On assurance.

Dr. Dan Orme, The University Church, November 5, 2006 Romans 5: 1-11, "Reformation Sunday"

"Do you have doubts about whether the Lord receives you or not? Does your Christian assurance come and go with the weather and the mood of your day? If you have received Christ, your sins have been forgiven -- past, present and future. Insofar as God is your judge, 'there is therefore now, no condemnation.' Your sins have been laid upon Christ. But you are not just 'forgiven,' as if to say that you now must do something to make yourself valuable to God, or else he won't like you very much. He has imputed to you all the goodness of Jesus Christ and treats you accordingly and will treat you accordingly for an eternity. Even such things as promising your rewards in heaven for your shoddy good works, is a matter of grace. He has accepted you as righteous, only for Christ's good works that have been imputed to you. Do you realize that? It is a starting place for a correct view about the earthly life of Christ as your Savior."

Wreaths by Carolyn Hillman

Red wreaths
Hang in my neighbor's window
Green wreaths in my own.
On this day I lost my husband
On this day you lost your boy.
On this day
Christ was born.
Red wreaths,
Green wreaths
Hang in our windows,
Red for a bleeding heart,
Green for grave grass.
Mary, mother of Jesus,
Look down and comfort us.
You too knew passion;
You too knew pain.
Comfort us,
Who are not brides of God,
Nor bore God.
On Christmas day
Hang wreaths,
Green for spent passion,
Red for new pain.

On the leaf-bright Friday drive...

Oh, be the music in my head
The air around my bed
Oh, be my rest
Replace the small disgraces of
The times and places I never really left

Oh, I want to fly, fly forward into the light
Be alive, to come alive
On the leaf-bright Friday drive
Sudden horses at the redlight
Turn around, see clearer ways to go now

- the Innocence Mission