It Hits Different: Welcome Sinners

It Hits Different: Welcome Sinners

Sunday, September 11, 2022
Rev. Molly Vetter

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This Sunday, our scripture includes familiar Gospel stories of lost things: a coin and a sheep. They tell about how gracious God is, of the great effort God will go to find anyone who is “lost,” and about divine joy when those who are lost are found. But when I read the passage, I often get tripped up by language that labels those of us who are lost as “sinners.” In an era where the church has been too often known for its judgmentalism, where do we sift through these words to find grace? And, in an era of deep polarization, how do we save ourselves from judgmentalism and allow ourselves to experience divine joy?