This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A blessed Feast of All Souls to you all. I hope and pray that you are well. As I sit and write this, with Decoy curled up beside me, I find myself giving thanks.

I am thankful for this beautiful cool weather, for the job that I have, and for the church that I get to serve. I am thankful for the people I love, the people who have loved me, and the people who made this church into what it is today.

The Feast of All Souls is a feast of thanksgiving and remembrance. To quote the Book of Common Prayer, I give thanks "for those whom I have loved, but see no longer," people who were gifts in my life, who I was blessed to have loved and been loved by. Between now and All Saints Sunday I encourage you to take a moment of mindful thanksgiving for all those who have shaped you into who you are.

As a leader of St. Martin's, I give thanks for those who created this place. For those who saw the vision of what it could be and for those who built it, I give thanks. Our spiritual home was made by others for us. It is a gift from previous generations to those of us who worship today. Just as it was given to us, we care for St. Martin's in order to give it to the generations that will follow. In caring for what we have been given, and in passing the torch on to those to come, we take our place among the Saints of God. We are stewards as they were stewards.

This Sunday we will both remember and look forward. We will remember the Saints of God who have passed the faith and our church down to us. We will also continue the work of tending a thriving, growing church that celebrates Jesus and welcomes all into his life-giving love. Each Sunday, as we process out, the doors are opened wide. It always makes me happy to see kids eating their cookies and drinking lemonade on our sign. That sight is a gift from the Saints of yesterday. With God's help and our hands, this tradition will continue for many generations more.

Happy All Souls and All Saints.

In Christ,

Mitch