This is an excerpt from the introduction of Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Christopher Richmann (1517 Publishing, 2026).
We can bring our troubles, griefs, sorrows, and sins to Jesus, who meets us smack dab in the middle of our messy mob.
Confession isn’t a detour in the liturgy. It’s the doorway.

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What we do much less of, even in Christian circles, is recognize just how pervasive sin is, such that it has thoroughly corrupted us.
Instead of a death sentence, those brothers hear the words of deliverance.
The gospel is for sinners – both the tax collector and Pharisee, both in need of the Great Physician.
The lack of history surrounding Psalm 130 allows it to endure as universally appealing even for our seasons of hopelessness and despair when we’re in “the depths.”
For you who are struggling to navigate grief, to cope with pain, or breathe through anxiety, the gospel announces that there is a person whose heart throbs for you.
Applying the pressure of law to ensure you do not to take grace for granted squeezes the life and power out of the gospel.
For Paul, the hope of the resurrection was the ultimate antidote whenever his circumstances tempted him to despair or to "lose heart."
Heaven is yours now.
You are the baptized, for in Christ we are all wet. The demographic dividers are washed away.
This article is written by guest contributor, Aaron Boerst
The relationship with God through Christ and renewal in his image in Christ cannot be taken away or compromised through suffering.
St. Patrick was great but only because he was a slave to Christ.