Sisters & brothers, grace to you and peace from God our most merciful Judge, Christ our Gentle Shepherd, and the Spirit our strength and comfort. Amen.

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

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Sisters & brothers, grace to you and peace from our generous God, the coming Christ, and the gift-giving Spirit. Amen.

At first glance, a well-meaning and genuinely-enthusiastic preacher might very well see a text like this morning’s Gospel as the perfectly-opportune moment to preach a barn-burner of a stewardship sermon, especially if it happens to be (ahem) Commitment Sunday in the parish where she (or he!) is serving.

Licking her (or his) homiletical chops, the preacher could absolutely wax eloquent on the parable of the talents and finally make the finish line of a successful stewardship campaign by asking, “And what, my sisters and brothers, are you doing with the talents God has given you? Why here, I just happen to have this handy dandy ‘Time AND TALENT form’ for you to complete. Well, and here just happens to also be a PLEDGE form as well.”

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Sisters & brothers, grace to you & peace from the God of hope, the Christ of grace, and the Spirit of life. Amen.

When asked what he would do if he discovered Christ would return and the world as we know it would end tomorrow, Martin Luther is quoted as replying, “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

That may tell you something of the “green” Luther as well as something of the “left behind” Luther. His response reveals both his high regard for care of creation, and also his disregard of any fear, dread, or speculation when it came to contemplating the return of Christ on the last day.

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

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Sisters and brothers, grace to you and peace from the God of all peoples, the Christ of every tribe, and the Spirit of all the nations. Amen.

Today we gather to remember, to rejoice, and to imagine. It is All Saints Sunday, and on this holy day it is these three primary actions that we do together, in community, that matter. To remember, to rejoice, and to imagine.

The element of remembering is crucial. The psalmist sums it up this morning, “I will bless the Lord at all times, the praise of God shall ever be in my mouth.” Remembering God in times of pain and sorrow, in times of struggle and doubt, as well as in times of joy and celebration: this is the challenge of this day as we call to mind the loved ones from among us who have departed this life and with whom we have been separated. We remember them, and we remember what — and Who — keeps us connected with them.

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