“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;”
–Matthew 25:34b
Church family, let me begin with gratitude!
Thank you so much for the clergy appreciation gifts. Your kind words in the card touched me. The love gift is amazing and totally unexpected, and the T-shirt captured my thoughts perfectly! I am the pastor of an awesome congregation, and I can’t wait to see how we put our faith into action next.
This Sunday, we continue our worship series, “Living Our Verbs,” by focusing on one of the most visible expressions of our faith, serving.
It’s fitting that this focus falls on All Saints Sunday, a day when we remember those who have served Christ faithfully before us. There are saints we remember and some we have never known who shaped our congregation and strengthened this church through quiet acts of love and care.
Our scripture comes from Matthew 25:31–40, the separation of the sheep and the goats and more importantly, the compassion that will lead us through the gates one day.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
In this parable, Christ identifies himself with those in need. To serve others is to serve Christ himself. It is a reminder that sainthood isn’t reserved for the few; it’s lived out daily by those who see Christ in the face of another.
On Sunday, we’ll give thanks for the saints who have gone before us, those whose service continues to echo through this community. We’ll also reflect on how we, in our time, can live as saints-in-progress: serving God and others, not for recognition, but out of love.
Brett