October left us yesterday and we experienced every kind of weather imaginable – we had frost, we had sun, we had wind, we had hail, and there were even some sightings of SNOW. It made for a truly ‘spooktacular’ evening for the young ones who went out Trick or Treating.
Today, November 1st is All Saints Day. It is one of the trio of days at this hinge between the months. October ends with Halloween and November begins with All Saints Day and tomorrow will be All Souls Day. On these three days we recognize the thin space between this world and the next. We are particularly aware of those who have gone before and whose influence remains strong. I think of my grandparents and my parents. I also remember teachers and Sunday School leaders and ministers who had an impact on my faith development. I remember others who held sway in my development and achievements. Today, All Saints Day is a day to pause and give thanks for those who have gone before and who now, as scripture says, make up that ‘great cloud of witnesses’.
November promises to be a terrific month here at Ebenezer. This Sunday, November 5th in our morning service and as follow up to the letter sent to you by our Stewardship and Finance Committee we will be celebrating our rich history and receiving back the Thank Offering envelopes sent to you. Following our service, we will be having an after-church soup lunch followed by a congregational conversation about expectations, hopes, and dreams. Be sure you are here this Sunday to share your ideas; we want to know what everyone thinks.
And of course, November brings the third annual Christmas bazaar on November 18th, and it promises to be a wonderful day of community spirit both within our Ebenezer Community and reaching out into our Courtice community as we welcome shoppers and visitors.
And, if you can believe it, the Worship Committee met yesterday to set in place our plans for the Advent and Christmas season. December will be here in the ‘blink of an eye’!
As I mentioned in my PMO last month I will be staying on as your minister for the year 2024. Up until now I have been using my personal email for contact but as of today, I will be shifting all my church emails to a new address. I will still receive your emails no matter which address you use but if you would be so kind as to add my now ‘work’ email address to your file I will appreciate it. It just helps me keep things organized and makes sure I don’t miss any important Ebenezer messages in the mix of my personal email Inbox. In the future, please email me at revnancyknox@gmail.com
Finally, I send a message of love and support to those of you who are dealing with personal concerns. Always know that your faith community is here to support you with compassion and love. There are some in our congregation who are dealing with health issues and others of us who just feel beleaguered by the state of the world and the violence that has erupted in so many places. We stand with those who are facing sorrow and grief, and we celebrate with those who are joyous at the gift of love experienced in weddings, births, and baptisms. Each day it seems we experience the truth of William Blake’s words, “Joy and woe are woven fine, under every grief and pine, runs a joy with silken twine. It is right, it should be so, we were made for joy and woe.” November can be a dreary month filled with moody grey skies. It is a good month to let the bright light of Ebenezer shine out into our community.