On Forgiveness: A Faithful And Biblical Definition

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revsdd

Well-Known Member
I'm working with a kind of a theme on community and relationships for a few weeks. Not a series - but a basic theme. Today was forgiveness, and I may touch on the topic again in different ways in weeks to come. We had a good turnout - helped by a baptism. Baby was great at the rehearsal a few nights ago, but wouldn't stop crying today! Oh well. We continue to have guest organists while searching for a new music director, which means different styles of music from week to week. Much of the choir music today I was actually not familiar with. I had to rush away after church (I had to chair a meeting in another congregation as a representative of Presbytery) so didn't get to stay for feedback. I enjoyed preaching the sermon, though.

My Faith Thoughts: September 17 2017 sermon: On Forgiveness: A Faithful And Biblical Definition
 
Excellent sermon. I think forgiveness is one area where Jesus really stands out as a moral teacher and I think growing up Christian really shaped my attitude towards it. He hammers it home time and again. No debt or trespass or whatever should be so great as to be beyond forgiveness. Too bad so many Christians seem to think like the slave rather than the king on that front.

I do think the story has another aspect: it really points out that one of our human failings is that we are quick to accept forgiveness but not so quick to give it ourselves. We say "sorry" and expect to be forgiven but grumble at someone else's "sorry" for the same thing. Forgiveness is a tough row to hoe, it seems, when we are the ones being forgiving.
 
The joys of a common lectionary. The Rev Dr spoke on forgiving and forgiveness today. She talked about the roles of forgiver and forgiven. Her key point? That when one finds oneself in a position where you just can't forgive (and we will all have points like that, at which we're 'stuck'); at that point, hand the unforgiveness to God to handle.
 
The joys of a common lectionary. The Rev Dr spoke on forgiving and forgiveness today. She talked about the roles of forgiver and forgiven. Her key point? That when one finds oneself in a position where you just can't forgive (and we will all have points like that, at which we're 'stuck'); at that point, hand the unforgiveness to God to handle.

Thus god will handle the forgiveness beyond us ... quite outlandish really! Plus we don't know what goes on out there as unknown pathological schemes ... sometimes referred to as sacred wisdom ... stuff you'd rather not know! Really creeping ...
 
I can forgive, yet, I also will protect.
So forgive the debt but don't loan again, or loan with tighter reins
 
revsdd said:
Baby was great at the rehearsal a few nights ago, but wouldn't stop crying today! Oh well. . .
sinister deletia
I enjoyed preaching the sermon, though.


Out of curiosity do you celebrate Baptism before or after the sermon?
 
revsdd said:
Before, close to the beginning of the service. Communion on the other hand we do after the sermon, close to the end of the service.

Okay so the sermon not likely the cause of the Baby crying.

What about that hat, do you wear it during the service?
 
Okay so the sermon not likely the cause of the Baby crying.

What about that hat, do you wear it during the service?
My sermons cause no one to cry. Sleep from time to time, but not cry. As for the hat - not on Sundays.
 
Awesome that you do it before. People like me who were invited by the parents are punishment can sneak out after the aquatic ceremony.
 
Just trying to figure out why the baby was exhibiting such inconsistent behaviour. My experience with infants is that they are nothing if not consistent.

I don't think I have ever had to deal with a crying infant at a Baptism. Loud cooing when they grab my throat hairs in their chubby little mitts almost always, crying not at all.

My eyes well up but nobody cries.
 
Awesome that you do it before. People like me who were invited by the parents are punishment can sneak out after the aquatic ceremony.
Always interesting to have visitors like this. We get some of them on Christmas Eve every year. Clearly in attendance to please family or for reasons of nostalgia.
 
My experience with infants is that they are nothing if not consistent.
Really? I find they change from moment to moment, going quickly from happy to screaming their heads off. A certain JK/ SK teacher in the family says they are still like this in kindergarten.
 
I prefer to celebrate Baptism early in the service also.

Parents get very antsy about how loud their baby might be. I typically have a mic I will win any volume competition.

Having been the parent with an infant in worship I appreciate how the coos and gurgles feel deafening. So early in the service so the parents spend less time sweating mostly nothing.
 
paradox3 said:
Really? I find they change from moment to moment, going quickly from happy to screaming their heads off. A certain JK/ SK teacher in the family says they are still like this in kindergarten.

Sorry, I forgot to type that in this new font I have called sarcastica. :whistle:
 
Before, close to the beginning of the service. Communion on the other hand we do after the sermon, close to the end of the service.
I do Baptism in lieu of Children's Time so the younger portion of the congregation are still present. On Sundays when there is Sunday School I have taken to doing Communion right after Children's Time as then the Sunday School folk stay upstairs until after receiving (as they were less than reliable at coming upstairs later on). When there is no SS Communion is later on.

More to the point....
you have a baptism rehearsal?
 
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