July 5, 2026 | 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – Buffalo, NY
References
Scripture: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Video of worship/sermon
A Walk That Became a Sermon
Sometimes pastors look back at previous sermons for research and stories. As I was looking back, I found a sermon from July 9—three years ago.
I’m guessing most of you don’t know this part of our shared story.
On July 9 three years ago, I was in Buffalo to meet with Holy Trinity’s call committee and to preach here for the very first time.
I was in a city I didn’t know, a congregation I didn’t know, and there were members of Holy Trinity’s call committee scattered around the congregation—and I didn’t even know who they were!
The Saturday evening before I preached, I wanted to soak in more Buffalo culture, and let the sermon marinate a bit. So. I went for a walk along the boardwalk at Canalside. Did you know they have ice cream there, too?
As I sat in one of those colorful Adirondack chairs enjoying the evening—and my ice cream—I noticed a small group of families strolling along the boardwalk together.
Children were running around and teasing each other as the group moved along. But there was one little girl bringing up the rear.
I saw that she was wearing roller skates along with knee pads, wrist pads, and a helmet. And she was so sad!
Her wheels kept getting stuck in the gaps between the boards. She tried so hard to make her way all by herself—to be independent—but, in her frustration, she finally called out: “Mom…come help me!”
As her family and friends kept walking ahead, one of her friends turned back, went to her, and simply let the little girl take her hand.
That was enough.
Sometimes We Need a Hand
Suddenly, roller skating on the boardwalk became a little easier.
Her friend steadied her and helped turn the challenge into a game. She added a bit of ease to the journey. She helped the roller skater shift her perspective, and she began to have fun again.
The burden she was carrying had become lighter.
Did she give up on roller skating?
Did she and her friend hold hands for the rest of the day?
No way!
She kept her roller skates on and simply shared the burden with her friend until she was safely off the boardwalk.
What Does Freedom Really Mean?
Yesterday, our nation celebrated a truly remarkable birthday—250 years of independence.
Especially in a time of political turmoil both domestically and globally, I wonder: Are we ever really and truly independent?
I also wonder if this is even the right question. It’s a closed question requiring a simple yes-or-no answer.
What if, instead, we asked open-ended questions that invite curiosity, thought, and creativity? Questions such as:
What are you freed from?
What are you freed for?
“What are you freed from?” calls us to examine our lives in the past as well as our lives now in the present.
What in y0ur past or your present is holding you back?
Where do you feel bound and not free?
“What are you freed for?” calls us to look forward to the future. As we look to the future, this is where creativity, freedom, and hope lift us up!
We know what the colonies that became the United States sought to be freed from. We also know what they hoped to be freed for.
The roller skater was freed from the fear of being left behind, from frustration, from feeling left out, and maybe even forgotten.
She was freed for the joy of companionship—for someone to help along the way—for accompaniment through a challenge she could not meet by herself.
The Way Jesus Meets Us
Like the roller skater’s friend, Jesus takes us by the hand.
Jesus invites all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens to come to him — all who are tired and worn down by life, all who are fearful, all who feel the pain of loneliness and isolation, and all who bear the burden of those things we keep hidden away in the depths of our souls.
Jesus takes us by the hand when our wheels get stuck in the boards of the boardwalk. Jesus holds onto us and leads us through the times of challenge.
Turning Back for One Another
Being freed for can mean recognizing that other people may feel like the roller skater stuck on the gaps in the Canalside boardwalk. But it doesn’t stop with recognizing. It means taking action, assuming risk, turning back, and extending a hand.
Being freed for can also mean acknowledging that the source of the struggle may remain for a time, while discovering that joy and struggle can actually coexist.
Jesus shows us the way.
The way of truth.
The way of love.
The way of compassion for all people who are traveling this journey of life together.
Reflection Questions
- What are you being freed from in this season of your life?
- What might God be freeing you for?
- Who in your life may need someone to turn back, extend a hand, and walk alongside them?
Epicurious Lutheran 
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