Worship Preview: All Saints Sunday 11.2.25

Remember to “Fall Back” and set your clocks this weekend.

Worship This Sunday: 10:30am –  “All Saints Sunday” Scriptures: Matthew 15:21-39, Psalm 121, Hebrews 12:1-14, Deuteronomy 31:1-15, and Revelation 7:1-17.

Rev. Christopher Eshelman preaching. 

This week we will celebrate All Saints Sunday. This is a day of looking forward, even as we remember the past we shared with the beloved of God. We long for the fulfillment of the promises and the in-breaking of eternity that we might stand with those who have gone before. So, while there is sadness and the grief of loss, there is also the joy of the promise.

To explore that, we will engage in rituals of remembrance and anticipation – lifting up the names of our “great cloud of witnesses” and taking our place at Christ’s table, sharing Holy Communion. We will also hear from numerous Scriptures to briefly make an important connection. Faith isn’t about certainty, nor is it about us limiting God to our boundaries. It’s not about everything turning out the way we want. Faith is about fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith and following his example of what it means to live a fully human life filled with holiness.

This weekend we celebrate All Hallows Eve – better known as Halloween – and All Saints. A series of festivals that developed from various European traditions going back to at least the 4^th Century, honoring those who have gone before us and acknowledging the “thin places” that we often encounter during a change of seasons. Last week we talked about Paul’s account of a person being “taken up to the 3^rd Heaven” and how that leads into sharing his understanding that “God’s grace is sufficient.. his power made perfect in weakness.” We also looked at Peter’s brief walk on water – and what happened when he focused on the wind and waves instead of Jesus. This week I want to continue those kinds of ponderings on mystery and miracle. We’ll wrestle with Matthew 15^th’s stories of a Canaanite woman’s request and Jesus’ responses, then the where and why of the feeding of the 4000 (not to be confused with the 5000 we just read about in Matthew 14!), we’ll take comfort from the beloved Psalm and its reminder that “our help comes from the Lord.” We’ll be reminded of the faith of those who have gone before “our great cloud witnesses” - and the discipline true faith requires with our reading from Hebrews – while pondering why, for all his greatness, Moses died without entering the promised land and hearing again his charge to Joshua and the people in Deuteronomy. Finally, we’ll hear the celebration of multitudes too numerous to count in Revelation. These stories, taken together, invite us into the thin places of faith – not certainty, and discipline, but not legalism - as we move into autumn and towards Advent and Christmas. My hope is this special service will continue to soften our hearts, open our minds, and invite us into mystery and wonder – that we might love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. Not because we have all the answers – but because we are focused on Christ and filled with hope and love that casts out fear.

No matter where you are on your faith journey, we invite you to experience the love and presence of Christ, together with us at 10:30am each Sunday and explore your next steps! 301 S. National here in Fort Scott.  Find your path, share your journey!

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, November 5^th, Feeding Families in His Name: A free, no obligation meal is served “to-go” style from underneath our portico from 5:30-6:30pm each Wednesday, prepared each week by our members as well as several area churches and community groups. We aim to provide 400 meals per week, even with government funding lapses withholding commodities and increasing our costs. If you would like to support this ministry, you can make donations online at: www.firstumcfortscott.org/feedingfamiliesdonation. Thank you.

Dec 5-7^th – Our 3^rd Annual Nativity Showcase – a part of Christmas on the Bricks. We’d love to have your favorite nativity set as part of our display this year. To reserve your display space, pick up a registration form at the Church office 9am – 2pm Mon. – Thurs. or  download a copy from www.firstumcfortscott.org/nativity-showcase