Saints, Martyrs and Ordinary Folk

Hello Beloved!

It has been said that the definition of a saint is someone who lives with a martyr. Or is it the other way around?

Sunday is All Saints’ Day, the church’s answer to Halloween. Instead of fearing death, or mocking it, we acknowledge its power gravely, but not absolutely. We know that death has separated us from those we love, but we believe in reunion, even if we have no idea of what the terms of that reunion will be.

This Sunday in worship, we’ll have a basic Day of the Dead altar set up–on November 1 & 2 in Mexico, people build elaborate altars for the people they love who have died–they put fruit, flowers, pictures and favorite food, art and ‘papel picado’ on them. We’ll do the same. Bring a framed photograph of someone you love who has died to church this Sunday if you wish–ideally one that will stand up by itself on a table. Bring their favorite food, too. They can all go on the altar before worship, or during the passing of the peace. We will commune with them, and with one another.

I’ll be preaching:  beginning a new 4-part sermon series on Extraordinary Relationships. There are so many relationships in our lives that are trapped in amber–not just people who have died, but those people with whom we are so at odds, so distant, conflicted, cut-off or fused, that it feels like death. I’ll start there:  what are we to do with these Difficult People in our lives? We’ll take Ruth and Naomi as an example of just one oddball family in the Bible, working on it working through it, just as we are.

Emily D is our newbie liturgist! Pray for her peace and courage! Marc and Bonnie offer the Stewardship Message. Laura Ruth will pray and celebrate communion. Choir sings!

After worship, fair trade coffee, friends and good eats. Then, Rooftop People meets in the Parlor, Bell Choir inaugurates in the Chapel–would you like to join us?

Christlove (it’s a good place to start, thinking of what our families can be like…)
Molly