Take Note - November 2014
November 3, 2014When I see falling leaves around this time of year, I can't avoid thinking about the span of our lives. We have a few steps or elements in our lives; birth, learning, working, marriage (skipping this stage has became more common these days though), and death.
The season of fall reminds us about death. And even though fall itself can be categorized as a harvest, full of grace and thanksgiving, and the peak of happiness in our lives, falling leaves and cooling temperature give us the idea that everything has its time of diminishing strength and going to eternal rest.
Late October and early November is the time for many people to enjoy "Halloween", but many churches celebrate "All Saints' day" around the same time. Both events are about the people who are not with us anymore, but the attitude about the dead from these two events is pretty different. In Halloween, the dead don't seem to be people we have had relationships with before, and it's all about having fun with them. All Saints' Day is about the people who lived with us in the past. We give them our respect and think about the time when we meet them again in heaven sooner or later.
We will have "All Saints' Sunday" on November 2. This year we will recognize members of our church family who have passed away in 2013 and 2014 during the worship service. Our Celebration Ringers will lead us for the specially designed prayer. We will praise God who holds our loved ones in eternal life as we hold them in our hearts.
I hope that we will see not only regular worship attendees but also many people who remember them to attend this worship. God is with us not only in our lifetimes on earth but also in eternal heaven.
Posted by Taemin Han. Posted In : Take Note - FPC, Waterloo