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All Saints Day in 2019 will forever be seared in my memory. Just days before, my grandmother died. Still in grief, and having not yet traveled home to Wisconsin to join my family, I honored and celebrated my grandmother with you all in worship. In truth, as I led worship that morning, I was barely holding back tears. And yet, as I looked up and saw your faces, and then as I looked down and looked at our prayer cross aglow with candle after candle after candle, it was clear to me that in that moment not only was my grandmother gathered with all the saints…but I was as well. 

This coming Sunday, as a congregation we will be celebrating All Saints Day. In the Lutheran tradition, we honor and remember those saints who have died in the past year, and those saints who have been baptized in the past year. For some, All Saints Day is one of joy as we remember and celebrate the gift of baptism, through which all God’s children are given life. And for others, All Saints Day is one filled with mixed emotions as the realities of death and life intermingle together. 

Mindful of the various ways in which each of us approach All Saints Day, and mindful of the number of our Shepherds who have lost a family member or friend in the past year, I encourage you to approach our upcoming worship service with reverence. As you’re able, offer compassion to those remembering those who have died. And, for all of us – whether or not you are remembering a specific saint – engage in worship knowing that you are not alone…but are surrounded by so many saints who walk alongside you in faith. 

In confidence that we are gathered with Christ, and with the whole communion of saints, we gather this Sunday in hope…and we approach each of our days in the promise of Christ’s resurrection. So today, even as you prepare for our joint celebration of All Saints Day, offer your thanks to God for the saints that surround you. Bring to God your tears and grief for those who have gone before, and offer your praise for the life that has been given to you – and all God’s saints – through Jesus Christ. 

For the past four weekends, we have immersed ourselves in the theme: “Rethinking Stewardship: Stewardship as Discipleship.” We’ve explored how stewardship is an act of faith, an act of gratitude, an act of generosity, and an act of justice. All acts that pertain not only to our lives within “the church,” but acts that pertain to our every day lives as disciples of Christ. 

But before we transition into the many festival Sundays that the end of the church year puts before us (Reformation Day on Oct 30, All Saints Day on Nov 6, Christ the King Sunday on Nov 20), I wanted to share the above Bible verse with you (1 Peter 4:10, NIV). When I first learned about stewardship, stewardship was often equated with the way I use the time, talents, and treasures entrusted to me. As a child, I understood “treasures” to imply money. 

But what if we have been entrusted with even more than that? 

Each week, as we gather for worship, we dare to claim that God has entrusted us with Christ’s grace: a gift given to us so that we might live liberated, forgiven, and renewed. And, as we go forth from worship, we dare to claim that God has entrusted to us his mission on earth. That’s quite the task. And yet, God has chosen to entrust that work to us…trusting that we will live as stewards of God’s mission at SOTC and within the broader church. 

So this week, as we transition to Reformation Day in which we remember the work of the Holy Spirit ever reforming and re-shaping us, consider how you are a steward of God’s grace…and how you are a steward of God’s mission. These two gifts are huge gifts entrusted to us. And yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to not only receive these gifts but live into them – for our sake, for the sake of our neighbor, and for the sake of the world.

“There aren’t as many people at church as there used to be.”

“We don’t have enough money to meet the budget.” 

“There isn’t enough time to get everything done.”

Heard any of these before? In reference to the church? Or, in refernece to your own life? 

Truth, is, all around us, there are individuals and communities who do experience scarcity. The struggle to meet basic needs of affording food, housing, and bills is a reality for more people than we’d care to admit. But increasingly, it is becoming easier and easier to slip into a mindset of scarcity. 

And yet, as we heard this past weekend in worship, we are promised that there is enough by God’s provision. In our reading from 1 Kings 17, we met a woman and her son who were desperate. They only had a little water, oil, and meal remaining. The land was in the midst of a drought, and there was no hope of rain. But as Elijah comes to her, seeking sustenance, the Lord promises to provide enough to sustain them until the rains came. 

And…the Lord’s promise is fulfilled. Not just in this story, but in story after story throughout Scripture. At times, what the Lord provides is an abundant feast; while at other times, what the Lord provides is just enough to get by. 

So do we dare trust that the Lord will provide enough for us? For our selves? For our families? For the church? It might not always look like an abundance and it might not look like “what it used to be.”  But in faithfulness, our God will continually satisfy our needs in due season. And from that faithfulness, we can turn to those around us, opening our hands to share what has first been given to us.   

So this week, consider that which you have been given, and consider that which has been provided for you. Not only materially, but also what has been provided for you in love by the grace of our Lord. Offer your thanks for God’s faithfulness, providing for you, and then dare to trust God’s continued  generosity by sharing what has been entrusted to you for the betterment of God’s whole kingdom. 

As a part of our four-week series on “Rethinking Stewardship: Stewardship as Discipleship,” we spent this past weekend considering stewardship as an act of gratitude. Mirroring the story of the 10 lepers, one of which returned to offer thanks and praise to Jesus, we highlighted how gratitude is more than something that “should” be done. Gratitude is an echo, a response, to the ways in which we have experienced the grace, the life, the healing, and the forgiveness offered to us through Christ. 

The more we live in these gifts of Christ, the more we are attuned to their work in our lives. And the more we are attuned to their work in our lives, the more we are naturally inclined to return to our Lord in praise and thanksgiving. 

So this week, before even thinking about what you’re grateful for, first, consider where and how you have experienced Christ’s grace in your life (past or present). How have you experienced forgiveness? A second chance? Reconciliation? Healing? Community with Christ and with others? Recall these moments as gifts from Christ, and as you’re led by the Spirit, offer your thanks and praise for all that God has done, and continues to do, through you.

Often, I find myself saying “thank you” to people around me who do something for me or for Shepherd. We all need to be thanked, and we all need to know that what we do matters for others. But recently, after saying “thank you” to a member at Shepherd, his response was, “Pastor, I was just doing what had to be done…”

The encounter made me stop and smile in gratitude for this person’s servant heart. And this past week, as I was reading our Gospel passage from Sunday, I couldn’t help but think of this person’s response. In short, in the second half of our Gospel reading, Jesus tells a story of the responsibility of a slave to complete his work both in the fields and in the home. Though the use of “slave” may catch our attention – especially when considering our country’s history of slavery – what Jesus is doing is pointing his disciples to a truth: that doing the work God has commanded us to do is not to be something that is done for the sake of rewards, or accolades, or recognition. Rather, to do the work God has commanded us to do is something we are called to do just because “it needs done.” For that reason, we are to see ourselves as “unmeritorious” servants of Christ. 

So this week, as you find yourself interacting with others, consider how you may be called to act in faith – doing something for another just because “it needs done.” It might not be a large act. But any act, done in faith, has the power to make a lasting impact. 

“Stewardship.” Just say the word, and for some, this word immediately carries baggage. Unfortunately, at times this word has been correlated with only requests for money.  And, over time, the word “stewardship” has become a word that is used less frequently in our day-to-day speech. 

But here’s the thing: whether we recognize it or, many of us are practicing stewardship each and every day. 

• Does faith impact the way you choose to live your life? 
• Have you offered gratitude to God, to others, and to yourself lately? 
• Have you offered yourself for the sake of another? 
• And finally, have you been willing to open your eyes to the realities of your neighbors who have crossed your path?

If you said “yes” to any of the above questions, then, you’re a steward. 

In the words of Grace Pomroy Duddy, “Stewardship is the way we love God and neighbor with our whole lives – not just our wallets. Understood this way, stewardship is life-giving and life-encompassing. Stewardship is discipleship.”

So, taking our cue from Grace, this month at Shepherd we’re going to explore four “acts” of stewardship (also “acts” of discipleship): stewardship as an act of faith (Oct 2), an act of gratitude (Oct 9), an act of generosity (Oct 16), and an act of justice (Oct 23). Through these weeks, we’ll engage in these themes during worship and will have some opportunities for you to practice these “acts” of stewardship outside of our church community. 

As children of God, we have been gifted so, so much – namely, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which shapes and forms us as new creations. So this week, as you prepare to join us for our first week’s focus, I encourage you to give thanks for God’s gift of grace given to you. Because from that gift, we have been given a foundation in which to center the whole of our lives. 

Have you ever felt the desire to engage with God’s Word, but not know where to start? Or, when looking at your schedule, do you ever feel overwhelmed with the thought of putting one more thing in the day? You’re not alone!

This past weekend, as a part of our Bible Blessing Sunday, we shared a list of apps that provide short daily opportunities to get into Scripture. Take a look below and try out a few of the apps to see what you (and/or your family!) like best! All apps available for Android and Apple phones. 

Apps for Adults 

1. You Version Bible | A free Bible app to look up Scripture passages and engage in various Bible studies and devotionals. Possible to be notified each day for a verse of the day. Download on Apple Store or Google Play. 

2. The BibleProject | A free app that equips you to see the Bible’s larger story. Videos, podcasts, and reading plans in the app. Material can be read or listened to. Download on Apple Store or Google Play or view online. 

2. Lectio 365 | A free daily devotional, with morning and evening devotions (about 10 minutes), that helps you pray the Bible. Devotion can be read or listened to. Download on Apple Store or Google Play. 

4. Everyday Sanctuary | A free app that offers a simple 5-minute spiritual practice, including time to reflect on a short verse, offer gratitude, and close in prayer. Material is read. Download on Apple Store or Google Play. 

Apps for Children and Family

1. Bible App for Kids | A free children’s version of the YouVersion Bible app. Includes interactive activities and videos to help kids explore the big stories of the Bible. Download on Apple Store or Google Play. 

2. God for Kids Family Devotional | A free app that that features interactive games to get to know key stories of the Bible. Aimed for preschoolers and kids under 10. Download on Apple Store or Google Play. 

Growing up, I somehow caught the message that parables of Jesus were meant to have one meaning, one moral teaching, one point. However, the longer I’ve explored Scripture, and the way that rabbis taught during the time of Jesus, I’ve re-examined this assumption. Though my black-and-white mind wants to approach parables in such a way, the truth is that parables are meant to challenge us and leave us with multiple interpretations. Further, parables are meant to allow each of us to enter into Scripture where we’re at. 

This past Sunday, we heard the parable of the sheep in which 99 remain, but 1 goes astray. During worship, we explored how each of us are less like shepherds (ironic, given how often I refer to you all as “Shepherds”) and are more like sheep. But even as a sheep, it likely varies from time to time if we see ourselves as a part of the 99 that remain in the fold with the shepherd, or if we see ourselves as the 1 lone sheep that went astray. If we’re honest, we’ve been both…and perhaps are both at the same time. But where we find ourselves in the parable, at this moment, may lead us to take something different away from this story. 

So this week, I encourage you to re-engage with the parable one more time. If you find yourself resonating with the 1 sheep who is lost, confess your lost-ness to God and trust that God will seek you wherever you are. Or, if you find yourself resonating with the clump of 99 sheep, consider how you may be called to offer yourself to those around you who may feel lost…or to rejoice with those who are joining the fold of God’s keeping.

Consider diving in…one more time. And consider examining where you see yourself – in relationship with God, with yourself, and with others. And from that time of devotion and prayer, trust that wherever you find yourself, together, we are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of God’s hand (Psalm 95:6-7).

In the past few years, many have found themselves re-evaluating their priorities and how they spend their time. COVID played a role within that evaluation, but other events – personally or globally – have also caused us to examine what we do and why we do it. As a result, for many, our commitments have shifted. 

So then, what does it mean to be committed to Jesus as a disciple? This past Sunday, we heard some strong texts that may seem extreme. Jesus didn’t mince words about the truth that discipleship is more than a spectator sport. Discipleship is something that asks something of us. 

What, specifically, does discipleship ask of us? The answer to that question is as unique as each of us. And, we can never be certain what it is that Jesus may ask of us as his disciples. However, we do know this: at the core, what Jesus desires from us is to live in relationship with God. 

So this week, as you ponder your walk of discipleship, consider using this prayer by Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626). Offer yourself into God’s care, and open yourself to the Spirit’s transformation. 

I give myself to you Lord,
I give myself to you.
All that I am
All that I have been
All that I hope to be,

I give myself to you Lord.
I give myself to you,
In joy and in sorrow
In sickness and in health
In success and in failure,

I give myself to you Lord,
I give myself to you.
In darkness and in light
In trouble and in joy
In time and for eternity,

I give myself to you, Lord,
I give myself to you.

This past Sunday, as we explored our Gospel text in which Jesus tells a parable about how guests chose thier seats at a wedding banquet, I invited you all to think about your experience of elementary, junior high, or high school cafeterias. As I was preparing to preach, my mind went back to my elementary school: Riverside Elementary in Ringle, WI. 

During elementary school, I was a part of a program that kept me with the same kids in my class from year to year. Needless to say, we were pretty tight. Especially in early elementary (1st and 2nd grade), I can remember the girls and I scheming throughout the morning to determine who was going to sit next to each other at the lunch table. “Can I sit next to you at lunch?” started the conversation. “Sure, but I’m already sitting next to Andrea, too.” By the time we got to lunch, between the 8 of us girls, we had created a long line that went along one row of the lunch room table, each of us with two special people flanking us. 

The fact that we did this as young girls is laughable now. It would’ve made so much more sense to sit 4 girls on one side of the table and 4 girls on the other. But wanting to make sure we sat by who we wanted to sit by, we created this long row in which we could really only talk to 2 people at lunch, rather than all 8.  

Truth is, even outside of lunchrooms, we still do this as adults. We tend to surround ourselves on both sides with people we “like” and with people we “want” to hang out with. For sure, there is a time and a place to have good friends around us to encourage, support, and care for us. But if we do this in every situation, we’re missing out on talking to the other 6 people who might be around us, but whom we really don’t even know. 

So as you go about your week, consider how you might be called to create a more wholesome table rather than singling one or two people out. Perhaps that’s in a group at work, or perhaps that’s in a group you’re in at church. And, as you consider those in your group, consider those who haven’t even been invited to the table yet. ‘Cause though I was close friends with 7 girls in elementary school, I had a whole school full of girls who could’ve been just as tight of friends.