Sermon- continuing to grow not in perfectionism but in spirit

Today marks the last day of the second month of 2021 and I for one believe that it has
already started to be a better year than 2020. We have had numerous blessings
already this year to include a vaccine for COVID-19 being rolled out and while this
country still needs help and prayer we are moving back toward new normalcy. It’s not
perfect but it’s improving and that’s what we need. As we move through the beginning
of this year, I’ve been thinking a lot about what our faith tradition means to me and what
this community means to our little corner of the world. I have also thought about what
direction to move in as things continue to change. Change is sometimes hard but it is
what happens as we continue to grow, grow as individuals and grow as a community.
Growing can be hard, but we need to continue. We don’t need to find perfection non-stop, but we need to continue to grow. Some times aiming for fine as we grow can be
life-saving when you’re navigating the big challenges in life. Think for a second who
has ever had to deal with “growing up?” It’s incredible, how we all go through it – for our
whole lives – and each one of us secretly looks back and thinks that we could have
done it better somewhere along the way. It’s the sin of perfectionism. We pretend
there’s this ideal goal that we can reach, and every inch short from it is a mark against
our character, and even worse against our value as a person.