The Oasis - October 26, 2022
Author: Rev. Eric Dupee
October 26, 2022
November 6, 2022, will be All Saints Sunday. All Saints is a day of remembrance for the saints, with the New Testament meaning of all Christian people of every time and place. We celebrate the communion of saints as we remember the dead, both of the Church universal and of our local church.
As part of our communion liturgy on November 6, we will name those church members who have died in the past year. We will also leave some time for silence for you to name, out loud or silently, other friends and loved ones of yours who have died in the past year. I hope you’ll join us either in person or online for All Saints Sunday.
Recognizing there is often confusion about how to define a saint, I thought I would share with you some words I have found helpful from Thomas Merton. He wrote, “For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self. Trees and animals have no problem. God makes them what they are without consulting them, and they are perfectly satisfied. With us it is different. God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please. We are at liberty to be real, or to be unreal. We may be true or false, the choice is ours.”
Lastly, this Sunday we will have a Mission Moment in worship. In an effort to educate our congregation regarding the organizations with which First Parish partners, we have invited Michelle Surdoval, the York Community Service Association Executive Director, to share with us the work of YCSA. She and her staff will be available for questions and conversation at coffee hour as well.
Blessings,
Eric
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