October 31
Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,
Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
As the strange tension of election day approaches I find myself aloft on the winds of hope. My buoyancy has nothing to do with Tuesday, it has everything to do with Sunday. This Sunday is All Saints Sunday which is the day on which we celebrate the lives of all our beloved dead and welcome new Christians into the fold. We are going to baptize 15 people on Sunday! That’s 15 children of God who are going to stand up in front of the church and make a public proclamation of their faith in Jesus Christ. They are going to say, “Yes!” to God’s love. It is going to be absolutely magnificent, and it will serve as a striking counter-narrative to the acrimonious tone of the wider public discourse. But that should not be surprising because followers of Jesus have always offered a grace-soaked melody that threads throughout and finally rises above the noise. We are God’s love leavened into the community. Isn’t it striking that on the eve of a big contest it’s business as usual for us, that is, we are about the mighty, life-giving business of love and calling new followers of Jesus who has made his love-ethic central to our way of life.
Our All Saints celebration of all our beloved dead reminds me in no uncertain terms that leaders on the secular scene and the systems that they control come and go, they always have, but the love of Jesus to which we pledge our lives is everlasting. Love truly is all.
Come join us for a marvelous celebration of love on Sunday. Starting your week here at Good Shepherd on Sunday will prepare you for the week ahead. All are welcome!
One more thing. Thank you so much for making our Consecration Sunday such a wonderful, joyous day! We are well on our way to gathering all the Estimate of Giving cards for 2025. 175 households have turned them in so far. Thank you! You can complete your card HERE.
Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!
Love is all,
Hendree+