On Christ the King Sunday, we remember that Jesus' power is not like the power of earthly rulers. Earthly rulers seek revenge and Jesus offers forgiveness. Earthly rulers throw $20,000 per plate fundraisers and Jesus eats with sinners and throws the doors open to anyone. Earthly kings sit on thrones far away, Jesus is born in a manger and his throne is the cross. It's a backward beautiful kingdom indeed.

This week we celebrate all the saints that have gone before us and remember that there is a power even greater than the power of death that connects us. We remember our humanity and God's grace that is present for us in both the good times and the hard times. It's that love we receive from one another and from God in all parts of our life that continues to draw us in and reminds us to share the kingdom with all those we meet.

Happy Reformation Sunday! The week we celebrate Martin Luther's work to reform the Church and Society, pointing us toward God's grace through faith and not our own actions. Today we get a text of Jesus promising freedom by the truth of love and not anything we are able to accomplish on our own. Grace is a release from the spiral of sin and perfectionism we often find ourselves in if only we are able to admit that perfection is impossible.

Today we get stories of determination: the parable of the persistent widow and the story of Jacob wrestling God by the river. Their blessings come not from their skills or acumen, but because of their willingness to continue on with hope in the midst of hardship. We have a lot to learn from them and our own need to continue showing up in hope, in determination, and in community with one another in the midst of injustice in our world. 

In today's sermon we hear the story of the 10 people cured of their skin disease who are made well while still on the way to show their cured state to the priests. It is a great act of hope... and points to showing up in faith even when we don't have everything figured out. Their healing happens while on their journey, and the one who returns in thanksgiving shows us what wholeness could look like for us.

This week we celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi and think about our relationship to creation, including our non-human companions on this earth. So often we find ourselves removed from our connection to creation, but this is not God's intent. Our beginning story in Genesis shows an intimate and interdependent relationship with creation, with God, and with each other. When we live with these symbiotic connections in mind, we live into the Kingdom of God, and God's original hope for us.

Happy Michaelmas to one and all! This week we celebrate the arch angel Michael and Michael's defeat of the Deceiver and Accuser of the whole World, Satan. Michael casts out the Dragon (Satan) from heaven and on this old old holiday, we remember the real Dragon's in our own lives that bring fear, manipulate us, and deceive us but in the end are no match for God's love.

This is a difficult text with lots of moving parts and questions, but at the end of the day God's call to creatively prioritize God's way, in the same way that many prioritize wealth and personal power looms large. It is a real choice riches and wealth and not stewarding those gifts well means we simply won't see the real and true gifts of God. Standing for justice and love with our whole selves however leads to eternal gifts. One cannot serve two masters.

This week, Lauren Smith from ELCA World Hunger stopped by and shared with us about ELCA World Hunger, Disaster Relief, and AMPARO. It was so cool to have her with us on a week where Jesus invites everyone, to come eat with him. We are encouraged to do the same and ELCA World Hunger is one way we as a Church answer that call.

Our guest preacher Asher Vincent shared a wonderful message this week on Jesus telling people not to take the seat of honor at the table. It's not just good party etiquette, it's actually an invite into Jesus' radical grace filled life where everyone is welcome and God's love is experienced by all. At Jesus' Table there is always room for one more; the poor, the oppressed, the weird aunts, and us.