On Sunday, November 1, we observe All Saints’ Day. We will speak the names of those who have died, hear Christ’s promise of comfort, and gather at the Lord’s Table. Our readings, Joshua 3:7–17 and Matthew 5:1–12, bring us to the edge of a river and into the company of those Jesus calls blessed. At the Jordan, the people of Israel face a crossing they cannot manage by their own strength. The river is in flood. The ark, the sign of God’s presence, goes first. The priests who carry it step into the water before the way opens, and then they stay there, standing in the riverbed, until the last of the people, the slowest and the most afraid, have reached the other side.

That is the God we trust. We can take the next step without seeing everything that lies ahead, because God has gone into the water before us and will not leave until everyone is across. Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who mourn,” make room for grief inside that trust. Tears are not a failure of faith. In the Bible, saints are not spiritual all-stars. They are ordinary, imperfect people whom God has claimed in love. As we remember them, we will honor the particular lives we miss without pretending that loss is anything other than loss.

At communion, the names of those from our congregation who have died since last All Saints’ Day will be read. You will then be invited to speak aloud, or hold in silence, the names of others you remember, so come ready with them. At the Table we celebrate our belonging to a family larger than the people in the sanctuary: the whole company of Christ, living and dead. Come with your grief, your gratitude, your questions, and your memories. There is room for all of them—and for all of us.

Sunday School takes place at 10:45am. Children should join their families in the sanctuary at 10:30; stay through Children’s Time before heading down to classes.

Nursery care available for children 4 and under.
Coffee Hour to follow worship.