10/16/2025
Blessing and Benediction from Rev. Ivan Herman
by Rev. Ivan Herman
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news.
For John, the gospel is the word made flesh to live among us.
For Luke, the gospel is good news for the poor, disinherited, sick, and oppressed.
For Matthew and Mark, the gospel is the promise that God’s kingdom is at hand.
For the bleeding woman, the gospel is that in touching God in Jesus she is healed.
For the hungry crowds, the gospel is that Jesus broke bread and blessed and fed them.
For the Gentiles, the gospel is that there are no outsiders and insiders, for all are family of God.
For the prisoner, the gospel is liberation.
For those who have been blinded by falsehood, the gospel is the gift of seeing truth.
No two people experience the good news of salvation in the exact same way because we each need liberation in ways that are unique to our lives.
What do you seek? What is good news to you?
May you be blessed with good news specific to you. Because of the gospel of Jesus your relationship with the Divine will bring healing for your hurts, hope for your despair, and light in your spiritual midnights.
Rev. Ivan Herman
Rev. Ivan Herman has served as the associate pastor at Carmichael Presbyterian Church since 2009 and is active in the Presbytery of North Central California. He grew up in Ecuador and Colombia, and has previously served as pastor or ruling elder in Presbyterian congregations in Memphis, TN, Washington, DC, and San Antonio, TX. He holds an annual pass to U.S. National Parks as well as degrees from American University, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Wake Forest University. Ivan lives in Sacramento with his spouse, Susan. They keep a well-stocked fridge for their two itinerant young adult sons., but the ice cream never even makes it to the freezer.
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