“But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). When Jesus asks us this question, how do we reply?Do we respond with Peter, proclaiming that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16)? We may respond in that way when we feel we have more faith than doubt. However, we don’t always feel so bold. Sometimes we might not have a clear answer when our Lord asks, “Who do you say that I am?”

Our worship here today is one of the ways we learn about what Jesus does so that we might proclaim whoJ esus is.

Jesus...

          ...meets us in the assembly gathered for worship and calls us to be united in his love.

          ...meets us in baptismal waters, drowning our sin and making us new.

          ...invites us to tell the truth about the ways we have sinned against God and each other.

          ...responds to our confession with full and immediate pardon.

          ...is the saving, calling, redeeming Word, coming to us in scripture reading,preaching, and song.

          ...invites us to share what God has given us, calling us to offer our resources of money and time so that the church’s mission of genuine love may be extended.

          ...feeds us with his own body. As we take Jesus into our bodies in the form of bread and wine, we become what we receive: the body of Christ.

          ...blesses us, gives us his peace, and grants us courage to answer his question: “But who do you say that I am?”

Having experienced Jesus in our worship, may we be so bold as to reply: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”