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Dear Friends in Christ, The origin of All Saints Day goes way back. In the first three centuries of the Christian movement, many were persecuted and martyred for their confession. The Roman government became hostile towards the Church. In fact, the word witness and martyr are the same in the Greek language. To be a witness for Christ was to risk your life. It became tradition early on, for the covenant community to celebrate the anniversary of a martyr's death with an all-night vigil. They would process to the tomb or shrine where the disciple had been killed and celebrate holy communion. As early as the third century there was an official day called "All Martyr's Day." On this day, brave souls were remembered for their refusal to deny their faith, even in the face of death. In some traditions this day was celebrated on the day after Pentecost. In our tradition, we celebrate All Saints on November 1. The night before All Saints became known as Hallow's Eve. It was not a night for ghosts and goblins, but for saints; devout believers who left us an example of faith and courage, who preceded us to the church triumphant. This weekend we will gather to remember the names of forty-five of our saints who have gone before us. And to remember persons in difficult places who are being persecuted because of their faith. I hope you will be present for this special time of worship. In closing, I want to share with you this beautiful description of a saint from C.S. Lewis: "The thing has happened: the new step has been taken and is being taken. Already the new men (and women) are dotted here and there all over the earth. Some, as I have admitted, are still hardly recognizable; but others can