Above the doors at the church I serve as pastor there is a sign on the inside which reads, "You are now entering the mission field." How true this is, especially regarding mercy, as in mercy shown to others, out in the world.
When we come to worship God, too many fail to understand why we are really there. Too many think that worship is what we are bringing to God, what we are doing FOR God, as if He needs something from us.
In our hymnals in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Lutheran Service Book, the introduction in the front reminds us of the following....Our Lord is the Lord who serves. Jesus came into the flesh not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many...Our Lord serves us today through His holy Word and Sacraments. Through these means, He comes among us to deliver His forgiveness and salvation, freeing us from our sins and strengthening us for service to one another and the world...The Lord's service calls forth our service--in sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to Him and in loving service to one another.
Mercy then, has a very real and meaningful place in our lives, as we, having been stregthened through God's Word and Sacrament, go out into the world to show Christ's mercy and love to others. It is a meaningful and ESSENTIAL part of the Christian life, necessarily flowing from the faith we have been given.
A question for you all--If there is no mercy in us, is there Christ in us either?
Thank you for reading, and God bless you as you show mercy to the hurting world.
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