November 2016 Pastor's Letter

"Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them." - Romans 16:15 NRSV

It is an early Friday morning as I write this letter. For various reasons I gave up trying to sleep at about 5:00 a.m. and settled into my home office intent on getting a jump on my "to do" list. Sunday worship is 48 hours away; Halloween is Monday if you can believe it!

But as I think of the upcoming days I keep returning to November 1 - All Saints' Day. It seems to me that it is an appropriate celebration to begin the month of November which, secularly, is focused on Thanksgiving. All Saints' Day lets us pause at the beginning of the season of gratitude to remember those whose lives and love have contributed so much to our faith. 

The apostle Paul often expressed gratitude for the saints whose faith sustained the churches he loved. The text above reminds us that the church is not an institution - it is people. Though Paul was not the founder of the church at Rome - in fact he hadn't visited it before he wrote the letter - he had friends there who helped introduce him to the church and established a connection which opened the door to ministry. Later, when the apostle was imprisoned in Rome, this connection was a great source of encouragement. That is, I think, the chief reason to belong to and participate in the life of a church - to offer and accept encouragement.

Of all the gifts given to the church through the Holy Spirit, I believe the gift of encouragement is our most vital and valuable form of witness. Why? Because encouragement is a pure expression of love, the greatest gift according to I Corinthians 13. When we encourage one another we are offering grace, hope and compassionate companionship. When we do that the world notices. In an article titled, "A Love Without Condition", the Christian church history website www.earlychurch.com begins this way:

At no other time in the history of Christianity did love so characterize the entire church as it did in the first three centuries. And Roman society took note. Tertullian reported that the Romans would exclaim, “See how they love one another!”

May I give you a suggestion for All Saints' Day? Find a quiet place and let your mind roam over the names and lives of saints who have blessed you on your pilgrimage. Breathe a prayer of thanks for them. If they are still living, pray for their faith to be strong and their lives to continue to bless those around them. If they have gone on to be with the Lord, rejoice that you had the privilege of entering their circle of influence and commit yourself to follow their example of loving encouragement. It will transform your day, your life and possibly your world. 

Dr. Phil