Dear Friends,

We’re coming up on All Saints’ Sunday, and with that, there are a few things happening to get us ready for it.

First, as is our custom, we’ll be remembering the saints who have fed us and inspired us in our own lives and who have gone before. You are invited to share names with us that we will be adding to our worship on November 2. I encourage you to consider it as more than just a list of people you know who have died – but to really take this on as a spiritual exercise. Who are the people in your life who have gone on to life everlasting, but who helped to shape who you are as a person of faith? Who are the examples that you cling to in challenging or frustrating times? Who are the people who still inspire your joy? Prayerfully consider the saints in your own life. Then, take a moment to thank God for them.

There are instructions later in this email about how you can include your saints in our broader observance.

Also, this Sunday, the candles near the columbarium are returning to the church. I invite anyone who would like to know more about this beautiful tradition to join me for just a few minutes after our worship service ends. We’ll have a quick discussion about the tradition and what it means. As a part of that, we’ll also be introducing a new opportunity for children to learn about this tradition and participate in an age-appropriate way. So, if your children have shown interest in the candles in the past, I’d particularly encourage you to bring them to learn more about them.

One of the great gifts of being a part of a Christian community is that we are surrounded by the saints of the ages to inspire us with their example. A beautiful image that we often use is that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Like a cloud, they envelop us. Like a cloud, they accompany us without inhibiting us. They embrace us as we journey through this life, each on our own path.

For me, that’s a comforting image. It’s always a sad thing when we are separated from those whom we love but see know longer. But they are a part of that cloud that surrounds us and supports us every day. Even through death, love lingers. It’s that lingering love that we celebrate on All Saints’ Sunday, and I invite you to explore it with us at Trinity.

Blessings,
Jon+