The Weekly Perspective
by Joe Thacker, Pastor
When Israel, Yahweh’s bride, forgot her history, forgot her story – the story of redemption that God achieved for and through His people, especially the Exodus from Egypt – then she would inevitably forget the Lord who had redeemed her and go hoaring after false gods and idols. This story of redemption, this overarching story is made up of smaller stories all along the way. Think about how the Bible is written. It is written, primarily as narrative, as story. A helpful way for us to keep the story at the forefront of our minds, for us to remember is through the church calendar, which is a reflection of the Gospel story itself.
Consider that the Gospels themselves do not simply give information about Jesus, but, as one theologian states, “provide a narrative that we can inhabit, a story we can make our own. This is one way in which we can become the people God calls us to be. The traditional Christian year is a deep-rooted and long tested means by which that aim can be realized.” All Saints’ is especially set apart to aid our memory, to help us see our place in the story, and to consider the entire story that has already been told. That is a healthy thing, and not only because it provides perspective, but, again, because it encourages us in our faith and in our walk with Christ when we consider others whom the Lord has kept, those who faithfully ran the race until its end.