This conference was convened out of the conviction that an older and very common Christian way of seeing God has become problematic for millions of people in our time. That's a great way to describe the ministry we're about in this place, to help people see God anew. Our images of God matter because they affect the way we carry out our ministry in this city, and with each other. That's the thought I'd ask you to take with you today. You see, we are only here, we are only engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart, because God is a God of mercy the mercy of a creator who sets this Garden of Eden in the vast universe, the mercy of a redeemer who comes to us with arms stretched out on the cross to draw us into his saving embrace, the mercy of a sustainer who enlivens us with a spirit that enables us to live in community.
Mercy is the beginning, the foundation, the ground of our being.
We are engaged in ministry here by God's mercy, and we do not lose heart. Looking at it from a certain perspective, there's a lot that might make us lose heart. The financial challenges are enormous. The challenges of keeping this building going are enormous. The challenges of trying to proclaim a word of love and mercy in this city are enormous.