This week we will celebrate All Saints Sunday. It was a day
originally set aside to honor the early Christian martyrs whose
names had been lost to history. Today this festival has evolved to
honor the names of our loved ones that we remember.
Of all three years of the lectionary cycle, this year’s All Saints
readings have the most tears. Isaiah and Revelation look forward
to the day when God will wipe away all tears; in John’s gospel,
Jesus weeps along with Mary and all the gathered mourners before
he demonstrates his power over death. On All Saints Day we
celebrate the victory won for all the faithful dead, but we grieve for
our beloved dead as well, knowing that God honors our tears. We
bring our grief to the table and find there a foretaste of Isaiah’s
feast to come. Blessings to everyone!
Hello everybody! Rooted in the past and growing into the
future, the church must always be reformed in order to live out the
love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good
news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do
this life-transforming work. Trusting in the freedom given to us in
baptism, we pray for the church, that Christians will unite more
fully in worship and mission.
This Sunday is the 507th birthday of the Lutheran Church! It
was October 31, 1517 that Martin Lutheran Placed the 95 Thesis
on the church door at Wittenburg; thus jump starting the protestant
reformation. Wear your red as we celebrate this momentous
renewal of the church this Sunday. Blessing everyone!
Hello everyone! I certainly hope that all of you have survived
the hurricane and rainy weather. Hopefully that will lead us into a
beautiful October.
Several years ago, I ran into a young man who was engaged to
be married. He told me that he expected his first marriage to last
about ten years after which he intended to divorce. I had always
figured that nobody would ever marry with the thought that they
would divorce - but this young man proved that assumption
wrong. Well, this Sunday a group of Pharisees and Sadducees
asked Jesus some questions about divorce. This Sunday’s gospel
combines a saying that makes many of us uncomfortable with a
story we find comforting. Jesus’ saying on divorce is another of his
rejections of human legislation in favor of the original intent of
God’s law. Jesus’ rebuke of the disciples who are fending off the
children should challenge us as well. What does it mean to receive
the kingdom of God as a child does? We will learn more about
both of these teachings of Jesus this week. May God bless you all!