Rochester, MN UCC - "Choose Life!" - Deuteronomy 30:15-20

After laying out all the commandments of God to Israel, in the 30th chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses lets the people know that the choice between life and death is now theirs. To choose life they must love the Lord their God, obeying and holding fast to God. Doing so will mean life and prosperity in the land that God has promised them. If they fail to love the Lord their God and go chasing after false idols instead, they will be choosing their own death and destruction.

 We often think of the law as not particularly good news- it can feel like a restraint upon our freedom, or a list of punishments we will receive if we go astray. However, it is also possible to see the law as a gift from God- as a blessing in our lives. In giving us the law God has explained to us the purpose of our lives, what we are meant to be and to do. We need not wander aimlessly, we need not lament our lack of purpose- our God has told us that we are created to love and obey Her. To know who you are and what you are meant to do is an incredible blessing.

 Yet many of us have learned from experience that knowing what we should do and choosing to do that thing are not the same. Just as the people of Israel struggled to follow the law and hold fast to God, so too do we often fail to choose life as God would have us do. We chase after idols of success, or security, or status. Fortunately, God has given us not only the law that we are to follow, but also the gospel that promises us forgiveness and new life. Though we have strayed from the paths we should follow, nevertheless God grants us forgiveness and the opportunity to once more choose life in each moment of our lives. Join with us in worship this Sunday as we celebrate the gift of God’s guidance in the law and once more claim the forgiveness and new life offered to us in Jesus Christ!

Rev. Andrew Greenhaw