Beloved in Christ:

I was a little surprised when I realized how much I am looking forward to All Saints’ Day. It’s today, November 1, and we will celebrate it this Sunday. For years, All Saints’ Day for me was merely the day after Halloween, the day to pay bills, and the start of the cloudiest month of the year in Minnesota. But, I’ve learned. I’ve learned how incredibly valuable it is to take some time to remember our loved ones who have died, to sink into the memories and funny stories, the joys of having known and loved them and knowing how much they loved us. It is a relief for me to realize how utterly a normal part of life death is, even though, in our culture, we struggle with the realities of death and try to hide that reality in so many ways. To have this day of remembrance, one day to grieve, cry without guilt, and make a little bit of sense around the finiteness of life is a gift from God.

This year, All Saints’ Day feels even more important to me, more of a gift from God, because it is an in-between day in the midst of the larger transition of our seasons from fall to winter, light to darkness, the vibrant colors of summer and fall to the browns and grays of winter. And this year, in the midst of the horrible realities that visit violence upon people – war, revenge, terrorism, fear, hunger, homelessness – all of the ravages of the worst of humanity acting in violence against other humans, and the ravages of poverty and climate change, this day of transition is utterly life-giving in offering us a chance to take a mid-week sabbath of quiet, prayer and contemplation. One day to remember our own beloved dead, but to also honor those who have died elsewhere, even though we will never know their names. It is a day to contemplate God’s power and authority, and also God’s compassion and presence during our worst times of grief and fear.

It is a day to consider where we are in the world, how our bodies feel in the space we occupy. A day to process, perhaps meditate, wonder and try to make meaning out of the encounters we have had this past year that reminded us of our own morality, even as we honor so many who died through our flowers and prayers during our worship services.

On All Saints’ Day, especially if you are working, chasing children, caregiving for someone, it is a day of respite, if even only for an hour. A day of respite that divides the ‘what was’ of a busy fall and overstretched lives, from the ‘what lies ahead” so that you all have some time to sift through your own thoughts and prayers.

All Saints’ Day gives us all time to look around, breathe, give thanks for the blessings of the people at Calvary, and think through how we feel about people, memories, and our own hopes and dreams ahead.

All Saints’ Day is a day of memory for many. Of memory, transition, wondering, and acceptance of transition or not.

It is a day of love and comfort from our eternal Lord God through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even if you can’t grab much time to sit or walk and be still in your soul and heart, I hope you can grab a little time, to wonder with everyone else, the answer to this prayer: We hope, Lord Christ. Be with us in our hoping. Bless our tears, memories, and yearnings. Grant us the gift of this day to wonder about you and your works, catch up on our own lives. Until we meet again………..

In the peace of Christ,

Beth+