Come Closer - Rev. Kollin Absher-Baer (First on Chatham)

First Cary UMC's First on Chatham Sermon –  Rev. Kollin Absher-Baer  – July 27, 2025

Scripture: Genesis 45:1-15

Joseph’s reunion with his brothers is not a clean or comfortable moment—it’s a collision of past wounds and present mercy. He doesn’t ignore the pain they caused, but he also doesn’t let that pain have the final word. Reconciliation, in this story, is raw and sacred, built not on forgetting but on the courage to extend grace when it costs the most. As we finish our journey with Joseph, may we explore what it means to come closer - to risk vulnerability, to offer mercy without guarantees, and to trust that God can redeem even the most fractured relationships.