This is the very last Sunday in the church liturgical year, and it is called Christ the King Sunday. This may seem like a strange and antiquated idea for us since the last time we had a king was in 1776, and probably many of us are thinking about what is going on in our own democracy during midterm elections. A king?? What use do we have for a king? Well, the thing is that, even with all the chaos and violence and division in our world, this Sunday reminds us that it is all under the rule of Jesus. We are not the ones in charge of it all. Even Presidents or earthly kings like Charles are not in charge of all of it. It is not up to us to save the world. Everything we see and everything we are afraid of is under control of the reign of Christ.

And furthermore, He is a different kind of ruler than any ruler in our world, so much so that we may not recognize His power at first. This is the last week of our series on What Disciples Do, and this last week reminds us that one thing we must do is to give our ultimate allegiance to Christ over and above all the other powers that be competing for our attention and loyalty. This week leads into Advent season, where we meditate on a ruler who chose to come into this world as a vulnerable baby, and that sets the tone for the rest of His reign. Are our hearts open to this kind of upside down power?

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Pastor Jessie was away for a good portion of this past week at a preaching conference, and COA is blessed that our own Clerk of Session and wonderful church leader Lawrie Gardner was willing to preach and lead the worship service today. She is truly gifted and called in her ministry with COA. Her sermon is called “New Beginnings for Disciples”, and as we consider what disciples do this Fall, it is a welcome and hopeful message.

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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.

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This is the final week of our official stewardship campaign, collecting pledges for 2023. We have been so blessed by the generosity of this church and we pray a prayer of gratitude in this service.

This week, the theme in these movements of God’s people comes to the final movement of MISSION. We have experienced the grief and struggle of EXILE times; the joy and expectations and sometimes disappointments of RETURN, and now we are sent back out into the world as God’s hands and feet for MISSION. God does not wait until we have it all together or until we feel ready. Our God is a God on the move; and we are, as our Presbyterian saying goes “the Church Reformed and always Reforming“! God gives us a mission and a purpose and good work to do right now; right where we are, just as we are. This may be scary, but it is also a crucial part of our future with hope. This is why the Church exists! Thanks be to God!

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As we continue to think about the idea of a future with hope in these uncertain times, we remember the central story of our Bible when God’s people also longed for a future with hope; when everything they had built their identity around seemed to be shaken or even gone in the experience of exile. And yet this week, we consider what it is like to return home. CAN you really go home again? When you get back what you have been missing (like in person worship after pandemic for instance), can everything just go “back to normal”? Can we? Will we ever be the same? What does God want from us (and FOR us) now? These are the kinds of questions we are blessed to consider as a community this week. We hope you will join us and listen for how God might speak to you and your life in these important conversations.

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