I am writing this article following our Trunk-or-Treat and All Saints Sunday. This past weekend was filled with fellowship and worship. I enjoyed seeing the families who came to our Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday. Several of them were dressed in group costumes. They were smiling and enjoying an evening together as a family. We had several “Mario and Luigi” characters attend. A small child came dressed as “Luigi,” and he saw our very own Frank “Luigi” Wonsavage. The little boy came up to Frank and said in his best Italian accent, “Hello, Luigi! It is good to see you.” Another child who is a part of our Unity Kids group came up to me to say hello. During the conversation, I asked the child if we would see them on Sunday. The child said excitedly, “I hope so!”
If you were at our trunk-or treat, you also saw a group of kids walking around together and playing together for over an hour. That was our Unity Kids group. They did not arrive at the event together, but they found each other and decided to walk around together. They have built community with each other. They are a “youth group.” I hope that they will continue growing together with God in Christ. We also had a group of adults who spent time decorating trunks, making food, setting up decorations, serving food, and cleaning up. We made connections with people in our community, and we welcomed them into a time of fellowship and fun.
On Sunday, we gathered for worship to celebrate All Saints Day. We lit candles for the saints in our lives. We heard the words of John from Patmos and the vision he had of heaven. It was a reminder for us that the saints are all around us. The ones who have moved in their faith to help others journey in faith. The ones who have sacrificed so much of their time, their love, their faithfulness for the building up of the kingdom of God. We heard the familiar words from the choir’s anthem: “O love that will not let me go; I rest my weary soul in thee. I give thee back the life I owe that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.” We ended that service with a hymn that is a prayer for God’s abiding presence in all circumstances of life. We asked God to hold the cross before our eyes—“to shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.” I think that is why we celebrate All Saints Day each year. We are reminded that hope never dies. That even through the gloom we find our rest and our fulfillment in the hope that only comes through Christ our Lord.
Whether we are eating a meal together, serving in mission, worshipping with praise, or enjoying time with the community, we do so in the name of Jesus Christ. Everything we do should show our love for Christ by our love for each other. We have a lot of special worship services and events coming up. May we prepare our hearts and minds to spread the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord through our actions and interactions with others.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott Rainey