Fall Messenger, 2015

the messenger

ON THE COVER

Read about The Rev. Gary Eichelberger’s first experience with Presiding Bishop Elect Michael Curry.

ALSO INSIDE

The Rev. Becca Stevens is coming to Christ Church in October. Learn more about her visit!

FALL 2015

A Comfortable Place

CHRIST CHURCH EPISCOPAL CLERGY

The Rev. Harrison McLeod Rector

The Rev. Robert Chiles Associate for Pastoral Care

The Rev. Gary Eichelberger Associate for Faith Development

& Worship

The Rev. Jeffrey Meadowcroft Assistant Priest

The Rt. Rev. Donald HultstrandBishop-in-Residence

The Rev. David JacksonSenior Chaplain of CCES

The Rev. Peggy MuncieExecutive Director of Canterbury

Counseling Center

Known as the “Parish in the Heart of the City,” Christ Church Episcopal is blessed by the beauty of its physical surroundings, which have been preserved and expanded by the energy and vision of its faithful stewards, both past and present. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to be A Joyful Community Sharing Life in Jesus Christ.

Christ Church is home to a diverse group of parishioners, composed of individuals who live in Greenville proper as well as various communities in and around the Upstate. We are a house of worship, prayer, education and care for all people, both in our parish and within our community, and offer a place for everyone. We hope you will join us.

The Messenger is a quarterly publication of Christ Church Episcopal. All articles are written by Christ Church parishioners and friends.

1 | The Messenger Christ Church Episcopal | 2

This past summer, our parish had a wonderful Sunday worship experience in Falls Park. The setting was beautiful (even if it was the hottest day of the summer), the community was joyful and the biscuits were delicious. There was one particular image that I will carry with me forever. As the sun began to beat down on the crowd, everyone naturally began to seek the shade. There were great open spaces before the stage where the altar had been set up and up the hill where the trees opened around the grass. It only took minutes for parishioners to figure out that the shade was where one wanted to be during the service and the few shady areas were packed. As the sun moved overhead, parishioners began to shift their spaces to remain in the shade creating a constantly shifting congregation.

As I have reflected on our Fellowship at the Falls experience, I have begun to think of it as an apt metaphor for our life in Christ. We all moved to find a place of peace and respite and ease within the context of the worship service.

That movement, or our desire to seek out a comfortable place, is exactly what happens on any given Sunday here during worship. We have come to the church for a variety of reasons, but what we are offered is a place of respite and refreshment and peace. We enter more fully into the life of the community and life in the Risen Christ. How natural it is to seek out this comfortable place amidst the busyness and stress of the day.

Jesus offers the comfortable words: “come to me all ye that travail and are heavy ladened and I will refresh you,” so it is natural that we would seek out that comfort and peace. It is natural that we would move to the place where we have the best opportunity to experience his presence in our own lives. Just as we sought out the shade during the Fellowship at the Falls service, we seek out that comfort on any given Sunday here at Church.

I pray that as we continue to gather for worship, Sunday School, Bible study and Forks & Fellowship, we will find companions seeking out the comfort of life in Christ shared with brothers and sisters in the faith.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Harrison McLeod, Rector Cover Photo by Davey Morgan Photography


On October 1, we have the opportunity to spend the day with The Rev. Becca Stevens. Becca is an Episcopal priest and the chaplain at Vanderbilt University’s St. Augustine’s Chapel and the founder of Thistle Farms-Magdalene, a community of women who survived prostitution, trafficking and addiction. She is a prolific writer, a well-known speaker and a respected leader in the Episcopal church. We will be blessed to have her among us for two events sponsored by the Episcopal Church Women (ECW).

Mind, Body and Tea: A Tea and Justice Party12 noon in the All Saints Center

Come and have lunch and tea while enjoying a talk from Becca. Her book, The Way of Tea and Justice: Rescuing the World’s Favorite Beverage from its Violent Past, is the basis for this presentation. Drawing from her 20 years as the founder of Thistle Farms-Magdalene, Becca offers insight into the roots of oppression and how we can help heal this deep brokenness.

Tea, the most widely consumed beverage after water, is connected to justice, revolution and ritual. Through reclaiming rituals and traditions of tea, we cultivate a contemplative heart and journey to the mountaintop where we feel the power of love to change the world. This workshop will offer participants an opportunity to explore how our mindful consumption of tea helps usher in the growing movement of women’s freedom and our own spiritual life.

Cultivating Our FaithWine and Cheese Social: 5:00 - 6:30 PM

Talk: 6:30 - 7:30 PMAll Saints Center

Come hear Becca Stevens talk about practicing faith as a Thistle Farmer. Considered a weed, thistles have a deep tap root that can shoot through thick concrete and survive drought. And in spite of a

thistle’s prickly appearance, its soft purple center makes it a mysterious and gorgeous flower. Being a thistle farmer means the world is our farm and there is no part of creation that must be forgotten or condemned.

When we grow thistles, we face discouragement, hard work and overwhelming obstacles, but we still must water and weed. Our job as practitioners of faith is to find the beauty in the fields, to celebrate the harvest and to care for the troubled weeds of this world.

Becca will help us learn how to live our truth that dwells closest to our heart so that we may live and speak more clearly and simply. This allows us to be powerful evangelists, humble farmers and faithful Christians.

Becca Stevens’ books as well as Thistle Farms natural body care products and candles will be for sale in the Christ Church bookstore and after each session on October 1.

The Rev. Becca Stevens is the most inspiring, respected, dynamic, and Holy Spirit driven preacher. When Rev. Stevens preaches, she

combines her life’s experiences and her knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and she allows the Holy Spirit to steer her message, thus you hear an unforgettable message.

She is the epitome of a great preacher who is able to deliver a sermon that makes you

believe, listen intently, and leave with hope, love, joy, etc. The ministry that she created has transformed people’s lives. It is the only

ministry that I have seen in the Christian community that undeniably makes one know

what is truly possible through God’s love. I thank God for her. - Norma Givens


On a bright, beautiful Thursday afternoon in April, we, along with several other Christ Church volunteers, held aloft a banner welcoming nine middle and high school students and the support staff from the Sterling Torch Program outside Barnes & Noble on Haywood Road. This book buying field trip, made possible through parishioner donations to the Angel Tree* program during the Advent season, was the final one of three separate field trips for the Torch Program students, including a Kindergarten - 2nd grade group and a 3rd - 5th grade group.

We cheered the students as they departed the bus. Upon entering the store, a Barnes & Noble employee greeted the students and gave them a brief overview of the different sections and categories of subjects available for selection based on their personal interests and certain guidelines.

The students were allowed to choose any book with significant text deemed appropriate for their ages. Comic books or graphic novels containing a significant amount of text, as well as pictures, were allowed. Maya Angelou said, “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

It was a joyful and rewarding experience to watch these students making and sharing their selections with each other. A young man interested in learning to cook was encouraged to buy cookbooks that inspired him.

The $20 allocation per student was augmented by Barnes & Noble’s 20% educator’s discount for each student’s selection. The students’ smiles and expressions of gratitude confirmed the blessing of “Faith in Action” for both the giver and the receiver.

*Our Angel Tree donations are combined with those from Fourth Presbyterian Church, with whom we have formed a partnership of Churches for Sterling. The Angel Tree Program provides a way for us to share the love of Christ with others during the Advent season.

The $2,977 in donations raised last year have been used toward the book buying trip to Barnes & Noble and a summer rafting adventure at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

We welcome you to participate in Angel Tree this year through a monetary donation ($20 suggested). You may also contribute the gift of your time as a tutor in the Sterling Torch Program.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

simple giftBIG IMPACT

By Claire Blake and Christine Lyles

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?I wanted to be a first grade teacher. I truly loved my first grade teacher and wanted to be just like her.

What makes you laugh?I love to laugh! My husband, our son, and children keep me in stitches.

If you could invite five people, living or dead, to dinner, who would you invite?Tom Patrick (my dad), Claude Monet, Julia Child, Loris Malaguzzi (he developed the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education) and Eric Carle (one of my favorite children’s book author). All of these people have influenced me somehow and I would love to have dinner with them.

What is your vision for Children’s Ministries at Christ Church?To help children and their families grow closer to each other through God’s love and word.

What is your favorite food?Mexican food. I love salsa and guacamole.

What type of music do you most enjoy?I grew up listening mainly to classical music with my parents. I still listen to classical music, but enjoy listening to a variety including 80s, country and pop.

What is your idea of a dream vacation?Going to Italy or Ireland with my husband, Derek.

What is your favorite verse of the Bible?John 3:16 (the first Bible verse I ever memorized as a child) and Philippians 4:13 What are your hobbies?I enjoy gardening, sewing and anything that involves art and crafts.

What one thing really makes your day?Hugs! I love giving hugs and receiving hugs. It reminds me of how lucky I am to be one of God’s children and hugs tend to bring smiles to ALL!


Hedrick LewisDirector of Children’s Ministries

10 Questionswith


I like seeing the big picture. I realized that while serving as an elementary school PTA president. Seeing the activities of the PTA come together under one umbrella was intriguing. Raising money through a school carnival, purchasing materials to enhance the classroom with those funds, providing volunteers to execute the new project, and then sharing news of our success with the parents was rewarding.

The same is true of my experience serving as a member of the Vestry, and is one of the reasons I have so enjoyed my tenure. In advance of our monthly meetings, Vestry members receive reports from all ministry areas. At our meetings, we hear budget updates. Our Rector provides updates as well, including those about what’s going on in the Diocese. We discuss issues that may be affecting our Parish. We see the

big picture.

I thought I knew a lot about our church before being elected to the Vestry – I’ve been involved in many different ministry areas – but seeing things from this “big picture” point of view has been enlightening.

What have I learned? A lot. Here are just a few things that stand out.

There’s a lot going on at Christ Church. We have programs I didn’t even know existed.

It takes a lot of resources and I need to do my part. We all know that the church allocates funds to outreach ministries, Christian education, salaries, Haiti, and more. But how often do we think about the power bill? Maintenance on the parking lot? Keeping the buildings

clean? Just like in our own household budgets, the church has to take care of the seemingly mundane. I have always made giving to the church a priority, but understanding the church budget has strengthened my desire to give and increased my understanding of the importance of an annual pledge.

We have an incredible staff. They are passionate about what they do, and we all benefit from that passion. The Vestry should represent everyone in the church – young and old, male and female. And the best way to make sure that happens is to vote. Vestry elections are coming up. Candidates will provide answers to some key questions. Take the time to read them. You’ll get to know fellow parishioners better, and you’ll be a more informed voter. And then, make sure to VOTE. It’s never been easier – you can vote online or at the church. I hope you’ll join me as we choose new Vestry members to lead us as we continue as a joyful community sharing life in Jesus Christ.

The BIG PictureBy Nancy Kennedy

2015 Christ Church Vestry

In November, we will elect four new Vestry members to fill the vacating spots of Ben Horne, Nancy Kennedy, Betty Teague and Charles Warne. Look for more information regarding Vestry elections in the mail and BE SURE TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER!


Sam ErwinSenior Warden

Bill HardawayJunior Warden & Human Resources

Nelson ArringtonStewardship

Dena BenedictPastoral Care

Tom CroftBuilding & Grounds:

Historic Church Building

Ben HorneAdult Faith

Development

Nancy Kennedy Parish Life

Wayne McDonaldFaith in Action

Bryant NixonCCEP & Capital

Campaign

Ben Norwood III Finance

Beth SmithFaith Development:

Children & Youth

Lizzy SterlingWorship

Betty TeagueCCES

Charles WarneBuildings & Grounds:

Campus

Chris KlasingAssistant Treasurer,

ex officio

Dan SeamanTreasurer, ex officio


Back in the summer of 2003, when I had just begun my career as a young lawyer, I had the opportunity to attend the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Minneapolis. I was invited as a member of the first class of a new mission initiative of the Episcopal Church – the Young Adult Service Corps, through which I served in Zimbabwe during 2000 and 2001.

Despite what those of you familiar with the history of recent General Conventions might think, my most powerful memory from that General Convention has nothing to do with controversy – instead my most powerful memory is of a sermon that I heard. It was there, in Minneapolis, that I first had the opportunity to hear Michael Curry preach. Thankfully, it was not the last.

At that time, Michael Curry was just three years into his tenure as the Bishop of the Diocese of North

Carolina. Unfortunately, though, for me at least, Bishop Curry had been elected Bishop of North Carolina one year after I had completed my graduate studies at Duke and moved away from North Carolina. As a result, I had no idea what I was missing until I was sitting in that large convention center ballroom over a thousand miles away from the Carolinas.

After Kacey and I moved back to North Carolina in 2006, I would have many more opportunities to hear Michael Curry preach. But, on that day, in 2003, I had no way of knowing that Bishop Curry would be my bishop some day, that he would eventually become a critical source of wisdom and prayer when I later entered into the process of discerning a call to ordained ministry, that he would, several years later, place his hands upon my brow and lead prayers for the Holy Spirit to make me a priest in God’s church, and that he would, several

months later, be elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. In hindsight, I can now name all of these as blessings.

Nonetheless, I will never forget the energy, spirit, and enthusiasm of that sermon back in the summer of 2003. It concluded with the following call to action:

Don’t be afraid of it. Don’t be ashamed of it. Don’t underestimate the power of God’s love lived out. This is the Gospel. This is the good news. Here is our greatest strength. Here we can find healing, courage and grace. Here we find life for us and for the world. So come to the mountain. Come to the mountain of God’s unchanging love. Come, there’s room for us all. And all means all.

And, then, Bishop Curry did what I have seen him do many times since: he launched into song. This time, he sang: “Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere. God tell it on the mountains that Jesus Christ is born!” And, as I have also seen many times since, a room full of enlivened Episcopalians joined right in.

my mountaintop introduction to

michael curry our next presiding bishop

The Right Reverend Michael Bruce Curry• BornMarch13,1953inChicagoandgrewupinBuffalo,NY

• Ordainedtothepriesthoodin1978atSt.Stephen'sEpiscopal Church in Winston-Salem, NC

• ServedasapriestatEpiscopalchurchesinNC,OH&MD

• Consecrated11thBishopoftheDioceseofNCin2000

• Electedtobethe27thPresidingBishopoftheEpiscopal Church at General Convention on June 27, 2015 (installation will take place on All Saints’ Day at the National Cathedral)

• Authoroftwobooks:Crazy Christians: A Call to Follow Jesus (2013) & Songs My Grandma Sang (2015)

• MarriedtoSharonClementCurryandhastwoadultdaughters, Rachel and Elizabeth

By The Rev. Gary Eichelberger


When an infant or young child is baptized at Christ Church, the parents and godparents make two key promises in the midst of our baptismal liturgy: to be responsible for seeing that the child they present is brought up in the Christian faith and life, and to help the child to grow into the full stature of Christ. Then the entire congregation – including the parents and godparents – pledges to support the child in their new life in Christ. The work that we do together in youth ministry – as parents, as youth, as families, as ministers – is a critical part of living into those promises.

I have been privileged to work with young people in many arenas – in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in church ministry. I love it and believe that it is one of God’s callings upon my life. My goal as the Director of High School Ministries at Christ Church is to assist parents and students in ways that will help them reach their full potential as children of God – to do and be all that God would desire of them.

In doing this work, I recognize that the process of raising up and equipping our youth with the skills necessary to follow Christ in the twenty-first century is not simple. Instead, like most things of value, it will be an ongoing process for them, for their parents, and for those of us who seek to provide leadership and guidance along the way.

That process involves passing on various forms of knowledge – biblical, spiritual, liturgical, social

and ethical – as well as the formation of Christian character through habits of discipleship. We build Christian character through habits of worship, prayer, study and service. And, with such character, Christian leaders are formed.

Paradoxically, the most fundamental trait of any Christian leader is the extent to which they are a follower of the greatest Leader of all – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thus, the most important task that parents of our youth have is to model Christian leadership by showing their children what it looks like to follow Christ. When parents embrace that role, they become a critical ingredient in the “good soil” that we are hoping will nourish the faith of the youth of this parish.

It is my hope that, through the work of our youth ministry as well as the work of the entire parish, Christ Church is equipping our youth with the skills to become fully engaged participants in the Body of Christ – as they seek to discern their particular gifts and calling within that Body. At the same time, we hope we are providing opportunities for our families – the youth, their parents, their younger siblings, and beyond – to grow in the knowledge and love of God together. To be together, to serve together, and to learn together in our joyful community.

I invite you to join us as we continue in this good and Godly labor.

By Kimberly Morgan

Christian Leadership Begins At HomeChristian Leadership Begins At Home


This year’s annual giving theme is “Let Your Light Shine.” We are reminded from an early age to let our light shine through songs that we learn as children. Our acolytes are trained to light the altar candles from the cross to symbolize that the light of Jesus shines out from the Cross. At our children’s baptism, we receive a candle that is a reminder that Christ is the light of the world. Christ Church is full of Christ-centered lights, like the Paschal Candle, Eucharistic candles on the altar, Advent wreath candles and the Presence Lamp.

The scripture from which we base our annual giving theme is Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.” Throughout the Bible, scripture is filled with references to light. These references are usually talking about God or faith such as:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

“For with you is the fountain of life, in your light do we see light.” Psalm 36:9

“I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

One of God’s first gifts of creation was light. We see the greatness of God’s glory daily in the sunrise and sunset. We tend to take for granted the light we use on a daily basis. When the power goes out, the first thing we look for is a light to brighten our path. Spiritually, we do the same. When we find ourselves in a dark place, we turn to Christ so that we do not walk in darkness.

At Christ Church, on a daily basis, each of us has the opportunity to both enjoy and spread God’s light by participating in Bible study, teaching Sunday School, working with our outreach ministries or just attending Sunday service. As we embark on a new season of annual giving, we ask for your pledge to Christ Church, so that we can continue to support each other in spreading Christ’s light for years to come through programs, clergy, staff, outreach and facilities. This fall, you will be hearing more about our goals and plans for 2016. Please prayerfully consider offering your treasure – your light – with a pledge of financial support to the 2016 annual giving campaign.

This little light of mine...

I’m gonna let it SHINE!By Betsy and Jim Baumgardner


Marguerite Taylor Ramage by Mr. & Mrs. Rolfe E. Hughes III, Cassandra & Gordon Bray, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Croft, Mrs. Jane W. Coleman, Floyd

& Betty Ellison, Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Stripling, Jr., Nolley C. Sanchelli, Lynn & Tom Brown, Malcolm & Milly Isley, JB & Syl Holeman, Nachman Norwood & Parrott, Inc., David & Carey Hudson, Caroline & Cecil Nelson, Annemarie F. DeFronzo, Sally T. Russell, Martha & Bill Stephenson, Lynne & Rick McMillan, Mr. & Mrs. Dexter Hagy, Morris & Ann Williams, Bev & Bob Howard, Andrea L. Volpe, Mrs. CC Pearce III, Mr. & Mrs. Mason A.

Goldsmith, Kathie & Jim Barr, Glenn & Kathleen Oxner, Dr. & Mrs. James Robbins, Thomas, Fisher, Sinclair & Edwards, PA, Cokey & Lee Cory, Greater

Greenville Assoc. of Realtors, Teresa Atkinson, Martha M. Johns, Sherry & Tee Hooper, Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Peterson, Jr., Cindy & Keith Kelly, Freeman & Moore, PC, Becca & Ben Rook, Mike & Susan

Riordan, Cary H. Hall, Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Einstein, Joanna B. Stone, H. Neel Hipp, Lee and Sam Smith, Gregory Nielsen, Family of David Freeman, Lou & Buzz O’Brien, Donald & Jean Nickell, Sherard and Steck Families, Harriet D. Brown, Alfred & Margot

Robinson, Rebecca L. Sigmund, T&S Brass and Bronze Works, Inc., Chris & Deborah Klasing, Four Bees Foundation, Dr. & Mrs. T. Wayne McDonald,

Joe & Ann Jennings, Judy & Don Lineback, Craig D. Brown, Mr. & Mrs. O. Perry Earle III, Ben & Sunshine

Norwood, Darrell & Pat Jervey, Kit & Roland Knight, Fielding & Gally Gallivan, Tod N. Tappert, Mrs. Thelma D. Ethridge, Mr. & Mrs. Emil Kondra, Hamilton & Blanche Stewart, Carroll B. Hart, Jr.,

Lynne, Scott, Jessica & Megan Thompson, John & Ann Evans, Bett H. White, Dena S. Benedict, Amy

Guinn, John Foster, Tommy Foster, Shounda Foster, Louise E. Oxner, Minor & Hal Shaw, Charles M.

Timmons Jr., and Janie & Chuck Wilson

Howard Craig Russell by Mrs. Linder C. Tucker

William Cudd Austell by Marilee A. Snider

Johanna Corbin Aiken by Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Croft and Mrs. Jo Lynne Pearce

George Edwin Tate, Sr. by Susan H. Grady

James Berrier by Alfred & Margot Robinson

Rita D. Stewart by Charles Probst, Patricia H. Jervey, and Joanna B. Stone

Jane Hipp by Martha & Bill Stephenson, Frank G. Smith III, and Cindy & Bill Poe

The Rev. Peter Daniel Ouzts by Mr. & Mrs. Rolfe E. Hughes, III

Richard Buckley Jacques by Hughes Agency, LLC

Gladys Marion Stafford by Cindy & Bill Poe and Melissa & Mark Kelly

Edgar E. Dobbins by The Rt. Rev. & Mrs. Donald Hultstrand and Troy & Joni McLeod

Ruth Burnett Pamplin by Mrs. Reed B. Lawson, Bev & Bob Howard, and Sherard & Steck Family

Pat Callander by Bev & Bob Howard

Carol & Jack Tate by Anne F. Provence

Mary Harris by Marcy & Dexter Hagy

Carol Ellis Clement by Mike & Debbie Bell, Mary & Dick Sargent, and Cindy & Bill Poe

Josephine Britt Bridgers by Martha & Bill Stephenson, Joanna B. Stone, Harry Stephenson,

Electrical Services Unlimited, Inc., Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Stripling, Jr., Byrd & Liza Miller, Kirk T. Carter,

Mike & Debbie Bell, Katherine Mattox, Mrs. Bettie L. Traxler, Sandy Langley, Jane & James Ellefson,

Lisa & Ken Smith, Helen & Al Hagood, Mrs. Ginger Sherman, Elizabeth L. Cleveland, and Betty Farr

Memorials Given in the Second Quarter

of 2015

A memorial gift to Christ Church is a thoughtful way to express sympathy for the loss of a special person. Gifts can also be made in honor of or in thanksgiving for those that are living. The church acknowledges these gifts to the donor and provides a list of the donors to the family of the deceased or to the honoree. Memorial funds may go to a ministry that touched the

deceased or the honoree, or to the Christ Church Endowment.

In addition to memorials, there are opportunities to invest in the future needs of Christ Church as you pre-plan legacy giving. Gifts can be made in life, by bequest or on a deferred basis. Did you know that a portion of our budget is funded by proceeds from the Endowment each year? A gift to

the Christ Church Endowment truly does support our parish’s ministries in perpetuity. Learn more at www.ccgsc.org/legacy-giving.php.

GIFTS WERE GIVEN IN MEMORY OF:

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 367GREENVILLE, SC

Address Service Requested

10 N. Church Street • Greenville, SC 29601 • 864.271.8773 • www.ccgsc.org

I usually attempt to be generous in my evaluation of other church’s traditions when compared to ours here at Christ Church, but I am confident that no other parish in the world celebrates All Saints’ Day as powerfully as we do.

All Saints’ Day is one of the major feasts of the Christian calendar and calls to mind and heart all of our family and friends: those who have gone before us and those with whom we share life in the present. Once the music begins and the banners of our loved ones start the procession and the banners of those who are about to be baptized follow, my heart begins to swell and my spirit is lifted and collectively we experience the communion of saints in a powerful and profound way.

All Saints’ Day is the day we formally acknowledge and celebrate the lives of all the saints, known and unknown,

who have blessed us with their gift of faith. We know that this particular feast has been a part of the life of the church since at least 373 CE.

As Anglicans and Episcopalians, we believe that we have been blessed by the examples of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and all those who have preceded us. We are united in a real and meaningful way with our forbearers within the Body of Christ which is alive and present in the world.

Because we are united as the Body of Christ, those who have preceded us in this life are still very much alive and in relationship with us. While we experience time linearly, we know that God in Christ stands outside of time and breaks down the finite barriers of our own experience. It is a source of great comfort to me, and I trust to all of us, to know that even as we gather around the font and the altar on All

Saints’ Day, our loved ones are experiencing the fuller presence of Christ around the heavenly banquet table as well. It is no accident that our parish is surrounded by a beautiful churchyard.

We are all on a pilgrimage that leads to eternal life in Jesus Christ and along with those we love but see no longer. There is peace and comfort in the knowledge that “nothing separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” and that is what we celebrate on All Saints’ Day: not just our love for those who have gone before, and not just our love for those who will follow us, but the gift of any love we experience finds its truest meaning and expression in the love offered to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

All Saints’ SundayBy The Rev. Harrison McLeod

Documents

Fall Messenger, 2015