I have an announcement to make. Today's sermon is not for everybody. It was not planned for a general audience. It was not written to whom it may concern. No, today's sermon is intended for people who have a hard time feeling forgiven. The rest of you can listen in.

Once in a while, I run across somebody who has difficulty feeling that the good news of the gospel is for them. They don't have any problem believing all the outrageous things that church takes to be true, like God becoming a human or the resurrection of Jesus. They may generally go along with, even enjoy, the church's commitment to mission in the world. They like church people, and choose to spend time around them. But when it comes to accepting God as a positive and joyful presence in daily life, well, it simply doesn't come…