Wednesday, November 1, is All Saints Day in the Church Calendar. It is a day when we remember those faithful followers of Jesus—everyday ordinary saints—known and unknown, who are no longer with us.
This seems especially relevant this year. We here at ECC have said goodbye to quite a few saints over the past year—more than any other single year in my sixteen plus years here. That grief weighs on us as individuals, families, and loved ones of those who have passed. And it weighs on us collectively, too.
One of the prayers I pray at memorial services is that those who grieve will grieve well, and that, in time, God will "Lift heavy sorrow, and give us good hope in Jesus, so we may bravely walk our earthly way and look forward to glad heavenly reunion..."
With all of this in mind, I invite you to read the article linked below on the grief that is common to us all, our call to remember and celebrate the lives of the saints who have gone before us, and the hope we all have in the coming New Heavens and New Earth .
~ Pastor Stacey Littlefield