The Gare-St-Lazare, Claude Monet 1877

We’re forever moving on, growing up and moving out of the house, getting new jobs, moving out of town, retiring, moving to assisted living residences. On and on we go, saying goodbye.The river of time flows on with all of us, and all living things, in its current. It carries us all away. Our Christian faith claims that the river of time–known or experienced by every living thing–has another name. It is the river of God. When we are baptized we are immersed in the river of God. For Christians, the river of time is the river of God. (There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitations of the most high. Psalm 46:4). The passing of time is a gift of grace. We sail through time to the great “city” of God. Time is not our enemy. Time is a gift of creation and a blessing. Every moment of time, even the last one, is a gift.

All Saints Sunday is next, the commemoration of all who have traveled on the river of God, as we do now. We remember especially the people who have loved us and whom we loved. I send this note to you a little early because I hope you will make plans to be here for All Saints Sunday. The center of the service will be the order of Remembrance of Those who Have Died. I will invite several of you to read a scripture passage which will be followed by a round of a Taize hymn. During the readings and the singing you will be invited to come forward and place a flower (a symbol of life and of blessing) on the water of the font, in memory of a loved one.

Following the service and a coffee hour, I invite you to come outdoors with me to rededicate our memorial garden. There, with our feet on the blessed soil, we will say a word of thanks to God the creator of earth and heaven, for the earth which takes us in when we return to dust.

Thanks to all of you for taking part in the Family Promise host weeks, going on now in our church. The coordinators are doing a great job making sure everything runs smoothly.

The council meets Monday at 7 pm for its November meeting. The main item on the agenda will be the budget for the coming year.  Note that this is one week earlier than our usual meeting date.