Sermon for November 1st, 2015

Psalm 24:1-6

1The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. 3Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. 6Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

The Saints Among Us

Today is All Saints Day, and so I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite "Saint Peter" jokes:

A wealthy man died and went to heaven. Saint Peter met him at the pearly gates, and after making sure his name was in the book of life, Saint Peter said, "let me show you to your eternal home." They walked through the pearly gates, down streets of gold, and past dozens of giant, beautifully-designed mansions. The first few were about the same size as the rich man's earthly home, but then they grew bigger and bigger, and his excitement grew as well. Finally, at the end of the street, Saint Peter stopped in front of a small, run-down wooden shack, and gestured to the man to enter. Shocked and more than a little dismayed, the man said, "But what about all those mansions? Surely there's one for me?" Saint Peter replied, "I'm sorry, but really...I did the best I could with the money you sent."

Did I mention this is also the first week of our annual stewardship campaign?