All Saints' Day
Faith, this is such a special weekend in our life together. We will celebrate All Saints’ Day. If you want read a little more about this tradition and how our founder, John Wesley, viewed it — click here for a link to a great article.
The first Sunday in November is always a treasure. We call the names of those who’ve passed away in the previous year. We light a candle in their memory and we toll a bell. This year, we’ve lost many that didn’t get to have a funeral in our sanctuary. So, I hope you’ll tune in with us this coming Sunday as we call the names of those we’ve lost this year. More than ever before, we need this sacred ritual to remind us of our hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Because All Saint’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in November, it is also a Communion Sunday for us. Coming to the Communion Table has sometimes been called a “dress rehearsal” for heaven. We believe that the sacrament of Holy Communion creates a “thin space,” where heaven and earth come a little closer to each other. We enter this time with the words, “And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn…” We are reminded that at the Communion Table, we join together with those who’ve gone before us. In fact, we believe that they become our cheering section, encouraging us from the place of full knowledge to keep the faith and persevere. So, this is a very special day every year. And, this year, we are blessed that we will also celebrate a baptism for Shaun, son of Kent and Amanda Ayers, who joined our church last week.
Speaking of saints, I’m saddened to tell you that Mel McKee passed away on Oct. 22. Many of you will remember that Mel and Jean were faithful members of our congregation through the years. Mel has been in hospice care for quite some time. I know you’ll want to be praying for his family, and especially for Jean, as they face those hard questions about how to safely remember and celebrate a loved one.
I’m sure you’ve heard that the situation in Oklahoma hospitals is reaching critical levels. Surge plans are moving into effect as new infections continue to land people in the hospital. Because one of our members, Janet Potts, has connections at Ascension St. John’s, we’ve been given a tremendous opportunity. They will allow us to provide prayer shawls to anyone who needs them. For the COVID patients who are isolated from family members, perhaps a family member could pray over that shawl and it could be taken into the patient’s room as a physical reminder of their love and hope. For the family member who is alone because no one else can be with them at the hospital, perhaps that prayer shawl could remind them that they are lifted and supported. For that frontline hospital staff person who faces life or death decisions every single day with no end in sight, perhaps the prayer shawl could remind them that we are interceding on his/her behalf. St. John’s will be able to use the shawls however they see fit. If you knit or crochet, bring us what you’ve created for prayer shawls. If you can buy yarn to give to those with the ability to make shawls, bring it to the church. If you pray, look for a way next week to sign up for an appointment to pray over the shawls we have laid out in the chapel before we take them. There are lots of ways to join in this tangible act of support.
And, as you’re praying, please pray for Doug Hulsebus. He is ill with COVID. Kathy took him to the ER last evening and he was waiting to be admitted. Their grandson, Noah, is also ill but it is still unclear what his diagnosis is. We’ll be posting updates as we have them on our prayer app, Echo, which you can download from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you follow our feed, “Faith Tulsa,” you’ll be receiving the latest prayer requests and updates.
I hope to see you, either in person or online this Sunday, as we celebrate the saints that have called Faith United Methodist Church home through the years.
Peace and blessing,
