Weekly Reflection, October 30, 2013
Dear Grace,
This Sunday, November 3rd, is All Saints Sunday. Reflect on these words from the old hymn, For All the
Saints:
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
In The United Methodist tradition, ALL, are, indeed, ONE; a saint is anyone who lives and dies in the
faith. So the good news is we are ALL saints on All Saints! It is a day to mourn those who have passed
away in the last year, with the reading of names and the lighting of candles. But just as we grieve, it is
also a day of great joy! For we celebrate that those who have left this earth are now reconciled with God
through Jesus in eternal life. And we, as fellow saints, live with the reality of resurrection before us. We
also live as saints right here, right now, following our calls to glorify God in all we do.
On this particular day, the Celts say, the veil is thin between heaven and earth. If we strain our ears, we
can hear the whispers of those who have gone before us. If we open our eyes, we can see the beauty of
resurrection. If we awake our senses, we can feel the Spirit of God all around us.
We will have a very special service at Grace this All Saints and you won’t want to miss it. Our music will
be provided by Luna Strings, an Atlanta-based string trio. We’ll hear testimony about saints from Grace
members, remember the saints of Grace who have gone to be with God in the last year, and share in
holy communion together. As we hear the strings, remember saints, and gather around the Lord’s table,
pay attention: strain your ears, open your eyes, awake your senses. For we will add our lives to the lives
of the saints, know we are ONE in Christ Jesus, and say together:
O blest communion! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Sunday is also Daylight Savings Time, so don’t forget to set your clocks to fall back so that you don’t miss
out on any part of worship!
See you Sunday for worship, and think about who you can bring with you.
Grace and peace,
Kate