Dear Families and Friends of Peace,
This past weekend we observed All Saints Sunday. It is a day in which we honor all the saints—past, present, and future—by remembering the dead and celebrating the baptized. And as Lutherans, we have a unique understanding of sainthood. While Catholics venerate exceptional individuals who have performed miracles or done amazing things with their lives, as Lutherans we believe that every person is a saint.
Because it’s in the waters of baptism that we are sealed by the Spirit and sustained by the Savior—“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Indeed, we are all saints, in life and in death, simply because God loves us all eternally. And just as we are united with Christ in life, death, and resurrection—so too are we united with our neighbors.
I share that this week—after All Saints Day—particularly because today is also after the election. And just as with All Saints, there are some of you reading this who celebrate and some of you who mourn in its aftermath.
Those feelings are valid and real, and you should sit with them as needed. Simultaneously, God calls us to love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves in all circumstances as well.
And so it’s in that spirit that we invite you and your families to take part in Harvest Pack this Sunday, November 10. The congregation will come together (100+ of us!) after worship to pack over 10,000 meals that will later be distributed to nearby neighbors by organizations like VEAP and Every Meal.
It’s a great act of service that will make a big difference in the lives of many, and I hope it’s something that makes a difference in your life too.
Because when we share God’s love, we are re-centered in the realization of just how much God loves us and our neighbors too–in our celebrations and our sorrows.
May we be grounded in that truth–a truth for all the saints–today and always.
Grace and Peace,
Joe