Over at Concordia TheoBLOGical Seminary, Rev. Cholak writes a vivid post on pastors soaking their flock with Christ’s blood as they preach Christ and the forgiveness of sins. It is well worth the read. He reminds us that God uses his servants to speak to us and that pastors should be preaching Christ – and consequently not some pop-philosophy or purpose driven drivel. He writes,

Pastors bring the forgiveness of sins from the cross and wrap you with it, like a warm blanket on a cold, winter’s night. They take his blood and wash you with it. Like a mother after you’ve played in the mud, a pastor scrubs you clean (even behind the ears) with Christ’s blood.

Yes . . . we need that scrubbing. We also probably need some high pressure washing. He concludes:

Expect to be soaking in Christ’s blood when the pastor says, “Amen.” Expect to be alive because Christ has wrapped you with his love and breathed new life into your ears. Not only should you expect it, you should demand it. It is your heritage. It is God’s good gift. AND…it’s yours.

If you’ve read this far, you need to read his whole blog post. Please click here.

As a side note: The imagery in Rev. Cholak’s post reminds me of my current bedtime reading – a collection of sermons by Chad Bird called “Christ Crucified“.

Related posts:

1. Christ (or lack thereof) in the Sermon
2. Heaven on Earth
3. Survey Says: Many Religions Can Lead to Eternal Life
4. The Hammer of God – The Pastoral Attitude
5. Word & Sacrament – How Christ Makes a Christian