This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. - Jeremiah 31: 33

This Sunday is Reformation Sunday and, though it is the end of October, the spirit of the day captures so well the spirit of the upcoming Sundays in November at First.

Our new music director, Ben Jeitz has been out of commission with a hip surgery for a few weeks. We’re looking forward to Ben’s triumphant return on Reformation Sunday. On Sunday, October 29th, we’ll have a special format for festival worship focused on the Five Solas of the Reformation: Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, and Glory to God Alone! We’ll sing favorite Lutheran hymns to reconnect with this important holiday and the promise that through Christ, God’s grace is enough for us all.

Trunk or Treat is coming up on Halloween Evening, 10/31 from 5-7. I’m especially excited this year because we had a summer full of connecting with our neighbors at the BBB. I know we’ll see a lot of familiar faces from the neighborhood and I hope we’ll have a chance to connect over costumes, candy and maybe some cider or cocoa. Thanks, especially to Jean Brannick and her team who have been organizing the Scary Tunnel through the youth room.

All Saints’ Sunday this year promises to be very meaningful this year. We’d like to welcome all of our members to light a candle to honor absent loved ones. Communion will be shared at both the Reformation and All Saints’ services.

Later in November, we will start Advent on Sunday, 11/26. That is a change from the traditional calendar because Christmas Eve is a Sunday this year (we will have one service at 4:30 PM). We’d like to have four Advent Sundays focused on Advent, so we’ll start an extra week early. This year’s theme with be “How Does a Weary World Rejoice?” and I’m excited for all the hopeful creativity we’ll be able to share.

The vision shared by the Prophet Jeremiah is a vision of God’s deep commitment of loving care for us, sometimes in spite of ourselves. It is a vision of the kind of relationship God desires with us and for us - A heart to heart relationship where our plans and actions are hand-in-glove with God’s promised future for us and for the whole world. That’s the kind of reformation we can all believe in.

Thanks and peace,

Pastor Colin