“But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.”

-- Luke 15:20

Many of us go through life carrying around “life baggage”: ideas, thoughts, or feelings that weigh us down and make our journey through life more difficult. One of those feelings—perhaps the most paralyzing one of all—can be guilt.

While it is a sign of a healthy conscience to feel guilty when we’ve done something bad, we can so easily go the next step and start to believe that we are bad. This is not God’s intent for our lives! Some of us go through life with a burden we do not have to carry: there is nothing in the world that can separate us from God’s love, and there is nothing you could ever do that can take away your baptism. You are God’s beloved child forever!

If you have been carrying around a sense of guilt or pain for whatever reason, and want to confidentially give that burden over to God once and for all and receive a personal assurance of God’s forgiveness, you are invited to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as Individual Confession and Forgiveness.

While it is sometimes thought of as a “Catholic” thing, Luther himself firmly believed in its value and included it in the Small Catechism that we still use today. While Lent is a common time for this rite, it is never a bad time—and never too late—to come home and set your conscience free. Reconciliation is available at any time by appointment with the Pastor.