April 2025

“In church, I learned that God is a God of 2nd chances or rather, God is a God of all the chances because I’ve definitely used up my 2 chances.”

- David Insley, John Knox 7th grader in the Youth-led Worship Service on March 23.

This could be the best Easter message I’ve heard in a long time.

Peter, following his denial of Jesus three times, would probably agree.

We run into trouble when we place limits on God’s mercy and grace.

Not only do we experience alienation from God, but we also create alienation from one another.

While walking in the Cleveland Pride Parade last year with over 30 members of our church, a man standing on the sidewalk with a megaphone shouted out, “God’s mercy will come to an end!”

I started to angle over to him to begin a conversation on where that concept came from and how he became the proclaimer of such toxic judgement, but he kept shouting and wasn’t too interested in a conversation.

I found it astounding that not knowing any of us in the parade, our stories, our struggles, our solidarity, our way of accompanying one another, he felt the need to launch such a hate-filled lie.

The Easter message secures a truth located in Lamentations 3:21-23:

“This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of God never ceases, God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

On Easter morn, Jesus rose from the grave, conquering evil, securing salvation, overcoming death, rejecting hate, offering forgiveness, and empowering us for new life and mercy each morning.

God is a God of all the chances. Thanks be to God!

Tom (and David)