Peace and Blessings to you, Beloved Church.

 Fall Festival Season 2025 

Dearly Beloved Church, 

One of the gifts of living in this part of the world is the way the seasons change as our northern hemisphere tilts away from the sun and cools as the fall equinox approaches. Daylight slowly shifts, temperatures begin to drop, leaves turn, and we focus our attention toward the fall festivals of the faith: Reformation Sunday, All Saints Sunday, and Christ the King Sunday. 

These days each have their own appeal, but taken as a whole I appreciate the way they anchor us both in times past (the Reformation era and our ancestral saints in faith) and also beckon us to look ahead (the reign of God which is still not yet fully here). The tension of these times seems palpable, especially as the planet itself moves us through the ever-evolving movements of life. There’s something rich to be found in such a movement, in such a dance. As autumn beckons, we get the chance to remember God’s presence with us through it all. 

And so as these specials days of our sacred calendar draw near, it is my hope that they would enrich our lives together and be a window for us to witness the love of God that undergirds each day. It is my prayer that through these festivals, we would find joyful inspiration and also a comfort that keeps us grounded when we need it most. More than anything, I trust that in them, we will continue to know that God is near. 

Let us pray. 

We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you called light into being, and you set light in the sky to govern night and day. In a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night you led your people into freedom. Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ: may your Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are merciful, and you love your whole creation, and with all your creatures we give you glory, through your Son Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.  Amen. 

(ELW Vespers) 

Pastor Paul 

August 12, 2018