Continuing our series of sermons from Matthew, in today’s passage Jesus rebukes Peter and tells him that to follow Jesus one must take up one’s cross.  In our current time, we can easily feel exhausted with everything.  And yet, Jesus calls us to follow rather than to give up, to set our minds on divine things and not on human things.  It isn’t a matter of God telling us there is a better day to come, but Jesus, God incarnate, who is suffering with us, calling us.  To see the vision of Jesus, Peter needs to follow Jesus, to walk closely, and so we must, too.  It will not be an easy path, but Jesus will be with us on that path, and we will see God’s kingdom being built.   (NOTE: We usually post the 11 o’clock service, but with the COVID-19 threat we are having only the 8:45 service today, and that is the service we are posting.  NOTE:  Although the video begins with the Children’s Moment, once it starts you can scroll back to the beginning of the service if you want.  The video of the entire service is available to watch.)