What a wonderful, special weekend this past weekend was. On Saturday afternoon, Julia Fredrickson (who was baptized and grew up at Our Savior) and Shane Calahan were married, at the Saturday evening service, baby Hudson Bradley Lehman was baptized, Sunday morning new members (over 30 total!) were received at both services, and at all 3 services, we remembered not only the members of Our Savior who died since All Saints Day last year, but lit candles and remembered other loved ones who have gone on before us. As one of our members said following worship, "That was just a very holy service....everything about it." That seemed to sum it up best.
All Saints is a very special day in the church year when we not only remember those who have gone before us, but when we are reminded that we too are number among the saints. That surely doesn't mean everything is going to be happy and easy. As Pastor Shelly reminded us in her sermon, being numbered among the saints sometimes means tears which come as a result of loving and caring. But along with the tears, God gives us hope to sustain us. Her sermon, along with other sermons from past weekends, are available on our website: www.oursaviorelca.com.
Looking back to last Thursday (All Saints Day), Our Savior was one of the host sites for the annual Samaritan Center Soup Bowl. Many thanks to George and Lois McAllan for once again heading up a great team for a very successful event at our site. $770 was raised in soup sales, and $200 in bowl sales. Congratulations and thanks to all.
Speaking of food, our Wednesday supper this week will be of the potluck variety beginning at 6pm. Bring something to share, or for those of you who can't bring anything, come anyway, and you can make a donation as usual. Our food crew will be providing some things for those who can't bring something to pass. There's always enough to go around.
Election day is tomorrow. Along those lines, a couple of people asked me in church Sunday morning about a quote in Sunday’s Press Journal which said I am a conservative Republican. I hadn't seen that article and was wondering where that came from. As anyone who worships at Our Savior knows, we do not push any political agenda in our congregation. We have people of all political persuasions as members of Our Savior....right wing, left wing and no wing at all (check out the “welcome statement” on our website: www.oursaviorelca.com). When I later saw the article I realized that this quote came out of a round table discussion with other faith community leaders which happened at the Scripps offices in St. Lucie West a couple of months ago. It was a lively, healthy, 2 and ½ hour conversation with a real cross section of clergy and other religious leaders. At one point in the conversation I said something like, "Basically I'm a conservation Republican kind of a guy, but...". And the "but" part in this past Sunday’s paper was left off. There are positions I hold that would get me kicked out of any "conservative Republican" circle. But then there are positions I hold that would get me kicked out of any Democrat circles. Anyone who knows me, probably can figure out that I'm in some ways a pretty conservative guy in many things, but at the same time very open and/or progressive or whatever you want to call it in other things. The point is, labels usually don't really help much and often do more harm than good. That, I feel is one of the biggest problems in our culture today. Instead of honest conversation, sharing ideas and fixing problems, we are more interested in labeling and attacking each other. This whole election cycle has proven that time and time again. Many of us feel like when it is over we just want to take a long shower. Yuck. So, call me what you want. But the only "label" that I will truly claim is "simul justus et peccator", "at the same time sinner and saint".
Finally, as we’ve seen and heard “Commitment 2012” surrounding the election tomorrow, this coming weekend will be “Commitment Weekend” for us at Our Savior. In the middle of October many of you received a letter with a “Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart” commitment card, with which you can share your plan for giving to support the work and ministry of Our Savior for 2013. Many of you have already sent those in. If you haven’t, those cards will be received during worship this coming weekend. (Those letters and cards will also be available in church this coming weekend for anyone who would like one.) Along with that we’ll hear in our Scripture readings stories about plenty and want and God providing. In this historic time of economic crisis, on a worldwide scale, this seems like a fitting topic to have before us as we come to worship, and ask WIGIAT? (“Where is God in all this?”)
May God bless us all as this week unfolds, may God bless and direct our country and this whole election process as it unfolds, and may God's peace be with us all.
See you in church. Pastor Jack Diehl + www.oursaviorelca.com
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