On Monday night, All Hallow’s Eve, some of our members gathered for our Adult study on A Lutheran Toolkit. We reflected on article IV the Augsburg Confession, 1530. In that article it says, “We cannot be justified by our own effort, merit, or works. But we are justified on account of Christ as a gift received through faith.” Justification isn’t just about whether God’s judgment of you is fair to middlin’. Actually, it is a relational term. It is concerned with your station or position in relation to God. As I reminded them, “When things are out-of-whack, Christ steps in to fix it. If you’re broken, he mends you. If you’re ill, he applies the medicine. If you’re dead like Lazarus (see John 11), first he weeps at the grave because the relationship has been severed, then he calls the dead to life!”
This coming weekend, we turn our attention to the Festival of All Saints (which was technically yesterday). The saints are all those who have trusted in Christ Jesus in life and in death. They have received God’s invitation to Christ and maintained their relationship with him. They couldn’t help it; God had captured their hearts and they shared with him every joy and sorrow. They offered thanks and praise and cried out for help. One thing is sure: God kept his promise to maintain the relationship with them and he will do the same for you!
See you Sunday for the Festival!
Pastor Culynn
P.S. Thank you to all who stepped in to help last weekend! Many hands made light work on Saturday’s Church Clean-Up Work Day. Rosanna Chambliss preached an excellent sermon that she wrote on her own! Jon Podolske and Phil Greenhagen served as assisting ministers. Jean Wagner stepped up to the Table to preside at Holy Communion. Indeed, we are just a small part of the “great cloud of witnesses” who continue to share the love of Jesus in, with, through, and outside of our community of faith. Thanks for being a part of it!
To prepare for worship on Sunday
(November 6), you are invited to read:
2 Kings 5:1-15