Church news - November

With the end of October, we come to the rich and marvelous times of remembering and being thankful in our cultures on Turtle Island/North America – the Day of the Dead is part of an Aztec custom combining with All Souls Day – when ancestors are celebrated, reflected in our own Halloween. In Christian churches, on All Saints Day (Sunday, November 5), we often light candles remembering those most recently passed over and read the roll call of those lost to our community this past year. For some, cemetaries are visited, gravesites tidied up and time is spent with the spirits of our ancestors – a time when the distance between the living and the dead is said to be thinner and easier to communicate across. It is rich time, deeply felt for the experiences of these relations. 

This is followed by our veterans and remembrance days when we remember our warriors who have served our nations, give thanks and honor their service which makes our freedom possible. At Trinity on Sunday, November 12 we will sit in a different kind of quiet during our reflection time – a sound bath by Bryan Langsdale and Megan Kennedy playing the digeridoo and a drum as a healing meditation, for us, our ancestors and in honor of those who serve – often at a great cost.

Our mid month service will continue as we enter the week of U.S. Thanksgiving – that special time of year to opening our hearts and make ready for the sacred weeks of light. In some religions it is a time called the festival of light, the feast of lights, when in our world’s cultures and spiritual practices we acknowledge Light will always overcome the darkness and when the darkness provides us the marvel of night skies shining with the light of stars and times of celebration as families, as groups and as people of shared values.

Late November in our Christian churches, we come to the end of the liturgical year, as do other spiritual paths. As Christians, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday when Christ, the son of man comes in his glory. Christ for Christians is Jesus. In esoteric practices, the “Christ” is more widely interpreted as the head of Earth’s spiritual hierarchy and is expected as the Messiah, the Iman Madhi, Kristna and by other names. The time of his coming, his return or emergence no one knows but the great expectation is one of hope for a teacher of teachers. The rousing words of Handle’s Hallelujah Chorus come to mind, “the king of kings, lord of lords will reign forever and ever – words soon to be sung all over the land.”

In December, we begin again – a new liturgical year of studying, reading, pondering the ways and works that make us better, more complete as human beings – more compassionate, wise, tolerant, tactful. We invite you to join us and to find your own path to celebrate our community’s diversity of beliefs and shared hopes.