Dear Friends,

All Saints Sunday, with its evocation of the great cloud of witnesses that are the communion of saints, also brings to mind all those “whom we love, but see no longer.” Baptism is especially appropriate on All Saints, as we celebrate another person being initiated into the body of Christ.

Team LIFE’s stewardship program, Rooted in our Neighborhood, Branching Out in Love, will conclude with the ingathering of pledges of support for St Michael’s ministries and operations next year on November 13th. So this week we have the final reflection.

The ‘E’ in LIFE stands for expertise. Expertise is one of the things a person might offer to the life of a community. Expertise might be technical, or musical, or mechanical, or organizational, or something else. Bodies like the Vestry change membership every year, so there will always be opportunities for fresh expertise.

When I was rector of St George’s in Roseburg, I became an expert in making mashed potatoes for a crowd, because that was my job for the Thanksgiving Day dinner we made at the church for anyone living alone, or who didn’t want to cook. On a trip to Eugene, I stopped by a restaurant supply and bought a jumbo, 3-foot-long potato masher. I figured out how much butter and cream cheese to add to 30 pounds of potatoes. Fortunately, I had other expertise that paid the bills.

Reflect for a moment on all the different kinds of expertise it takes for a community like ours to function and thrive, and give THANKS. Is the Spirit nudging you to try something new, or to bring your expertise o a situation where it will help?

Don’t forget to FALL BACK Saturday night. We all get an extra hour of sleep this week.

Your Servant in Christ,

Fr. Sherman