10312020 – Matthew 5. 1-12 All Hallow’s Eve
Today is exciting on many different levels, for us, who call this place home, today celebrates our “namesake.” Yay!
All Saints, our home.
All Saints, our family.
All Saints, prayerfully-our-place-of respite.
All Saints, our day.
“Only at All Saints!”
But as you know, we also gather on All Saints this year…to celebrate Baptisms and First Communions and Confirmations…
The work of the church continues on…
It does not stop.
It does not rest.
It has no time to falter.
It does not take a breather…even in the midst of a global pandemic.
We celebrate with those who celebrate.
We rejoice with those who rejoice..
We rejoice with two children being baptized…and their families…and their friends…
How cool is that?
Sister and Brother. (Payton and Lucas)
And we rejoice with two young people becoming communicant members of the church: Benson and Payton.
We welcome them to our “common meal.”
We welcome them to the Lord’s Table.
We are excited for their presence among us.
They are adorable. They really truly are….I am so excited for them…
We rejoice too, with the nine young men and women being confirmed.
They are good people.
They have good parents.
They are good kids.
OMG. Three years together. Three years of laughter and smiles…and interruptions…three years of praying together…three years of studying and reading and interpreting…
Liam, Brett, Seth, Brooke, Riley
Hayden, Ashley, Dylan Haydn
It is quite a weekend.
Quite a celebration.
A celebration filled with pride…on oh, so many levels…
On this day, in the year, 1969 this sanctuary was actually dedicated to the Glory of God…Gloria in Excelsis Deo.
Worship has been continued ever since.
On this day, in 1979 I was installed here as the third “called” Pastor. And the fourth Pastor, including our Mission Developer, Pastor Stubbe.
“For our world” at the mercy of yet another COVID virus, globally people are mourning the passing and death of 1.19 million people worldwide…this weekend.
We mourn with those who mourn.
As a church family we remember all those Blessed Saints who have gone on before us, but especially this year (as every year) we have our own special list of saints…
We remember…
You will hear them named.
We do not forget…
While that may not “always be easy…”
It is always right.
It is a blessing…
We remember.
We acknowledge.
We give thanks.
We do not forget.
We call to mind.
Forever in our hearts.
Forever in our minds.
Forever with us.
And that is not a bad thing.
We also rejoice over the gospel text from Matthew’s gospel where we are given insight into the nature of our God.
I love this passage.
Get this.
We have a God who sets an example for us:
We have a God who applauds the poor in spirit.
He cheers the mourners.
He favors the meek.
He smiles upon the hungry.
He honors the merciful.
He welcomes the pure in heart.
He claps for the peacemakers.
He rises to greet the persecuted.
He supports us throughout our lives…day in day out.
A presence, there for us.
In life.
And, in death.
God for us.
God with us. Emmanuel.
God present.
In a sense, we celebrate ourselves, too. His children. His heirs. His disciples. His followers. His saints.
He is with us still. With us now.
And that my friends, is reason to celebrate. Amen.