​God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them,
of every gender, (and colour, and size, and shape, and ability)
God created them.
(Genesis 1:27)

You bear the image of the living God. Has anyone ever told you that before? You are a beautiful and beloved child of God, wonderful and unique in every way, and created by a God who loves you more than you can ever imagine. And it’s our job to remind one another of that, over and over again, as often as we can!

Because the fact is that, as humans, we don’t always treat one other as beautiful and beloved human beings who bear the image of the living God, do we? Not really. Sometimes we treat our underwear with more care than we treat our fellow beautiful and beloved children of God.

That’s why a community of faith is a place where we come to experience God’s grace. It’s a place where we hear that life-giving promise over and over again: “You are a beautiful and beloved child of God.” And when we acknowledge the ways in which we haven’t treated others as beautiful and beloved children of God, it’s a place to hear the life-giving promise: “In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.”

When we read scripture together, we hear all sorts of life-giving words that God is speaking into our lives. Words of grace, healing, forgiveness, and peace, from a God who spoke the words, “Let there be light!” and there was light. God spoke, and the universe came into being. God continued to speak to the people of Israel through the prophets, and God spoke to all humanity through Jesus Christ (God’s Word made flesh). And guess what? God is still speaking, through the Spirit of life who is moving in our world today.

We invite you to join us, so that you can hear the life-giving words that God wants to speak into your life.

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

(Psalm 139:13-14)