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As we commemorate All Saints Day this week, Pastor Stephanie invites us to explore how we can find belonging in the midst of grief. When grief is acknowledged and shared it's easier for us to bear. In our Focus Text this week Jesus offers an example of how we can be present with those who are grieving. Being present for our grieving neighbor is a reminder of our connection to the Communion of the Saints in Baptism and helps us both recall the promises of Baptism that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

This week as we commemorate the Reformation we explore one of its core concepts "We are saved by grace through faith." We are not saved by the good works we do, we aren't trying to win our salvation, that prize has already been won by Christ. When the prize is already won we can turn our attention to our neighbors needs and using our good works to support them and help them find belonging.

In today’s society we understand weary. Our calendars are packed and yet we feel pressure to add one more project, one more appointment, one more task, one more burden. When Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” We wonder how that can be true. Jesus goes on to invite us to live by his example with a gentleness and humility that removes the burden of one more thing. We don’t have to accomplish any task to find the rest Jesus promises us even as we are in all our weariness. When we can release our burdens we begin to notice others who are struggling and by noticing them, caring for them, and assisting them we build a community where belonging is found.

The widow in our Focus Text this week gives her last two copper coins. A model of generosity, right? Pastor Chad invites us to hear the familiar story differently. Jesus invites the disciples to notice the widow as someone who we are called to care for not as a role model of sacrifice. We tend to notice the people whose large donations, get their names on stadiums, dorms, and even churches. We hope to get noticed by them so we can access the power and privilege they have. Jesus notices us not because of any of our wealth, power, or privilege but because we are beloved children of God just as we are. When we start to notice others the way Jesus does we can offer others the kind of belonging we found in our faith community.

"Do Not Worry!" -Jesus This week we will explore this quote from the Sermon on the Mount. Even when Jesus tells us not to we often find ourselves consumed with worry. But Jesus wasn't talking about your To-Do List as it grows out of control or what you’ll make for dinner in the 15 minutes between play practice and the soccer game. Jesus is talking about worrying about your place in God’s love. In modern society our place in a group, a workplace, or a team is determined by our performance, our history, or our relationships. Psalm 139 is a reminder that we are fearfully & wonderfully made and we are claimed by God just as we are for who we are, no outstanding audition, costly wrong decision, or strike out will ever change that. That's why we don't need to worry about maintaining our belonging within God's love.

Categories. Boxes. Labels. We like to assign names to people. We too often assume people will fit neatly into the box we have sorted them into. The labels we hand out and the labels we wear never tell the whole story. In our Focus Text this week a woman comes to see Jesus, her neighbors have labeled her a sinner. According to the Pharisee hosting Jesus, a Teacher & Prophet like Jesus shouldn’t be around folks carrying that label. Jesus however points out that her actions show a greater faith than the Pharisee. Jesus sees beyond the label of Sinner and recognizes there is more to her story. That is good news for us too, Jesus sees beyond our failures, beyond our success, beyond our labels and offers us forgiveness and belonging.

Pastor Stephanie continues our introduction to our theme for this year: Belonging. It’s hard to find belonging when we fee lost or when others are telling us we are lost. In our Focus Text this week, Jesus uses Parables to reassure us that we always have a place in God's love even when we feel lost and with that reassurance we find belonging that was there for us all along.

Pastor Chad kicks off the new theme for this School Year: Belonging! We have lots of places we belong: gym memberships, fan clubs, rewards programs, online communities, professional groups, nonprofit organizations, churches, and more. But do any of those places offer a true sense of belonging? You may have gained access to an exclusive curated event for coffee lovers in exchange for your email address and weekly purchases but does the coffee chain know more than your name and spending habits? We create and find belonging when we take the time to listen, share, serve, wonder, laugh, learn, and make room for one another’s lives in our circle. You'll need this link for this week's challenge to Choose ONE Circle of Belonging: https://www.bethlehemlutheran.org/Circles-of-Belonging

As we wrap up our “AGAPe: When Love is Greater” we have a Focus Text which ties this greater love into our theme that begins next week: Belonging. Jesus is praying for his disciples shortly before his arrest and crucifixion. Pastor Chad invites us to pay attention to the ‘last things’ people do & say because the often reveal their ‘first things’ the things that are at the top of the list of importance. One of Jesus’ last things is this prayer what does it reveal as important: love and unity. He is praying that the disciples and those that follow (that’s us!) might come together under the unifying power of God’s love to find belonging!

For many amateur gardeners and arborists pruning can be stressful. What if I cut off the wrong branch or cut off too many flowers? We can encounter the same stress when we look to ‘prune’ our lives back. What if cut off the wrong person or stop doing the wrong thing? In our Focus Text Jesus reminds us that God is the one responsible for pruning. As long as we remain connected to Jesus we will bear fruit like AGAPe Love.