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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
be recognized. Every now and then one meets them. Their voices and faces are different from ours: stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off. They are, I say, recognizable; but you must know what to look for. They will not be very like the idea of "religious people" which you have formed from your general reading. They do not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They love you more than other men do, but they need you less. They will usually seem to have a lot of time: you will wonder where it comes from. When you have recognized one of them, you will recognize the next one much more easily. And I strongly suspect (but how should I know?) that they recognize one another immediately and infallibly across every barrier of color, sex, class, age, and even of creeds. In that way, to become holy is rather like joining a secret society. To put it at the very lowest, it must be great fun." Finally, it was good to welcome as a new member William Craig Cochran, to our Brentwood campus. Welcome to our church community. The peace of Christ be with you all!
Davis P.S. Please remember to complete your estimate of giving card for 2016. The cards will be available in the pews this weekend. You can also print a estimate of giving card or submit it online by clicking here. Your devotion and sacrifice to our ongoing ministry is a blessing to God, and to others!