God gathers us together to address each person in real time, with God’s love in Christ. That is the purpose of our worship service. God calls us to repent, declares us accepted, forgiven, and sets us free to love each other, then teaches each of us how to repent, who the me is that God accepts, and how I am empowered to serve other people.

God does not want to overwhelm us and chase us away. So, in Jesus, God becomes small and weak for us, meeting each of us just as we are, even if we are enemies. That’s what it means to be accepted and forgiven. We want to channel this same loving, acceptance and welcome in our worship gathering and in our daily lives.