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Brothers and sisters,

By the time you’re reading this article, I will no longer be in the state of North Carolina. As you all know, I’m on vacation this week and my friends and I have traveled out of state for one of the most interesting trips I’ve taken in a while! By the time you read this, I will be in Salem, Massachusetts, just a couple days before Halloween.

As a history buff and a nerd for all things religious studies, I’m incredibly excited to travel to a place where every street has a history, every building has a story, and every name has a past. I’m also excited to be there just a few days before Halloween simply because I love Halloween and Salem is a place that leans into the wonderful weirdness of that holiday. It leans into the air of mischief and mystery that Halloween brings with it. And, from all I’ve read about the town, it is this incredible blend of the old and new. You can walk down one street and find a wax museum that recreates the people involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Walk down another and you’ll come to the House of the Seven Gables, made famous by Nathanial Hawthorne. Turn the corner, though, and you’ll find yourself in a run-of-the-mill Starbucks or a CVS. Salem’s past and present intersect in a fascinating way.

Now, obviously Halloween gets a lot of fanfare each year. As of 2021, Halloween was a $10.1 billion industry in America, with $1.9 billion being spent on candy alone. Stores deck themselves out selling various spooky products and decorations. But there is a church holiday the day after Halloween that doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

All Saints Day happens every year on November 1. Halloween’s modern name is derived from its original name, All Hallows Eve—that is, the day before All Saints Day. And in the past, All Saints Day was a day of the year in which churches would honor the lives and the faith of Christian martyrs, the saints, who had come before them. In modern times, though, we tend to use the word “saint” to describe any person of faith.

That means that All Saints Day has grown into this holiday where the church takes time to remember those Christians that have come before us. It is a day when we deliberately take time to consider the ways that the Christians we have known in our own lives, before they passed away, have shaped and molded us. It is this beautiful expression of the way that God calls all kinds of people from places all over the world to be a family of faith. It reminds us of their love for God, their neighbors, and for each of us. It is a beautiful holiday where the church’s past and present intersect in a faithful way.

Typically, churches celebrate All Saints Day on the first Sunday after November 1 and so we will be celebrating on November 6 this year. The families of our church members who have gone on to glory have been invited to join us for a special service that Sunday. You are invited as well. Come on November 6 and support our brothers and sisters who have lost someone. Come and share with them a fond memory of their loved one. Come and remind them that you are available to them if they ever need anything. Come and be a part of this tradition that links us with those saints who have gone before us, those saints who live among us, and those saints who will come after us.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

It’s that time of the year again. One of my favorite local events has come back to town and I’m excited to get to go soon. Growing up in North Carolina, this event was one that I went to constantly either for school field trips or for church youth outings. To this day, I’m the one that always gets my friends together and sends out the text, “Ok, so when are we going?” Y’all, the State Fair is back!

Now, I will say this, I am a more subdued State Fair visitor. I’m not into all the crazy rides with the pi-rate ships flipping upside down or rides like, “The Zip-per,” which is just a monstrosity! I’ve never understood the desire to go on the ride that uses centrifugal force to push you against the wall. I guess folks are curious what the spin cycle on their washing machine is like?

Instead, I go to the fair to take in the atmosphere, check out the submissions of artists and farmers from all over the state, and eat as much crazy food as I can! Every year, there’s a new lineup of things you never knew could be fried (might I recommend the Fried Key Lime Pie Bites!). Every year, there’s at least one thing I hear about that I think, “I’ve got to try that.” And this year, thanks to a local Instagram account I fol-low, I know what I’m looking for. It’s the Korean Corn Dog by Golden K Dog. It’s a chicken sausage with mozzarella cheese and fried like a corn dog. French fries are added to the batter, then it’s rolled in Flaming Hot Cheetos, drizzled with nacho cheese, and served with a side of spicy mayo. Sign me up!

Now, you may be wondering why I’m talking about the State Fair and particularly why I’m talking about a corn dog covered in Flaming Hot Cheetos. The answer is simply this, I love the creativity of the State Fair. It is a place where all different kinds of people from all different places all over this state come together to show off their talents and their interests. You can go into one section of the fair and see the largest produce you can imagine, cared for diligently by farmers here in NC. Go to another building and you can find local cake artists recreating scenes from Charlie Brown or creating a pastoral farm scene or making a Hocus Pocus themed cake. In another part are pumpkin carvers. In yet another part are musicians. And then, yes, there are the wildly creative food vendors.

What it reminds me of is the vast creativity of God. We were shaped and molded by a God who created all kinds of landscapes, land-forms, animals, birds, fish, reptiles, etc. And we are called, in our own unique ways, to be creative as well. We are called to use the gifts and talents God has given us in creative ways. Sometimes to spread the Gospel. Sometimes to reach out to our communities. Sometimes just to bring others joy. So, if you go to the State Fair this year, I’d encourage you to take a few moments and just take in all the wonderful creativity surrounding you. Whether you are there for the rides, the gargantuan produce, or the crazy food, take in the joy of it all.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

Brothers and sisters,

As you all know, earlier this month we had our yearly Deacon elections. Three new deacons were chosen: Cameron Packer, Leigh Bigger, and Lucy Woodell. These three responded to the call God had placed on them and have agreed to serve as leaders here in our church. I’m grateful!

For both Cameron and Leigh, this will be their first time serving as Deacons, meaning that we will need to have a Deacon Ordination service soon! To me, this is always an exciting service. It is a wonderful time for us as a church family to come alongside some of our brothers and sisters, affirm the call God has given them, and encourage them as they begin their service. Ordination services are also wonderful opportunities for all of us to remember the ways that God calls each of us to serve, both within the church and within our communities. God has given all of us such incredible gifts and ordination services in particular do a wonderful job of celebrating those.

So, as part of the ordination process, I’m encouraging everyone to write letters, cards, or notes to Cameron and Leigh. You can write down what gifts you see in them. You can write down words of encouragement for the work that lies ahead of them. Maybe you want to write down fond memories you have of them or with them. Maybe you want to write something to them that will make them laugh. Whatever you feel you’d like to say to Cameron and Leigh, I would encourage you to write it down so we can present it to them when they are ordained on Sunday, October 23 during morning worship. These cards and notes will serve as constant reminders to them of the love their church family has for them.

I’m looking forward to this service. I’m looking forward to welcoming Cameron and Leigh onto the diaconate. I’m looking forward to the ways we will come around them and affirm their calls to leadership. Please be sure to pray for them as they start this new ministry. And please be sure to bring a personal note or card for them on or before Sunday, October 23rd!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

As I write this article this morning, I am still in the midst of processing the news of the day within the world of sports. Roger Federer is retiring from tennis. After twenty-four years, over 1,500 matches (with an official win/loss record of 1,251-275, as of today), and twenty Grand Slam titles, Federer is walking away from the game. Federer was a game-changer, literally innovating new strategies, shots, and ideas on the court. He was known for being a wizard on the court, able to hit shots that defied the laws of both physics and geometry. He is widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of all time, aka the GOAT, and I would agree with that. And he’s retiring.

Now, that means that the next few days will be filled with reflections of Federer’s career on sports chan-nels. And, more likely than not, his legacy will be talked about during all four Grand Slam tournaments next year, particularly at Wimbledon where Federer was especially dominant. You’ll hear folks have the GOAT conversation over and over. But then you’ll probably also hear folks ask some form of this question, “What is tennis going to do without Roger Federer?” or “What is the future of the sport, now that Federer won’t be here?” Some folks will say, “It’ll be fine,” and they’ll point to all the young tennis players coming up in Federer’s wake. But others will wring their hands and argue that the future is scary and uncertain now that Roger won’t be competing.

I say all this because these conversations always happen whenever a major sport star retires (prepare for all them again on ESPN in a few years when Lebron James retires). And every so often, I hear these kinds of conversations within churches. “What is the church going to do now that (insert famous leader’s name here) is step-ping down?” Or, “What is the church going to do in the face of (insert new cultural trend or shift here)?” And I do understand the concern that undergirds these questions. But I am always supremely confident that the church will rise to the occasion. Why? Because while leadership may change, cultural shifts may occur, new technologies may change the way we interact with each other, God does not change. God remains faithful to us. And so I am convinced that if we will remain faithful to God, the church will be fine. We will find new ways to engage with people, new ways to spread the Good News, new ways to let folks know they are loved. All because God will continue to love us and care for us through it all.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben