Identity Resolved

I am …

Mauricio;

A beloved child of God, created at God’s Image, and created at God’s image very good;

A baptized member of the royal priesthood of all believers, claimed by Him to be one of His own, called to be a light for the nations;

A Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ;

A sheep who struggles and strives to listen to His voice;

A sinner, an heir of Adan from before my mother’s womb, redeemed by the power of the Resurrection;

A saint, made righteous by grace apart from the works of the scriptural law, through faith in Jesus Christ, without personal merit whatsoever, as a pure gift of love from God;

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil;

The firstborn son of Sergio e Raquel;

Brother of Marcio and Marcelo;

Husband of Ana, father of Logan and Dominick;

A citizen of the United States of America, by choice and not need;

Convicted that all human beings are equal under God and civil law;

A believer that liberty and justice are indeed for all and not for some;

An ordained minister in Saint Peter’s line of apostolic succession with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;

Sworn under the cross of Jesus Christ and called to teach and proclaim according to the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and the constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America;

Called by letter into the church to testify against injustice and oppression;

A proclaimer of the good news of salvation and life everlasting for everyone who believes and confesses Jesus from Nazareth – who was anointed Christ, Messiah – as their Savior and Lord;

A theologian of the cross, who inspired by the Word of God, strives to call good things good and evil things evil.

I am not …

A judge of righteousness;

A hero;

An avenger;

The Christ;

A theologian of glory, who according to the ways of humankind, calls good things evil and evil things good.

It is the love of Christ alone that urges me on. Christ alone is my judge, and no one else.

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.” ―  A prayer attributed to Saint Patrick

The peace of the Christ be with you,

Pastor Mauricio Vieira