Embracing Community and God's Foundation on All Saints Sunday

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Cloud of Witnesses

On All Saints Sunday, we are reminded of the enduring presence of those who have gone before us, forming a great cloud of witnesses that cheer us on in our spiritual journey. This interconnectedness is a source of strength and support, especially in times of need. We are invited to embrace our community, explore our faith together, and engage in ministries that support and uplift one another. Through our new prayer request system, we can ensure that no one walks alone, enveloped by the power of prayer and the love of our community. [13:35]

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith."

Reflection: Who in your life has been a spiritual mentor or guide? How can you honor their influence by supporting someone else in their faith journey today?

Day 2: Building on God's Foundation

Psalm 127 challenges us to let God be the foundation of our lives, communities, and nation. By doing so, we move beyond the "bread of anxious toil" and find rest in God's love. This psalm invites us to consider how we build our lives, urging us to let God be the foundation of all our endeavors. We are called to participate actively in our communities, engage in meaningful conversations, and hold onto each other despite our differences. [45:03]

1 Corinthians 3:11 (ESV): "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are relying on your own strength rather than God's foundation? How can you begin to trust God more in this area today?

Day 3: The House as a Metaphor

The concept of the "house" extends beyond physical structures to encompass our nation, church community, and individual bodies. We are encouraged to engage in meaningful dialogue, build deep relationships within our church, and care for our bodies as temples of God, nourishing them with love rather than anxiety. This metaphor challenges us to "citizen" actively, to vote, and to engage in dialogue that reflects God's love. [48:14]

1 Peter 2:5 (ESV): "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Reflection: How can you actively contribute to building a stronger community in your church or neighborhood this week? What specific action can you take to foster deeper relationships?

Day 4: Communion as Unity

Communion is a powerful symbol of unity and peace, transcending all divisions. It invites us to share in the bread of life, reminding us of the love that binds us together and calling us to choose love over fear. This sacred meal is a testament to the hope and peace that God offers, encouraging us to live as a testament to the love that never ends. [58:29]

Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV): "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Reflection: In what ways can you promote unity and peace in your relationships today? How can you be a peacemaker in a situation of conflict or division?

Day 5: Living as a Testament to Hope

We are called to live as a testament to the hope and peace that God offers, choosing the bread of life over the bread of fear. By embracing God's perfect love, we can cast out fear and reflect the love that never ends. This call challenges us to live in a way that reflects the hope and peace of God, actively choosing love over fear in our daily lives. [01:04:09]

1 John 4:18 (ESV): "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Reflection: What fears are holding you back from fully embracing God's love? How can you take a step today to trust in God's perfect love and let go of those fears?

Sermon Summary

On this All Saints Sunday, we gather to remember and honor those who have gone before us, recognizing their enduring presence as a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. This day serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of our community, both physically present and spiritually united. We are invited to embrace this community, to explore our faith together, and to engage in the ministries that support and uplift one another. Through our new prayer request system, we can ensure that no one walks alone, especially in times of need, as we are enveloped by the power of prayer and the love of our community.

Reflecting on Psalm 127, we are reminded that unless the Lord builds the house, our efforts are in vain. This psalm invites us to move beyond the "bread of anxious toil" and to find rest in God's love. It challenges us to consider how we build our lives, our communities, and our nation, urging us to let God be the foundation of all our endeavors. In doing so, we are called to participate actively in our communities, to engage in meaningful conversations, and to hold onto each other despite our differences.

The concept of the "house" extends beyond physical structures to encompass our nation, our church community, and our individual bodies. We are encouraged to "citizen" actively, to vote, and to engage in dialogue that reflects God's love. Within our church, we strive to build relationships that transcend Sunday worship, fostering a community where we know and love one another deeply. On a personal level, we are reminded that our bodies are temples of God, and we are called to nourish them with God's love rather than the anxieties of the world.

As we partake in communion, we are invited to share in the bread of life, a symbol of unity and peace that transcends all divisions. This sacred meal reminds us of the love that binds us together, a love that never ends. In this spirit, we are called to choose the bread of life over the bread of fear, to embrace God's perfect love that casts out fear, and to live as a testament to the hope and peace that God offers.

Key Takeaways

1. Community and Connection: On All Saints Sunday, we are reminded of the enduring presence of those who have gone before us, encouraging us to embrace our community and explore our faith together. This interconnectedness is a source of strength and support, especially in times of need. [13:35]
2. Building on God's Foundation: Psalm 127 challenges us to let God be the foundation of our lives, communities, and nation. By doing so, we move beyond the "bread of anxious toil" and find rest in God's love, actively participating in our communities and holding onto each other despite differences. [45:03]
3. The House as a Metaphor: The concept of the "house" extends to our nation, church, and individual bodies. We are called to engage in meaningful dialogue, build deep relationships within our church, and care for our bodies as temples of God, nourishing them with love rather than anxiety. [48:14]
4. Communion as Unity: Communion is a powerful symbol of unity and peace, transcending all divisions. It invites us to share in the bread of life, reminding us of the love that binds us together and calling us to choose love over fear. [58:29]
5. Living as a Testament to Hope: We are called to live as a testament to the hope and peace that God offers, choosing the bread of life over the bread of fear. By embracing God's perfect love, we can cast out fear and reflect the love that never ends. [01:04:09]
** [64:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[13:35] - Embracing Community
[21:52] - Learning from the Saints
[22:44] - Overcoming Anxious Toil
[45:03] - Building on God's Foundation
[45:51] - Understanding the Blessing of Children
[46:47] - The House as a Metaphor
[48:14] - Engaging in the Body Politic
[49:38] - Holding on Despite Differences
[52:33] - Building Relationships at Epworth
[54:24] - Caring for Our Bodies
[57:08] - Communion as Unity
[58:29] - Choosing the Bread of Life
[64:09] - Living as a Testament to Hope
[71:36] - Closing Blessing and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Psalm 127:1-2 suggest about the importance of God's involvement in our endeavors? How does this relate to the sermon’s message about building our lives and communities on God's foundation? [45:03]
How does the sermon describe the concept of the "house" as a metaphor for our nation, church, and individual bodies? [46:47]
In what ways does the sermon suggest we can "citizen" actively in our communities? [48:14]
How is communion portrayed as a symbol of unity and peace in the sermon? [58:29]

Interpretation Questions

How might Psalm 127:1-2 challenge individuals to reconsider their daily routines and priorities? What does it mean to find rest in God's love rather than the "bread of anxious toil"? [22:44]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that our bodies are temples of God, and how should this understanding influence our daily lives? [54:24]
How does the sermon encourage believers to engage in meaningful dialogue and build relationships within the church community? What are the potential challenges and benefits of this approach? [52:33]
How does the concept of choosing the "bread of life" over the "bread of fear" relate to the idea of living as a testament to hope and peace? [01:04:09]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current community involvement. How can you actively participate in building a community that reflects God's love and unity? [48:14]
Consider your daily routine. Are there areas where you are experiencing the "bread of anxious toil"? How can you invite God to be the foundation of your daily activities? [22:44]
Think about your relationships within the church. How can you foster deeper connections and understanding with those who may have different views or backgrounds? [49:38]
How do you currently care for your body as a temple of God? Are there specific changes you can make to better nourish your body with God's love? [54:24]
Reflect on a recent situation where fear influenced your decisions. How can you choose God's perfect love to cast out fear in similar situations in the future? [01:04:09]
Communion is a symbol of unity. How can you extend this sense of unity and peace into your interactions with others outside of church services? [58:29]
Identify one way you can "citizen" actively this week, whether through voting, community service, or engaging in meaningful conversations. How will you ensure that your actions reflect God's love? [48:14]

Sermon Clips

1. "Come to the table, sit down and be set free. Good morning, beautiful people. Welcome to Epworth, where we explore faith and embrace community. I look around and I see all of your beautiful faces, and I thank God for the gift of you, especially on this All Saints Sunday, when we remember those who have gone before us, and we remember that they continue to surround us like a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on." [00:10:49] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "There's a place to mark if it's confidential or a place for if you would like to receive a call. But you can put these in the offering boxes if you want. Or you can put them in the caring box. Or you can put them in the basket back at the caring desk in our foyer. But this is a wonderful way to stay connected. And it's a wonderful way for us to remind each other that there is power in prayer. That none of us is alone and that this community wraps its arms around us, especially during the times when we are suffering, when we are in pain, when we need healing or when we need that extra sense of God's presence." [00:12:16] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "And yet, this psalm invites us to a new way, to a different way, a way that goes beyond eating that bread of anxious toil. A way that invites us to find the love as the foundation of the house that is built, that we stand in. And so I wanted us to look at this psalm that talks about unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches the city, those who watch it watch in vain. Do you see the pattern? Unless the Lord... Fill in the blank." [00:44:50] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We say that in the baptismal vow, right? That we pledge to surround them with a community that will help them walk in the way that leads to life. That they have become part, part of this larger family. We don't use their last name because we say that their last name is now Christian. They're part of this larger family. And so Jesus invites us to view all children as our children. And therefore to care about what happens to all children, not just our own children." [00:46:47] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "And so my son is moving. I was helping him move this week, and listening to podcasts on the way up and back. And I listened to one by Monica Guzman. I love it. It's called The Braver Way. And she talked about people across the whole nation. She said thousands of them, where they have agreed with one who's voting blue and one who's voting red, to have conversation before the election, but then on election day, to sit at a table a hundred feet from the election spot, and to have conversation with each other, and to invite others to see, to witness, that they may think differently, but that they still belong to each other." [00:50:08] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "And so we build those relationships by, you know, participating in a group, whether it's a choir, or a Bible study, or, you know, the food team, or some sort of service. We participate in a group that helps us build those relationships. We were honoring one of the saints, and we were honoring one of the saints, and we were honoring one of the saints, and we were in a meeting, Bunny Mayer, I believe it was at a trustee meeting, when someone shared that when they first came to this church, Bunny invited them to go out to lunch with them after worship and how much that meant to them." [00:52:52] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Every breath you take is a prayer to God, because God breathes into you the breath of life. So every moment that you are alive, and every breath you take, you are breathing in God's amazing love for you. And when you fill yourself with that love, then loving other people comes a lot easier. When you fill your body, when you feast on that love, then we no longer have to feast on the bread of anxious toil, because we know that we are loved and that God longs to give us rest." [00:54:40] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "And you can see, and every time they pass the plate, they say the peace of God is just such a beautiful scene of what communion is meant to be like. It's a beautiful scene of no longer eating the bread of anxious toil, but eating the bread of life that Christ provides for us, that we get to share around this table, all of us, no matter where we stand politically, no matter where we stand on all kinds of things, we get to share in the bread of life, because that's what God has in store for us, this peace that passes understanding, because when the Lord builds the house, it is built on love, and love never ends." [00:58:46] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "And so we come remembering and we come proclaiming the amazing mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. And so resurrecting God in the power of your Spirit. We pray that you would pour your Spirit out on these gifts and make them be for us the body and blood of Christ so that we can remember that in your great love we are joined, both those living now and those living again in your glory." [01:09:27] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "martina mcbride's song it's an old song loves the only house big enough to hold all the pain in this world so may our houses may our houses be your home our houses our house politic our body of christ our individual bodies may we all be built on that love so that the world may see that there is hope go in god's peace amen" [01:21:24] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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