By Lilly Lewin
The presidential election of 2024 is over. It’s’ been a week. A heavy week. I have had anxiety and dread about this election since January.The tense division, the us verses them mentality, the anger, the verbal hatred and the threats of violence have kept many of us on edge and living in the land of anxiety. I’ve been envious of my Canadian friends as they only have to endure 50 days of an election season. Thanks to our process here in America, we don’t seem to ever get a break. And I detest how much money is spent on adverts and promotions for a campaign. I think often how we could solve so many problems here…hunger, homeless, etc with the amounts of money raised for campaigning. When one short commercial on TV has a 3 million dollar price tag, I know we have lost our way.
Last week I was truly dreading the election. I didn’t have anything to say for freerangefriday…I just felt numb. But over the weekend God changed my heart and I realized I needed to change through action. I realized that regardless of who won, I was called to love my neighbors so I decided that I would put some love and light out into the world in the form of Chocolate Chip Cookies. We have had several new people move into our neighborhood and I hadn’t met them or welcomed them yet. In Pre-covid times I did this a lot, but I’ve been out of practice making cookies and meeting the neighbors. So on Sunday I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies with dark, milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I walked next door and met the new family who just moved in with their 5 month old little girl. I met the new neighbors who moved in behind us who have young adult daughters. I reintroduced myself to the young woman who moved in a couple of doors down who was dog sitting for her parents. Then I headed down the hill.
Last week we had an altercation in our neighborhood whatsapp group that worried me. One person made a snide remark about the new family that moved into the old duplex at the bottom of the hill. This made me really interested in meeting them. I had noticed that they shared both sides of the duplex as the kids went in and out. I had noticed while walking the dog that they had laundry hanging outside. Not usually a normal thing in our neighborhood as everyone has a clothes dryer. The new family in the duplex is amazing! They are refugees being resettled by the UN. They have only been in Nashville for three weeks. And only two weeks in our neighborhood. They accepted my cookies and welcomed me into their home and served me tea. I got to meet the kids and we had a fun time figuring out words and translation together. I asked the kids if they liked art because it didn’t look like they had much to play with yet. They said yes so I returned later in the day with a basket filled with art supplies, bubbles and books.( Having a garage filled with experiential worship gear is a real plus! ) We talked about their need for jobs and for a washer and dryer. I called a couple of neighbors and we are going to see if we can get them some appliances. This was all on the day of the election! Meeting these wonderful people who have been through so much brought me both hope and joy.
On Election night our thinplace house church met and shared communion together. We shared poems, scripture and songs that are bringing us peace and hope right now. We have people who vote differently but we are able to love each other deeply. We prayed Psalm 146 together and listened to (lectio diva) Mark 12:28-34 . Take some time to read through the passages and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
Psalm 146
146:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
146:4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
146:5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
146:7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
146:8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
146:9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
146:10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
MARK 12: 28-34 ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
MARK 12: 28-34 FIRST NATIONS TRANSLATION
28One of the scroll keepers overheard Creator Sets Free (Jesus) opposing the Upright Ones. When he heard the good answer he had given, he asked him, “Which instruction in our tribal law stands first?”
29“The first and greatest instruction is this,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered. “‘Hear me, O tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), there is only one Great Spirit and Maker of us all. 30You must love the Great Spirit with your whole being—with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart.’
31“The second instruction is like the first,” he added. “You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves. There is no other instruction greater than these.”
32“Wisdomkeeper,” said the scroll keeper with a smile, “you have answered well and spoken the truth, for the Great Spirit is One and there is none other except him. 33To love him with your whole being—with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart, and to love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves—is far greater than all ceremonies and offerings we make to the Great Spirit.”
34When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) heard the scroll keeper’s wise answer, he said, “You are not far from Creator’s good road.”
After that, no one dared to ask him any other questions.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
What are you feeling today? Talk to Jesus about where you are. There are no wrong answers or emotions.
Consider you neighborhood, work, school, etc. Do these places change according to who won the election? Why or why not?
What about the people in your neighborhood, work etc? Do you change how you love them according to who won the election?
Sit with the Gospel and the Psalm and the other scriptures that have been shared and let Jesus speak to you. What do you notice? What does the Holy Spirit Highlight for you?
A Prayer of Confession. From The Book of Common Prayer, Seabury Press, 1979
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
How can you get to know your neighbors? Who might need some cookies to brighten their day? How can you practice loving God and Loving your neighbors …even the ones who don’t look or think like you in the days ahead?
PRAY FOR AMERICA
We are in need of healing as a Nation.
Our country is divided and there is much pain & fear.
There is much anger and hostility.
And too much Us vs Them.
There are layers of brokenness and systems of evil and oppression that have deep roots.
How do we bring the Love of Jesus into all of this?
How can we be people who bring HEALING, who bring LOVE ? As Followers, Disciples of Jesus, who are about BLESSING how do we bring HOPE to our neighbors and our neighborhoods?
ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU
Hear this Benediction and Prayer of Protection for your spirit , for you to hold above all things your identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Rev Jes Kast
When others hate, may you love.
When others curse, may you bless.
When others hurt, may you heal.
When others divide, may you unite,
When others rage, may you calm.
When others deny, may you affirm.
You are a servant of the Light
You need not to be afraid of the darkness.
God strengthen you to carry on with your work and faithfully live who you are in Christ:
Love for the stranger, Love for enemy, Love for neighbor. AMEN
Based on a prayer by Steven Charleston, Native American Theologian and former Episcopal Bishop of Alaska
Seek joy in God and peace within; seek to rest in the good, the true, and the beautiful. It’s the only resting place that also allows us to hear and bear the darkness. RICHARD ROHR
What a day November 5th was.
In Australia it was Melbourne Cup Day. This is an annual course race held in Melbourne, on the first Tuesday of November and is known as “the race that stops the nation”. It has been run every year since 1861 except during WW I & II and has been a public holiday in much of Victoria since 1876. And it really does stop the nation, and much of New Zealand as well. I remember as a high school student how the teachers would mysteriously disappear at 3 pm, leaving us students to listen on our own radios to what was happening. And everyone gambled on the race. Even my mother, a teacher, who would never think of gambling always entered the school sweepstakes and inevitably won the prize. This year, one of my brothers entered in memory of my mother, and laughingly bet on Knight’s Choice at 100 to 1. True to form, Mum won with one of the biggest upsets in the race’s history.
Why am I telling this story? Well as all of you know, here in the U.S. November 5th is election day, and even though I do not know the results at the time I am writing this, I do know that whoever wins, it will be a huge upset to many. It will certainly go down in history as one of the most divisive and chaotic campaigns ever and whatever the outcome my prayer is that love will win over hate and peace over violence and that in spite of our disagreements we will reach for reconciliation and unity rather than division and disunity.
This week has been a rather disorienting one for me as I flew home to Seattle from Australia on Friday and still feel as though I am halfway across the Pacific. It was a wonderful trip, and part of what is helping me to adjust is wandering round the neighbourhood and my garden soaking in the beauty of autumn with the brilliantly coloured leaves still hanging on to the trees. In Meditation Monday – Jet Lagged, I talked about this and about the contrast between the season I entered in Australia and the season I returned to in Seattle. An amazing gift God gave us, this ability to adapt to such changes.
Friday, in my Substack Spiritual Practice post, I focused not on the usual All Saints Day, Halloween or Day of the Dead, but on Looking for Circles Day. And I didn’t have to look further than my fingerprints for my inspiration. I hope that you too will use this post to inspire you to both examine and reflect on your fingerprints and the wonder of this unique gift God gives to each of us.
My next big news is that it is time to get ready for Advent, at least for Celtic Advent. If you have not yet purchased your copy of Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path, now is a good time to do so. I am delighted to see how many plan to use this as a group study book for the season. People as far away as Bangkok, London and Sydney will gather on zoom or in person to reflect on the daily readings and its impact on their lives. I too plan to contribute additional thoughts, ideas and activities for the season. I hope that you will join this celebration and let us know what you plan and how you will use Celtic Advent.
In conjunction with the launch of my book, as you know, I have been conducting a series on Celtic Christian Spirituality on my podcast Liturgical Rebels. Today, we publish the last in this series, an interview with David Cole or Brother Cassian Cole who was one of my inspirations for joining the Celtic way of Advent. David is the Founder and executive director of Waymark Ministries and an international spiritual teacher and retreat leader. He is the author of 8 books including Celtic Advent. He is a certified Reiki practitioner with a Masters’ degree in ‘Christian Spirituality’, specialising in the Christian mystics. He wrote his thesis on how historic Celtic Christianity can inform New Monastic ideas of Discipleship.
You might have noticed that traffic on godspacelight has ground to a halt. Lilly Lewin was unable to post her Freerange Friday and in my jet lagged state I forgot to post as well. However there are a number of resources available on Godspacelight that you might like to check out. Last week I highlighted the Advent in A Jar resource, but there are a couple of other free downloads you might like to check out – Colour Your Way Through Advent and Christmas and Waiting – A Collection of Poems by Jeannie Kendall. We are rapidly approaching the end of the liturgical year too and the last Sunday of the year (November 24th this year) is Christ the King Sunday. And for those who are skeptical about this celebration, let me assure you that the resources I tend to favour are a little out of the ordinary. As I say: Jesus knew the popular images of kings and lords and redefined them. In God’s resurrection world, in order to be a ruler of all, Jesus must become a servant of all. Jesus demonstrated this servanthood in his life and miracles. Even the Incarnation is an example of this: God the Son, King of all creation, humbled himself to become human, even sharing the ultimate fate of his captive subjects: death.
Many blessings on all of you in this trying season. Let me end with a prayer that is based on a prayer by Steven Charleston, Native American Theological and former Episcopal Bishop of Alaska.
When others hate, may you love,
When others curse, may you bless.
When others hurt, may you heal.
When others divide, may you unite.
When others rage, may you calm.
When others deny, may you affirm.
You are a servant of the light.
You need not be afraid of the darkness.
God strengthen you to carry on with your work
And faithfully live who you are in Christ:
Love for stranger, love for enemy, love for neighbour.
Amen
Many blessings
Christine Sine
As an Amazon Associate I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links. Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way.
In this conversation, David Cassian shares his journey into Celtic spirituality, detailing his early experiences and the accidental yet transformative encounters that shaped his spiritual path. He discusses the founding of Waymark Ministries, which focuses on sharing insights from Celtic Christianity and mysticism. The conversation also delves into the significance of Celtic Advent, its unique structure which includes three sets of 40 days, and the reception of Cassian’s book on the subject. Additionally, the role of women in Celtic leadership is highlighted, along with practical advice for celebrating Celtic Advent amidst the busyness of the season.
David Cassian Cole is the Founder and Executive Director of Waymark Ministries; he is an international Spiritual Teacher and Retreat Leader; he has lectured in Christian & Bible Colleges; has appeared in numerous television programs; is an award winning author of 8 books, including ‘Celtic Advent’, as well as being part of collaborative published writings; and was Deputy Guardian of The Community of Aidan & Hilda, a Celtic-inspired New Monastic Order that he was a member of for 20 years.
He has been a full time Church Minister and Teaching Pastor in different churches and is qualified in ‘Spiritual Care’ (holistic care and pastoral counselling); as well as being a certified Reiki practitioner; he holds a Masters’ degree in ‘Christian Spirituality’, specializing in the Christian mystics, and writing his thesis on how historic Celtic Christianity can inform New Monastic ideas of Discipleship.
More about David Cassian’s work can be found at Waymark Ministries
In this conversation, Christine Sine interviews Mary Fleeson, an artist inspired by Celtic spirituality and the natural beauty of Lindisfarne. Mary shares her artistic journey, the influence of ancient manuscripts, and how her faith shapes her work. The discussion also explores the meditative process of creating art, the evolution of materials used in her craft, and the inspiration she draws from music and nature. Mary highlights her current projects and aspirations, emphasizing the importance of making art accessible and meaningful.
Mary Fleeson has lived on Holy Island, just off the coast of Northumberland, UK since 1997. She studied textiles at college then gained an honours degree in Three-Dimensional Design in 1992. About her work Mary thinks that her style originates from doodling in lessons at school (!) combined with opportunities during her education to experiment with many different types of media and techniques.
Together with her Christian faith, living on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and being surrounded by its natural beauty and visible history, is the greatest inspiration for Mary’s work; a feeling of being part of a rich cycle of life which began in pre-history and encompasses extremes of peace and violence, poverty and prosperity. She also studies early manuscripts and ancient calligraphy from around the world to gain an insight into how calligraphy and illumination have enhanced works, both religious and secular, throughout the ages.
Over the last 25 years Mary has created over 120 pieces of artwork that sell as prints and greeting cards and has written and designed over 75 books including devotional, prayer, poetry and colouring books. Alongside creating illuminated art and writing Mary creates meditational weaving made from found scraps and yarn and enjoys teaching people how to create celtic knots.
Mary Fleeson and her work can be found on the Lindisfarne Scriptorium facebook page and website.
Another wonderful week to soak up the beauty of my favourite world city. I have delighted in ferry trips on the harbour, watched whales breaching off the coast, been awakened by the kookaburras, and drunk in the wonder of the Australian bush with its blue gums, Waratahs and banksias. It has been a special time of visits with friends and family gatherings laughing and crying together as we mourned my brother Nick.
It is hard to believe that my time in Australia is almost over and on Friday I will wing my way back to Seattle. I am longing to see Tom again, but am not looking forward to the cold and rainy weather or to the last days of hype before the American elections. There is much to ponder as I travel. As usual when homeward bound, I will journal about my trip and seek to discern lessons that God wants to teach me through it. I took a lot of photos, and looking back over them as I fly is a great way to not just remind myself of all I experienced but also to stir reflection, insight and connection to God’s presence within my trip.
My Meditation Monday – The Circle of Seasons is an indication of some of the direction my thoughts are taking. As I pause after the completion of Celtic Advent – Following An Unfamiliar Path. I am not just pondering what the next project might be but also what new practices might help me continue to move towards a faith that is intertwined with every aspect of life. The place I like to start, as I discussed in my post is with the liturgical calendar and the insights it brings to my faith. I hope you enjoy the links to resources and books that I provided in the post. My apologies to those of you who usually access this through godspacelight.com. Because of my travels I did not have time to publish it on the blog.
Lilly Lewin with her Freerange Friday: Jesus Heals the Blind Man did not disappoint. However, like her, I want to choose to follow Jesus on the pilgrimage of love. You might also like to check out her Freerange Friday: Halloween Candy Prayers in which she gives some wonderful examples of ways to pray using Halloween candy and its wrappers.
In the midst of the challenging season we face, I find myself reaching for prayers and psalms to strengthen me. This week it was Psalm 86. I read it over several times today, relishing the words written millennia ago. They remind me of the constancy of our God and as often happens, today too, out of a time of deep prayer and reflection God spoke to me.
First I was reminded of the image above – a powerful image from one of the Wild Goose Festivals I attended many years ago.
Then as I reflected on the image, my words too were crafted into prayer and praise.
God almighty, creator of the universe
Holy and righteous One, loving and caring One
Into your hands I commit my life.
My body, my soul and my spirit belong to you.
Guide me to the wholeness hidden deep within,
The light in dark and broken places
That flickers and shines with hope and promise of renewal.
God ever present, Architect of all that is, all that was and all that will be,
Faithful and true One, gracious and merciful One,
Weave the wonder of your love
Into the tapestry of my life.
I will stir the dawn with praise and thanksgiving.
I will brighten the day with joyful shouts.
I will delight in your eternal presence.
Your greatness is beyond compare.
Your truth is a canopy in the heavens.
Your mercy stands firm around the earth.
Holy One, Sacred Three,
Your glory fills the universe,
I give myself to you.
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Christine Sine
Substack: Walking In Wonder
Author of The Gift of Wonder: Creative Practices for Delighting In God
Host of The Liturgical Rebels Podcast
Yesterday I had a wonderful conversation with my friend Jamie Noyd. She leads pilgrimages for faculty members who are a part of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and is on IVCF staff. We first met during my years in Cincinnati and last fall, Jamie was a part of our Finding Your Thinplace Pilgrimage to Scotland.
She shared with me this amazing Pilgrim Credo by Father Murray Bodo.
I am not in control.
I am not in a hurry.
I walk in faith and hope.
I greet everyone with peace.
I bring back only what God gives me.
I really need this Credo right now! I need to be reminded that God is in control of all this messy world. I need the reminder to be a person of peace rather than a person of fear or anger. So much in our world is out to divide us and so much of the news is horrific these days with war, genocide, hunger and flooding.
We need the reminder that we walk in faith and hope and God is holding us in God’s great love!
Today I am sitting with this Credo and plan to use it daily going forward this month!
Talking about Pilgrimage always gets me excited. I want to live a pilgrim life not just go on pilgrimages. As a pilgrim, I ask,
What is the Gift God has for me today?
What is God’s invitation?
How does God want to surprise me with God’s love?
As a pilgrim, I also choose to pay attention to the little things that God might use along my way to remind me of God’s love!
This leads me to the Gospel passage for this Sunday.
It’s a familiar story about Blind Bartimaeus.
MARK 10: 46-52 NIV
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road
Mark 10:46-52 The Message
46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
49-50 Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”
They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”
In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.
What do you notice? What does the Holy Spirit highlight for you?
What if Bartimaeus hadn’t paid attention to who was walking by?
What if he’d chosen not to speak up?
What if he’d given up when the crowd said to be quiet?
He’d have missed the miracle.
Jesus healing blind man by Duccio
If Jesus asked you today, “What do you want from me?” What would you say? Have you thought about it?
How are you feeling blind? Where do you notice blindness in others?
Imagine the first thing you see when your eyes are healed is the face of Jesus. What would that be like?
After he was healed, Bartimaeus doesn’t go back and sit by the road again, he doesn’t go back home. Instead, he follows Jesus on the way…and since he is named, he may have become one of the regular disciples….(In Luke’s gospel there are two blind men, but only one asks for healing! Luke 18:35–43)
How do you want to follow Jesus down the road in the weeks ahead?
Bartimaeus didn’t quit even in the face of people trying to make him stay quiet. We need to remember that God is listening to us and hears our cries even when others try to shut us down.
“When I cry to God in my weakness, God has to come to me. Don’t come to God with your strength. Come to God with your weakness” Richard Rohr
How do you feel about this?
After Jesus heals him, Bartimaeus doesn’t get to be a beggar anymore.
He is forever changed.
He no longer has excuses
He has to choose to be different….He chose to follow Jesus on the pilgrimage of love.
READ the poem by Drew Jackson and notice what speaks to you.
What Do You Want Me to Do for You? (Luke 18:35-43)
By Drew Jackson found in Touch the Heart Poems on the Way
And that is the question.
The quest of life—
Restless searching for this answer.
I want cancer gone
So that it does not steal my mother.
Cancer stole my mother.
What do I want other than her return?
I will return to the question at hand. I will come bak to my restless heart.
I want hearts to grow warm,
Slowly, like my hands after
A cold night walking through my city.
My city, I want it free
Of bodies warming on sidewalk grates/
Or is this what I’m supposed to say?
I want to know
What my heart wants.
WATCH:
Jesus heals Bartimaeus in the Jesus Film
I want to be like Bartimaeus! I want to choose to be different! I don’t want to go sit down again and wallow in fear or self doubt. I don’t want to get caught up in comparison or in criticism. I want to be healed from the US vs THEM mentality of our culture.
Like Bartimaeus, I want to look Jesus in his face, see how much He loves me and choose to be different!
I want to choose to follow Jesus on the pilgrimage of love.
Join me on Finding Your Thinplace Pilgrimage Retreat, Sept 1-9, 2025. We will stay at the St Columba Hotel on Iona and discover our thinplace in a thinplace! Only 8 spots left! Learn more here!
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
by Christine Sine
On November 1, we celebrate All Saints Day and I thought that I would repost some of the suggestions from past years for you to enjoy. I know I need to revisit this post every year to get ideas for what I want to do, so thought you would appreciate this refresher as well. This year my thoughts are focused on my brother Nick, whose life I am celebrating as I join with the rest of my family in Australia. Sharing photos, memories and laughter is a great way to remember someone who was always very special to me.
Here are some suggestions on how to celebrate:
Remembering those who impact our lives, those who have gone before, and those who are still with us is an important part of our faith. The Episcopal Church website explains:
We step aside from the flow of the propers and celebrate all the saints. We stop. We notice, We are surrounded by a flock of witnesses in our midst – many who have gone before us, some we are just now releasing, and still more with a full life ahead of them.
Renew Your Baptismal Vows
I love the Anglican tradition of renewing our baptismal vows on this day. Reminding ourselves of the journey we have taken personally is a good place to start in remembering the saints of God. In this tradition, all baptized Christians, living and dead known and unknown are considered saints of God. This means everyone including ourselves.
So as you get ready for All Saints Day, think about your own faith journey. Remember the faithfulness of God in your past. Notice the movement of God in the present. Think about your hopes and dreams for the future. Get ready to celebrate all that you are as a saint of God.
But don’t stop there. This is a special day for celebrating. Here are some suggestions:
Write Icons
Plan a special “remembering” table
This is a great idea to set up in the nave, though you could also do this as a family celebration.. Have congregants or family members bring photos or small memorabilia of dear ones who have gone before us and place them on the table. During the worship on All Saint’s Day, or during a family meal on that day, hold a special blessing of the photos and memories. Saint Andrews Episcopal in Seattle provides white ribbons for people to write the names of their departed loved ones on. These are wound around the communion rail and hung around the church for the season after All Saints Day.
Hold an All Saints’ Day party
A great alternative to Halloween. Get everyone to dress as their favourite saint, or to bring a picture of this saint. During the festivities, get everyone to share a story about their saint and the impact he or she has had on their lives. Or you might like to get participants to guess who each person represents.
Plan a family heritage party.
Invite people to do some work beforehand researching their family history and particularly the Christian saints who were a part of it. Ask them to bring photos and stories to share. Finish with a time of prayer for all those that have gone before us.
- Also, a lovely idea for gathering together online and connecting with others in a deeper way for this holiday.
Several years ago, when my youngest brother went to Greece, where my father comes from, he found out that it is possible that our family name, Aroney, comes from the name Aaron and that our family probably originated in Jerusalem many centuries ago. It is probable that one of the reasons they began the journey out of Jerusalem first to Constantinople, then to Rhodes and finally to the tiny island of Kithera, at the bottom of the Peloponnese mountains, is because they became Christians. There are a number of Greek orthodox priests in my father’s family history and my Aunt Mary was a very devout Greek Orthodox Christian. nI know less about my mother’s family history but would love to find out where her family has had profound encounters with God too.
Plan an All Saints Day pilgrimage.
Again this might require some before time research. Explore the Christian heritage of your community. Where did the first Christians come from? How did they interact with the native peoples? Where was the first church established? Who were some of the early Christians who impacted your community. Plan a pilgrimage walk to the site of the first Christian community and, if possible, have a time of prayer and possibly even a eucharistic celebration to remember those who have gone before.
This Taize service from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church may also inspire some ideas for celebrating or just allow you to contemplate the celebration of this day.
As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links.
Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way.
When referencing or quoting Godspace Light, please be sure to include the Author (Christine Sine unless otherwise noted), the Title of the article or resource, the Source link where appropriate, and ©Godspacelight.com. Thank you!