Grace and Peace to the Body of Christ in Twinsburg

This week we hear Jesus’s teachings on forgiveness in Matthew 18.
While teaching his disciples about how to live well with others, Peter
asks about forgiveness.

“Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I
forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times,
but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

Bible scholars write that Rabbinic wisdom of this era suggested
forgiving three times, so Peter’s offering of seven times is
expansive. Yet, as Jesus does, he pushes his disciples’ understanding
of divine love even further by saying 77 (or 70 x 7) times.

It is another example of how Jesus seeks to expand our hearts and form
us in the expansive Love of God.

This week we will also experience a sermon form called Living Stories
Sermons. It was created by Episcopal Priest, Peter Levenstrong of St.
Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, CA.

It invites us all (young and old) to bring our life experience to the
stories of Jesus and to share our faith in a safe space with members
of our congregation.

It is one way I see to build up the Body of Christ in faith, hope, and love.

I hope you will join us as we learn from one another what it means to
follow Jesus in our own time and place.

In hope,

Pastor Karsten