From the Pastor

Thursday, October 30, 2008

As I write this letter, Kari & I are making last minute travel plans to attend her Grandmother's funeral in New Orleans. Thank you for your prayers! Special thanks to Pastor Wayne Stebbins for filling in this Sunday (10/26) at the last minute.   We're looking forward to celebration All Saints Sunday with you on November 2. As a new element in worship, Holy Communion will now be served every first Sunday of the month at the 8:00 AM worship service. When the month of November rolls around we are quick to focus on the biggest holiday of the month — Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving, and let us not forget to be thankful of what God has blessed us with, even in this time of economic uncertainty. However, there are two other important days we celebrate during November. Please read the following: A Day For The Saints All Saints’ Day is November 1 each year. The word saint comes from the Latin word sanctus and refers to the holy — that is, “set apart for the service of God.” In some of St. Paul’s letters to the churches he founded, he called all the members “saints.” Later, Christians who distinguished themselves by their zeal for Christ, especially the martyrs, were honored after their death by being canonized as saints. The word “saint” was placed before their Christian name. The pages of Christian history books are filled with the stories of these very special servants of God. Several became the patron saints of countries. Ireland’s saint is St. Patrick, England’s is St. George and Scotland’s is St. Andrew. While the United States has no particular saint, Christians here should appreciate all the faithful people who served Christ courageously and delivered the faith to us to follow. A Day To Honor Our Veterans On November 11, 1918, the Germans and the Allied Nations, which included the United States, signed a document to initiate an armistice (cessation of hostilities), thus ending World War I. A year later, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation designating November 11 as Armistice Day. It was to be a day of reflection — a day to remember those who died in the country’s service and to offer Americans the opportunity “to show sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation.” Wanting to recognize more specifically America’s veterans, Congress passed a bill changing the name of the day from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. The change was made in May 1954. On this national holiday, churches around the nation hold services of prayers and praise. Followers of the Prince of Peace pray for peace among the nations of Earth and for the day when “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4 , NRSV). Under The Mercy, Pastor Bill

 

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