Pastor’s Corner 11-2-2025

Hello church friends!

This Sunday, we remember the saints who have gone before us. You will be invited to reflect on those who have died in our community, as well as the many saints and ancestors in the faith who came before us. Sometimes, an ancestor in the faith is also a biological ancestor, such as a devout grandparent, aunt, or uncle, while other times, it is faith alone that connects us to the saints. In a way unique to humans, faith and spirituality can be even more powerful than genetics.

Of course, ideas and passions play an essential role in people’s lives. Many people are familiar with stories of families torn apart by civil war or how national identity or religious beliefs can divide people. But it’s also important to recognize that faith and spirituality can unite us. Our gospel reading for this Sunday (Luke 6:20-31) captures the core message of Jesus. Toward the end of this passage, he describes the behavior of a Christ-follower: doing good to those who harm them, even loving those who are hateful (Luke 6:27). They are not discouraged by mean words (Luke 6:28) or actions (Luke 6:29). Christ-followers, famously, treat others as they would like to be treated (Luke 6:31).

A generation after Jesus, Paul writes that Christ-followers possess wisdom, enlightenment, and hope (Eph 1:17-18). The hope is rooted in a future world—not free from hardship, but mostly free from human-caused suffering. Living in harmony with the Earth is challenging enough without human conflict adding to it. It’s because of this conflict that we often live in unsustainable yet defendable ways—burning fossil fuels and surrounding ourselves with plastic. Christ-followers don’t defend themselves; instead, in humility and wisdom, they work to create a better world.

Much of our world is the product of faithful people. Institutions of learning and knowledge originated in communities of believers striving to feed the hungry. Achievements in engineering, cures for diseases, and social theories are examples of what has been accomplished through the efforts of saints working together. Their wisdom and courageous humility welcome the poor and outcasts (Luke 6:20-24) to build a world where care, not conflict, shapes the day. This All Saints Sunday, I encourage us all to give thanks not only for the saints we personally know but also for the countless others who have worked to build our safe and prosperous world (Eph. 1:19). May each of us also play a part in God’s family and story. 

Faithfully,

Pr. Josh