rules and regulations. They couldn’t be saved by the parched promises of the Sadducees with the “eat, drink, and be merry” lifestyle. They could only be saved by the One who dies in their place, who takes upon Himself the burden of their sin, who thirsts on the cross as He suffers the wrath of God for the sin of the world.

So when Jesus issues the invitation, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink,” He’s offering forgiveness of sins. He’s offering them life, eternal life. And that’s the miracle. For Christ’s invitation brings life to dry bones. Christ’s invitation reminds us of the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar. When Jesus said “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14), the woman said, “Sir, give me this water.” Christ’s invitation to drink of living water reminds us that our sins have been washed away in the waters of Holy Baptism. Christ’s invitation to drink of living water reminds us of His invitation to “Take and drink” His Blood in the Holy Supper. And in that meal we receive living waters which in reality poured from His side as He died on the cross.

Indeed, it’s a miracle that God would become man. It’s a miracle that the Creator would die for the creature. It’s a miracle that Christ would issue such an invitation to sinners such as us. It’s a miracle that through that invitation, the Holy Spirit creates and sustains saving faith in our hearts. Thus, every time we hear the Good News about Jesus, every time we hear the saving Gospel proclaimed, every time we receive absolution, every time we remember our Baptism, every time we commune, we witness a miracle.

But that’s not the end of God’s miracles. For Christ also says, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Notice, He doesn’t promise just a trickle, He promises “rivers of living waters.” As we celebrate the miracle of salvation, as we celebrate the miracle of the sending of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Christ’s promise, we do well to consider what it means for us.

For on that first Christian Pentecost, we witness the outpouring of the Spirit upon the Apostles. They boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Savior of the world. Indeed, on that day “rivers of living water” did flow, and many were brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

And what happened that day continues to happen today as well. No, I’m not talking about tongues of fire or speaking in tongues. I’m talking about the miracle that the Spirit works through us. Indeed, as we drink of Christ, we will never thirst. Our salvation is certain. And as we drink that living water over and over again, it will pour forth in our lives.

Many people like the hymn “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying.” In the second stanza of that hymn we sing:

If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul [or Peter],
You can tell the love of Jesus; You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked With the judgment’s dread alarms,
You can lead the little children To the Savior’s waiting arms. (LSB 826)

Indeed, as you and I tell others the Good News about Jesus, they too will experience the miracle of Pentecost, as the water of the Gospel creates and sustains life. Indeed, when through faith and in faith we are bold to tell others what Jesus means to us, living waters will flow from us. Thus the Holy Spirit uses us to point others to Christ.

Indeed, our Savior, Jesus Christ, says to us, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” That’s what Jesus promised. And that promise is fulfilled every time the Gospel is proclaimed because the Holy Spirit uses it to keep us in the one true faith. And every time it happens, it’s a miracle. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.