All Souls. Patio Blessing. Commitment Sunday.
For over a thousand years Christians in the West have celebrated the Feast of All Saints on the first of November. This day, the emphasis is celebrating those people both well known as well as those known primarily to God, who lived lives worthy of emulation. The Feast of All Souls, or the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, came to be celebrated the very next day, November 2nd, and its focus was a day of prayer and remembrance for all those who have died in Christ.
This year I am pleased to say that we will be celebrating both of these great feasts, although not on their traditional days. In fact, we’ll be celebrating them both on the same day, Sunday November 3rd. In the morning (at our usual service times) we’ll celebrate All Saints and in the afternoon at 4:00 PM we’ll celebrate All Souls.
I know coming to Church twice in one day is a bit of an ask, but I hope that you’ll join us for both. With All Saints the mood is more celebratory and giving thanks to God for those bold witnesses who have gone before us, and we pray for the grace to follow after their example. At the All Souls service the mood will be tempered a bit. It will be a bit more somber and reflective, allowing room for the natural sadness and grief that come with remembering those loved ones in our lives who have died.
In the past, I believe the All Souls service at St. David’s has been primarily focused on those who lost a loved one in the past year. And while those who have are most certainly welcome and encouraged to come, this service is by no means only for them. We’ve all lost friends and family, and even if it happened a long time ago, it is most appropriate to spend some time thinking about them and praying for them. And that is exactly why the Church has this yearly feast of All Souls, to provide us all with that opportunity.
Following the 4:00 PM Requiem Eucharist on November 3rd, there will be a reception in the Undercroft. All are welcome. If you plan to be there, please RSVP to the Office so that we can make arrangements.
Finally, I hope that you’ll join us this Saturday 10/26 anytime from 4:00-6:00 PM. The for a Patio Blessing and BYO Pumpkin Carving/S’mores Party. All are welcome to help bless the brand new back yard patio at the Rectory (1105 Shermer Rd.) with your presence.
Peace,
Fr Adler+
p.s. One last reminder that this Sunday, 10/27, is Commitment Sunday. You've already received a number of messages, encouraging you to prayerfully consider your financial commitment to the church as a percentage of your income. If you haven't had a chance to read those messages, I hope you'll take a moment to do so, and to prayerfully discern how God is calling you to support St. David’s ministry for the coming year. Pledge Cards will be in the bulletin on Sunday morning, but if you’d like to pick one up early they are available in the Office.
“Dominion” Extra Credit
Last week’s chapter took us from the persecution of Christians in Lyon in the mid-late 100s, where we encountered the slave girl Blandina who courageously faced the lions in the arena, and we made our way all the way up to the legalization of Christianity in 314 and concluded with the Council of Nicaea in 325. Here is a video that nicely sums up the controversy discussed at Nicaea, which wasn’t really covered too much in the book.
The Council of Nicaea in 5 Minutes:
https://youtu.be/urmxOSO1eF8?si=ip-rkQwdqkP6V8Nu
Here are the links to view recordings of the Sunday morning class:
9/29 - Ch. 1: Athens
10/6 - Ch. 2: Jerusalem
10/13 - Ch. 3: Mission
10/20 - Ch. 4: Belief