'Jesus began to weep.' St
John 11.35
Besides being one of the shortest
verses in the entire Bible, this little phrase is one of the most moving.
One of Jesus' dear friends, Lazarus, had died. Jesus, St John tells us,
was 'deeply moved'.
The death of someone dear moves
us. It taps into the wellsprings of our emotions. Tears are a gift
from God. I cry when I hear beautiful music that moves my soul.
Tears often come as I pray. Or as I confess my sins to the
Lord.
Jesus was fully human, fully
God. How powerful this little verse is in reminding us that he, too,
needed friends and loved them deeply. How comforting to know that both he
and we grieve the losses in our lives and the death that pervades our
world. And how life-changing to know that his resurrection makes all
the difference in how we live...and how we die.
ALL SAINTS SUNDAY
invites us to celebrate a special connection with all God's people
who have died in faith. This coming Sunday, Nov. 5, the altar will
be covered with the special cloth we use to cover caskets when we hold funerals
here at Redeemer. Bring your hearts--and your handkerchiefs--to worship as
we feel the fullness of God's love in life and death.
ATTENDANCE GOAL
for each Sunday is 100. We came close on Oct 30, with 95 in
attendance. Each of you is part of Redeemer's family, and we miss you when
you aren't here for worship. Here's something to think about: if all our
regular worshipers showed up together on any one Sunday, we would have at least
140 people in church! That means that, on average, 50 to 60 or you are
missing each week.
TWO CROSSES:
For some time, we've had two crosses in the making. The cross
that will highlight the new reader board sign in our front lawn; and the cross
formed by the stained glass window overlays in our entryway. We're working
on getting them both finished. On Nov 18, Al Binder and his crew will be
installing the remaining panels in the stained glass cross. If that takes
place as planned, we can dedicate it to God's glory the next day, Sunday the
19th!
MEETING DATES CHANGED FOR
NOVEMBER:
- All Ministries (boards) meet on
Monday, Nov. 6, at 7pm.
- Church Council meets on Monday,
Nov. 13, at 6pm for an hour with
Ryan McIvor, Northwest District VP for Lutheran Church Extension
Fund. Ryan will introduce the "Consecrated Stewards" program and answer
our questions. The regular Council meeting begins at 7pm.
Any congregational members interested in Ryan's presentation are welcome
to attend at 6 - 7pm.
SAY IT AGAIN:
Congratulations, Redeemer, on a stupendous effort in donating 3,692
boxes of macaroni and cheese to Marion Polk Food Share!! The root Italian
word for 'macaroni' means 'blessed', and you have blessed hungry people with
your generosity and compassion. Thank you for your loving hearts, doing it
in Jesus' name!
Hunger doesn't know a season. Neither should our
giving. Let me close with a plea to continue to bring food items and place
them in our barrel. This quote comes from Meister Eckhart, a German
spiritual writer who had a profound influence on Martin Luther:
"There is no such thing as 'my'
bread. All bread is ours and is given to me, to others through me, and to
me through others. For not only bread but all things necessary for
sustenance in this life are given on loan to us with others, and because of
others and for others and to others through us."
Something to think about when we pray, "Give us this day
our daily bread."
