Every day we pray: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The story Jesus tells us today paints these words. Our Savior shows us how He wants us to act towards others when they do something bad to us: He wants us to forgive them. . . .

What is a disciple? We use that word so much these days I’m not sure we really know what it means. I think we tend to think a disciple imitates what somebody else does – and this may well be true; after all, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” You act like people you like. You learned from your parents not just by doing what they told you to do, but by doing what they did, even if it only happens when you get to their age. . . .

She loved Reformation Day, you told me, Nancy. So God called her home on Reformation Sunday, and I prepared on Reformation Day. So we sang “A Mighty Fortress” because you told me that was your mother’s favorite hymn, Betsy. And the day after Reformation is All Saints, so here we are, a couple days later, Our Redeemer family, to give God thanks that death has ushered Helen into the company of all the faithful departed in paradise of the blessed.

Election day is only a few days away. Soon election signs will give way to Christmas decorations. Soon we’ll get a new president too, and your parents might long for the days of some other president, perhaps the one we had when we were little. Today Jesus jumps into time and tells us to give God what belongs to God and to the government what belongs to the government. . . .

In this last month of The Church’s Year of Grace, we are led to see the last things. Perhaps it’s because the leaves that have turned colors are falling to the ground. Perhaps it’s because the temperature is supposed to be getting cooler and the weather dreary, which in turn means we’re not feeling so chipper anymore, but rather depressed. Perhaps it makes us think about our own mortality. So today The Church points us not to the sorrows of the grave, but to the joys of paradise of the blessed. . . .

In November our Church takes us to the end of time. It makes sense. It’s gloomy out. Leaves are falling. Plants are dying. Cold rain is falling. It gets dark out early. Freezing temperatures are coming. Summer warmth and cheer is gone and forgotten. We’re naturally led to think about our death – thank you, Halloween decorations. And that leads us to think about the end of all things. . . .

This is the old Epistle for Friday after Trinity XXIV, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the last things. It does have to deal with how we Christians treat each other. It gives us a window into what faith towards God and fervent love towards one another looks like. After all, faith towards God is seen in fervent love towards one another. . . .

Advent is coming. In fact, long ago some churches would have started Advent this weekend, as we’re about as close to Christmas as Ash Wednesday is to Easter. That’s why during the last Sundays of the Church Year and Advent we hear about the end of all things. In fact, we’ll hear the last four verses of today’s Gospel in three weeks. . . .

Happy Thanksgiving! The decorations are changing now from Halloween to Thanksgiving and even Christmas. The weather is getting closer to Christmas weather too (and I can’t believe it’s not summer anymore). Things are changing at PALM too, as my time on The Board has come to an end, and by the time you read this, someone else will be PALM President.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? I know you can’t wait. You’ll get 3 days off of school. You’ll get lots of good food. You’ll spend time with family. You might go shopping. It’ll really start feeling like Christmas. Are you ready? . . .