Deserving and Desiring—Gentle and Lowly, Part 5
Deserving and Desiring—Gentle & Lowly, Part 5
This series is rooted in Matthew 11:29, the passage that speaks of Christ as being gentle and lowly in heart. This follows another descriptor of Jesus, pejoratively given, just a few verses before in Matthew 11:19, where he is called a “friend of tax collectors and sinners” (psst…that’s us).
What does it mean that Jesus Christ is a friend to you? That you are “his”? It speaks of fierce and unbreakable attachment…he’s steadfast towards you. It means he’s for you. It means he opens up his heart and lets you in on what he’s doing in the world. It means that he will never shut you out.
Given enough offenses, given enough backstabbing, given enough times we mistreat someone, every human friend will, understandably, finally build a wall. Every human friend has a limit. Jesus Christ is the one friend who has no limit to what he will put up with from you or from me. The only deal is we have to keep coming to him and falling into his embrace. That’s all.
He’s not only the King of all kings, he’s not only Lord of all lords; he’s our Savior, our intercessor, and our advocate—so he deserves our worship. But he also desires our friendship. And when we open ourselves to him, we discover the friend of all friends.
See you Sunday.
Steve+
Redeemer Women’s Spring Tea—Saturday, May 6, 2-4PM
Register here! Feel free to bring along a tea-appropriate treat if you’d like—or just bring yourself! We eagerly anticipate sharing a spot of tea and conversation with you.
Children are invited to attend as well (minimum age of eight recommended).
2023 Q1 Financial Snapshot
Redeemer remains in sound financial shape through the first quarter of 2023.
Expenses have been held below budget by about 2%, and we anticipate the same moving forward. Income at the end the first quarter is about 5% below budgeted commitments. Some of this is due to the timing of some giving, some missed giving we anticipate being made up, and some is from a small drop in giving overall. Thanks be to God, Redeemer has the savings in hand to weather these variables. We want to avoid dipping into savings if possible, however, as the interest we earn on these accounts is very helpful to us.
We are deeply grateful for your continued support of Redeemer's Shared Vision: “To proclaim and promote the Gospel; giving ever more time, talent, and treasure to seeking the flourishing of our neighbors”. We ask that you prayerfully consider how you can help us remain on a strong, steady, and healthy financial footing. You can give electronically here.
If you have any questions about our budget or our giving, contact our Treasurer, Jim Evans: treasurer@redeemerannapolis.org; (571) 814-0199 (cell)
Bishop +Julian Episcopal Visitation—Sunday, June 18
Picture credit: Amaury Gutierrez on Unsplash