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We had a joy-filled ‘Taco Fiesta’ to celebrate after church…
All Saints Sunday Scripture:
Notes from
’s sermon:7 major feasts of the church
Christmas and Easter (Incarnation and Resurrection)
Epiphany (when others realize this is God’s Son) and Ascension (40 days after Easter, Jesus ascends into heaven)
Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit - beginning of the church), Trinity Sunday (essential theology - Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
All Saints Day = How we live as if this is all true
Feasts commemorate the big picture - how God has revealed himself working in the world.
Today is All Saints Sunday
Of all the major feasts, this one is the most about how we respond to God’s actions in the world.
We remember all those who go before us in the faith - those who are examples of faith, and all those we love.
Though we mourn, it’s not a sad occasion.
Because we also celebrate that we will be re-united- that’s why we say ‘Alleluia’ at funerals
How we are called to believe in the midst of God’s mighty acts of Creation, Redemption, and Resurrection.
Ephesians 1:11-23 - embracing the power of God
We live in the great in-between.
Between Christmas and Easter - Jesus is born as a human (like us), Jesus dies as a human - and is raised from the dead. In between are all of our lives.
Between Ascension and Pentecost - Jesus went back to heaven (but promised to always be with us) and sent the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us).
Between Epiphany and Trinity - the realization that God really is born into the world as a human just like us. And the understanding that there is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Between ‘Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again’
What this means
especially on this day - the barrier of death has been removed.
The beatitudes - blessed are you/woe to you.
This can sound like bad news (just like a lot of things Jesus says). It could mean, ‘be unhappy now and happy later, or vice versa’.
But if death really IS no barrier, then it turns everything upside down.
Jesus is saying - ‘if you think this is all there is, you’re wrong’.
If you’re mourning - bless you. You will be comforted.
If you’re rich, powerful, and comfortable, well.. You can’t take it with you: AND SO MUCH MORE IS COMING.
‘The last shall be first does NOT mean Jesus wants us all to be LAST’.
It means can’t you just feel the power and the glory of a world where death literally does not exist?.
‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.’
How much easier this is when we know that this life is not the end.
If we hate our enemies, it is because they have power over us. They have harmed us, taken something from us.
But if we believe - if we KNOW - that in the end, we will all see resurrection joy, then how bad can it be? It is nothing in the face of God’s redeeming love.
And though we mourn those who die - and it is SO hard without them - if we really believe we live in love with God for eternity
We also live in HOPE. And JOY.
It is God’s mighty world, God’s mighty acts, God’s mighty redemption of us all that we believe in.
When we believe this is true - how blessed are we.
All Saints was a truly joy-filled day.
After church, some of us went to see Gavin Henthorn in Piedmont Players ‘25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’. Gavin was also assistant musical director. The show was terrific!
Don’t forget to join us at Trexo for your spiritual workout. Hearts up!
