Slideshow image

A cloud of witnesses, honoring the dead, candy and costumes!

Dear Friends, 

This is a big weekend for us all.  

This coming Sunday, we will be observing All Saints & All Souls on All Hallows’ Eve.  Everyone knows how to celebrate Halloween -with costumes, candy, spooky stories and graveyard walks.  But this isn’t the whole story.  As a Christian family, we celebrate and observe All Saints and All Souls Day as part of living out our faith.  Interestingly, these celebrations don’t have roots in either candy or costumes.

Long ago in Ireland and Britain, Christians would come together on All Hallows’ Eve to ask for God's blessing and protection from the evil in the world. The source of our modern celebrations happened when we began dressing in saintly and evil spirit costumes to act out the battle between good and evil.

On Sunday, our focus will be on All Saints' Day (November 1st) and All Souls' Day (November 2nd), which are related, but they are usually two separate celebrations. On All Saints' Day there's a call to live as saints.  On All Souls' Day, we remember those we love and see no longer and ask God's mercy for them. 

This Sunday, we will call on the Holy Spirit to help us remember those whom we love but see no longer as we observe their names and light a candle.  Our liturgy will then move us into the glorious company of the saints in light, as we remember our own calling to live as saints here and now. 

If you plan to be with us in-person for worship this Sunday, be sure to register by Thursday, at the latest- which is the Eventbrite deadline.  This coming service is always popular, and was almost at capacity this past Monday.  If you are not successful registering online, please do call the office and speak to Danielle before noon on Friday in order to add your name to the list.  Registration must be done in advance so that Danielle can provide a list to the wardens before she leaves the office on Friday.  We know that registration has become a source of frustration for some- and we appreciate your ongoing patience.  It is our hope that we will receive a lifting of the Diocesan protocols from Amber to Green in the next few weeks, so that we can add more to our in-person attendance.  I’m pleased to inform you that Soniya (Warden) and Erwin (Sidesman) are actively drafting a plan to create more space in the church, so that we can safely seat additional people.  

If you are not able to worship with us in-person this Sunday, please do join us online.  You will find the link below. 

Let us walk in the light of the Lord,

Andrea+