THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL OF YOUR PLEDGES IN THIS STEWARDSHIP SEASON. Our official campaign this year is finished, but we are still welcoming estimates of giving in the coming month, and we hope you will consider how you are able to support this faith community, of which you are a vital part!!
This Sunday, we dive back into our regular Fall sermon series: “What Disciples Do”. We consider each week how our lives are meant to be transformed and shaped by following Jesus, and what that practically looks like in our everyday. This Sunday is special because it is our annual observance of All Saints day, and we remember those who have gone before us, but we also remember that every single one of us is a “saint”. Our definition of “saint” is similar to that of a “disciple”–a sinner who has been forgiven and lives in the love of Christ.
Our theme this week reminds us that disciples live by faith. That said, I can think of few aspects of life that require more of our faith than the issue of death and dying; losing people we love and wondering about what is next. Where are they and what happens to them? What becomes of their stories and what legacies do they leave behind? What about us? How do we live in joy and faith and not in fear of death? These questions are questions of faith and are at the forefront of the scriptures we will think about today. Jesus is not afraid of our hard questions; it is all a part of living by faith.