Psalm 31:23-24 23 Love the LORD, all you his saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily. 24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD.

This coming Sunday we will celebrate the lives of three saints who have passed since our last All Saint’s Sunday. We will remember:

• Nellie Jarema
• Bill Rychlick
• Richard Saville

Like all those who have gone before us, these three saints have shared with us how God is working in the world. While I personally did not know Nellie and Bill, I did have the chance to know Richard. For those of you who have not heard the story of Richard at the cottage meeting at the Cook’s house, let me fill you in. We all know that Richard had lung problems, and that speaking and breathing was not easy for him to do. But at that cottage meeting, just about 1 month before he passed away, Richard talked and talked about his faith and what it meant to him and his family. Mary Lou attempted to stop him several times, but Richard kept going. After he passed away, those of us that were there realized what Richard had done. He was passing on his faith to us. He was being the work of God to each and every single one of us in the room. For those kinds of teachings, regardless of who they are from, we give thanks.

This coming Sunday we will give thanks not only for Richard’s life and his teachings, but for the life and teachings of Nellie and Bill also. We can rest assured that as they were baptized into Christ Jesus, they were also baptized into his death, and therefore will be raised on the last day with all the other glorious saints. As Lutherans this is what we proclaim, that we are cleansed of our sins in our baptism and that we too will one day live a new life. We proclaim that if we have been united in a death like Christ’s, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. This week we pray for the families of these three saints, and at the same time, we give thanks for and celebrate their lives.

In our prayers this week: Lee Zimmerman (admitted to Gibbs Cancer Center this morning), Buddy and Ann, Michael and Chris. We also give thanks that the Fancher grandchildren have come home from the hospital.

God's Peace,

 Pastor Judson