Sermon - 6-25-23

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt;"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif;"> Faith Lutheran Church (Okemos), Pastor Julie Winklepleck</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt;"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif;"> Pr. 7A, L12, P+4, June 25, 2023</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt;"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif;"> Matthew 10</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif; color: black; background: white;"> Grace, mercy, and peace are yours, through God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif; color: black; background: white;"> I begin this morning by quoting that great princess, Carrie Fisher, who said: “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif; color: black; background: white;"> We are going to be afraid. That’s human. Someone who is brave…it doesn’t mean they are not afraid… it means they hold their fear in tension with their ability keep moving, and to do what they need to do.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: 'Constantia',serif; color: #222222;"> Jesus is sending us out to proclaim God’s love, to proclaim the kin-dom. Last week, God told us through Jesus to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. That means to go out, and share God’s love, and be prepared for anything. <strong>You</strong> can’t prepare yourself for anything, right? But <strong>God</strong> can prepare you for <strong>anything</strong>. God prepares us for the jobs