Welcome to All Saints
When I think of All Saints I often think of the whole family of God. By this I mean the Communion of Saints, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.
This larger family, to which we belong, reflects its Creator’s deep desire to love, while its saints bear witness to its blessing. A recent newcomer to All Saints shared with me her surprise that “Just being welcomed could heal so many wounds.” She went on to speak of the parish as “genuine, open, honest, and healthy,” then gave permission to share her words. Healing and wholeness are signs of the Maker’s handiwork and love.
Yes, we are All Saints Church. Yet, we discover our true ministry and identity not from within our selves or parish, but corporately. Bound together in Christ, Church member or not, we belong to a greater realty: the community of All God’s Faithful.
Within Christ’s family, where is home? St. Benedict taught Christians to always welcome the stranger; for as he put it, in so doing “some have entertained Christ unawares!” As you seek a new Church home within the family of God, I invite you and your family to consider All Saints.
Let us “welcome the stranger” in each other as Christ himself.
Faithfully,
Jim Wallace+
Rector