All Saints Sunday

“My shepherd will supply my need.” These words were sung Sunday in our worship service by the Lon Morris College Masters Singers. We could not have orchestrated better, its resonance with our theme, “Enough.” The Holy Spirit weaves worship together in ways that give me such joy. That sense of joy was very present Sunday in worship and after.
Our Sunday school classes, a Monday night group and our youth are studying the book Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity by the Rev. Adam Hamilton. This study could change your life. It is about life priorities, values and life practices all rooted in the Lord. It is thoroughly Biblical and makes good spiritual sense. I strongly encourage you to come to a class or group and get your hands on this material. There is a video portion to the study that is very engaging. As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, this study is all the more relevant. God desires for us to experience joy in Him. What we have all found is that true joy is not found in the “stuff” we think is important. Those things are temporary and ultimately unsatisfying. So how do we discover everlasting joy? Through a life of simplicity and generosity rooted and grounded in Christ.
This Sunday, November 1st, we will also celebrate All Saints Sunday as we do each year at this time. Take a look here and see the names of those we will read and remember before God this Sunday. They are the members of our church family who have died since All Saints last year. We have a special time of remembrance and prayer planned and will celebrate Holy Communion as always this first Sunday of the month.
The name “saint” is one of the most misunderstood words in the Christian vocabulary. We usually think of people like the first disciples, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Mother Theresa and so forth. They are certainly saints but so are all those who have claimed the name of Christ and lived in Christian community through the church. That means those of you and these folks we’ll remember Sunday who lived this life. Saints are not perfect people. They like we are a mixed bag. Sinners one moment, heroes the next, but trying by the grace of God to repent, begin again and live for God each day. As we remember these folks on Sunday, let’s recommit ourselves to the life of Christian discipleship.
See you Sunday,
Tommy