Discovering one's heritage has become big business. For a fee, services will connect you with family members and family history you might not have known about. Ancestry.com boasts that they are "Connecting 20 Million Members to a Deeper Family Story." Even in a world where we are constantly connected through social media and technology, we long for significant relationships and connections. There is something comforting in knowing that we have a history and a story that includes other people; a story that ties us to others across time and space. Whether we know our biological family tree or not, we can all claim a place in a very significant story. Through God's love shown and given to each of us in Jesus, and lived out generation after generation in the church, we join a loving family that stretches back to the first followers of Jesus. The legacy of love we receive in faith connects us with people of faith across all time and space, encourages us for life today, and moves us forward in that same love. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UF7sixgR5U

In their ordinary, everyday lives, movie superheros live pretty average lives. Clark Kent goes to work everyday as a journalist. Diana Prince worked as a secretary. Bob and Helen Parr live in the suburbs with their three children. Most people around them had no idea of their secret, superhero lives. Only when they don their superhero costumes and save the day with their superpowers do we recognize them as Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Incredibles. Such transformations and their extraordinary feats of power make for a good movie! Making the leap from ordinary to extraordinary seems more than most of us can imagine. We don't have the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, transform into an Amazonian goddess in an instant, or corral our kids to all smile for the family photo, much less lead them in saving the world! But not all superpowers are so obvious. And not all superheroes wear flashy costumes. The Bible gives us endless stories of people who lived ordinary, unassuming lives until God called - and equipped - them to do something extraordinary. Noah was as ordinary as anyone in his day, but because he trusted God, he saved humanity from extinction. God offers us the same excitement and extraordinary experiences. Grab your cape and join the adventure! Message Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCY846PgXs&t=3s

How do you mark the important events in your life? Post a photo on Facebook so that others can experience it with you? Maybe you like to go old school and print a photo to frame and hang in your home or office. Some take trips to memorable or exotic locations to celebrate milestone events in their lives. Some want a more permanent remembrance such as a piece of jewelry or a tattoo. In the Bible it was common for people to mark important events - especially events where they perceived God to be present and active - with a pile of stones. Stones? Really? Yes, stones. Stones speak to the permanence of God and God's love. On All Saints Sunday we remember and honor those who have been faithful examples of God's presence and love, but have now passed from this world to the next. On All Saints Sunday we remember and celebrate the living stones who have provided a lasting witness to God's goodness in a world that is uncertain and ever-changing. Worship link: Worship link: https://youtu.be/oJOzjxx4Jow

"...the question I ask you to ask yourself each day this week:  What will be the long-term impact of your faith?"