Dear Friends,
At this time of year, I feel a bit like a broken record (kids, ask your parents what this means), repeating how much is happening at All Saints, but it’s true!
This weekend, we have Open House Chicago on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon; a wedding on Saturday (Congratulations, Jacky and Kevin!); and our kitchen being used by two groups to feed people—our usual RCS Saturday Sandwich-making crew in the morning and now our Migrant Breakfast-making crew in the afternoon; and, of course, we continue our pledge campaign on Sunday with an activity during each service AND a coffee hour conversation about our dreams for the 2024 budget.
Next Friday, I hope you will join a bunch of us from All Saints and Ravenswood Community Services at Spirits of Ravenswood for a great party and a great cause—supporting our food pantry! We’re feeding over 300 people every Tuesday night with hot meals and great groceries as well as every Thursday taking food to where people already are: schools! This is the last day for Early Bird registration, so please buy your ticket now.
Finally, Beloved, not only do I feel like a broken record, but I am heartbroken by the war in Israel and Gaza. The history and current reality in the Holy Land are so complicated. In church we recently heard the story in Exodus of God saving the Israelites by allowing them to cross the Red Sea unharmed while drowning the Egyptians; there is a Rabbinic teaching that says the angels began to celebrate in heaven but God stopped them, saying “They are my children, too.”
That is a truth we know: there is no one who is not God’s child. No one in the world who is not also our sibling. Though we are far away from the war geographically, it is in our hearts and in our prayers. So, please pray for the end of violence and pray that we might see one another as God’s children.
Faithfully, Suzanne+