Prayer: Gracious God, you forgive my trespasses not as I fail to forgive the hurts and transgressions of others. Generous Jesus, you saved me from judgment even as I judge others. Holy Spirit fill my heart and help me to do your will on earth as it is in heaven! Amen.
Reading: Acts 3:12-19 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther’s GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: Why is it so hard to say I’m sorry? We all mess up, we make mistakes, sometimes we do things for which we are truly, deeply sorry. And yet we ask for forgiveness with excuses and justifications. I didn’t know… Everyone else said… They told me to… It can be so hard to face the one you’ve wronged and try to make things right with an outright apology and honest amends. Why is that? Is it our fear of rejection? Do we see the devastation we’ve caused so great forgiveness can never be granted? Is it because we don’t believe ourselves worthy of pardon? Or is it because to take full responsibility for our actions is to look inward? For me, the struggle to acknowledge and admit that I was capable of doing something genuinely hurtful or wicked is always a test. I’m ashamed to admit it’s not one I always pass. And it’s a reality I’ve experienced: to be devastated by another’s choices and lose our relationship because they would not - or could not - face their guilt and accept that such an egregious character imperfection resides within them. Repentance is not only for the sinner; it offers a balm that can heal the pain of broken relationship. In 12-step programs, the adherent must seek out those she or he has hurt and express an understanding of how that hurt was inflicted – not why, but how. In families, we raise our children to admit when they’ve done wrong, to try to do better. In worship, we begin with prayers of contrition. And as Jesus proved, He is ready to forgive, to accept, and to love us. --Heather LeBlanc
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