Good morning: Have you ever been a little nervous about going to a large social gathering? Have you been uncertain about how to dress or act when you’ve traveled outside the Midwest or overseas? Maybe someone told you, “Just be yourself.” That’s usually good advice. It’s hard to pretend that you fit in with a large group in formal dress when you’re more comfortable wearing jeans and sitting in a friend’s kitchen. Why try to cover up Wisconsin roots just because you’re a thousand miles from home? It’s better to just be yourself. That is even more true when it comes to our faith-life. Living in a sinful, unbelieving world, the temptation is strong to try to blend in with the crowd. We don’t want to stand out as different. We want to come across to others as comfortable with current social trends and attitudes. We want to be accepted by classmates, coworkers and neighbors. But that’s not who we are. We’re not part of that world any longer. We have been rescued from our old ways and attitudes by faith in Jesus. The Lord encourages us to live like the new people he has made us. Paul writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” (Eph. 5:8-9). Let’s not be afraid to “Just be ourselves,” and let the light of Christ shine out from us to everyone around us, that they too may believe and praise him who lived, died, and rose again for all. In Christ, Pastor Our service tomorrow, including the Lord’s Supper, is at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday school and adult Bible class. The Bible class will take up the topic of “Worry” and the Lord’s cure for it.
