The Feast of All Saints celebrates the faithful women and men, known and unknown, past and present, whose lives have been marked by the love and grace of God. It is an opportunity for us, as a church, to thank God for them and to remember the roles they have played in bringing God’s kingdom into our lives and into this world.

Today, instead of celebrating the saints, we’re going to take time to do the opposite. We’re going to reflect on how the church has failed children by not proactively keeping them safe from abuse. Not only has the church been silent and allowed abuse to flourish, but in many cases the church itself has become the perpetrator of child abuse and a haven for abusers. Our plan is to grieve and confess the church’s part in this terrible evil, to honor and stand in solidarity with survivors and to resolve as a community to do better. The sermon time will educate and empower our community to take active and practical steps toward this resolve.

We know child abuse is a heavy, difficult topic that will be triggering for many of us. As a community we want to lean in to it courageously, and we also want to practice good self-care. For some of you, that might mean leaving during the greeting time that we’re about to have, or at any moment when it all becomes too much. Please take care of yourselves well. Reach out if you need help. Let’s do this hard but important work together as a community.