I would like to share something with you all that you probably already know, but it’s always good to write out. I take a lot of pride in being able to make a good worship service. I want to make the service meaningful in some way. And what better way to do that than to write a captivating, informative, and thoughtful sermon. It is the part of the service for about 10 to 15 uninterrupted minutes when I have everyone’s attention on me. Maybe I can make a change in a heart or two. Make an earth-shattering point that may give someone pause. Or give rest to a soul who is weary from whatever weighed them down. And I can proudly say that there are times when (thanks to the Holy Spirit) that these things have happened. They are some of the prouder moments of ministry that I have during worship.

However, many times I have also felt that the sermon has fallen short. It didn’t really do the things I needed it to do. It can feel like no hearts were changed, no pausing was done, and no soul found rest in the words spoken. Maybe it is because I just had an extremely busy week. Maybe it’s because the words just weren’t coming. Or maybe I just suffered from the deadly sin of sloth. Whatever the case, I try to remind myself that the service isn’t all about me. That even if the sermon goes haywire, or everything doesn’t come out the way I hoped or planned, there is a reason why they call me a minister of word and sacrament, not just a minister of word. The sacraments remind me that whether I end up doing well or not during worship (or outside of worship), that not everything depends on my abilities as a pastor or person to create something meaningful.

In the sacrament of baptism, the water and the word make meaning through God’s action of declaring the baptized as a beloved child of God. In the sacrament of the altar, it is the words with the food and drink that conveys the forgiveness of sins through God’s grace. It is the sharing of God’s peace and love conveyed to the world and to me. Even when I know I did not earn it, God gives these gifts anyway.

Whether I wrote a great sermon or not, God will continue to work through even the simplest of means to transform our lives into something beautiful. May you therefore remember that God can do the extraordinary things, even if it is not perfect, doesn’t live up to your standards, or even through the simplest of things. Because it never depended on us (including my fancy words) in the first place. The mercy, peace, and love God are given for you. And that grace is enough to sustain us and all of creation forevermore.

Pastor Evan Meester, June 2026