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Our Journey IN Christ: The Path to Life
From the Pastor's Desk
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”--- Luke 9:23
If you travel with a GPS, you soon become familiar with the feminine voice who guides you to your destination. In fact, you may even give her a name… We call our guide “G-Babe.” Of course, G-Babe has steered me down some strange paths from time to time, and whenever she gives me a new direction, I often wonder whether I should follow her or go my own way.
The devil tempts us to ask the same question of our journey in Christ. When Jesus calls us to follow Him by way of His cross, we wonder if there might be a better way… perhaps a less difficult, painful, or foolish way… But the fact is, when Jesus opens the way for us to paradise, He chooses a strange path. "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Luke 9:22)." And as He calls us to follow Him, we can either trust that His way is true, or we can go our own way into sin, death, and hell.
As we read St. Luke’s Gospel and follow Jesus on His journey to the cross throughout these Sundays after Pentecost, we will see the various paths the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh would have us take. But in the end, there is only one way to life and salvation. And when Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow Me,” we would be wise to hear His voice and follow Him by faith in the way He leads – the way of HIS cross – the way of HIS mercy and compassion, HIS atoning sacrifice, and HIS peace and forgiveness which He now pours out for us through His Word and Sacraments. For it is only by turning from our sin to go the way of our Baptism into Christ crucified and risen that we will reach our destination IN Christ for life everlasting. It’s a journey you won’t want to miss!
Your Fellow Servant in Christ,
Pastor Holowach