FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE Volume 67 Number 10
NOVEMBER 2017
The Episcopal Church of Saint Michael and All Angels Pacific View Drive at Marguerite
Corona del Mar
California 92625
FROM THE INTERIM RECTOR
All Saints’ Day – The Church Triumphant
A
ccording to the pundits and pollsters, we live in a “post-Christian” age. The headlines routinely bring us images and anecdotes that, we are told, demonstrate the Church’s weakness or irrelevance in contemporary society – declining church attendance, the Gospel coopted by politics, the manipulations and naked greed of predatory “televangelists.” It’s not a pretty picture. Given such abundant evidence of the flaws, weaknesses and failures of the Church, it’s not hard to understand why so many people are ready and willing to deem our times “post-Christian.” On Sunday, November 5, we will be celebrating All Saints’ Day, one of the greatest feasts of the Church year. It’s a day when we remember all the saints in our prayer and worship – famous saints like Francis of Assisi and Teresa of Avila, but also a vast multitude “of those whose faith is known to God alone.” It’s a day when we rejoice in the memory of every Christian who has ever lived, from the renowned to the obscure, from the ancient heroes of the faith to our own beloved dead, and we give thanks for their place “among the saints in the light.” This feast is a celebration of the triumph of the Church, because it is a celebration of the triumph of every individual Christian who has gone before us and now stands in the fullness of the light and life of the Triune God. All Saints’, in a way, is the Church’s celebration of Easter projected into the far distant future. Every Easter, indeed every day of our lives as believing and praying Christians, we celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ over the realities of sin, suffering and death. Every day we look back in faith and joy to the moment of Christ’s rising all those centuries ago, and we seek out ways to open our lives to the power of Christ’s Resurrection in our own day in the present time. But on All Saints’ Day, we celebrate in advance that glorious day in the distant future when all the saints will share in the fullness of the Resurrection. All the saints, mind you, from the famous to the unknown, the familiar to the strangers, the ancient to the modern and those saints yet to come, the faithful people we knew, loved and lost, and, of course, you and me as well. On All Saints’ Day we rejoice because the Church triumphant has room even for us! All Saints’ Day is a reminder to us that no matter what shape the Church may seem to be in at the moment, the triumph of the Resurrection will be sure and entire, and it will include us. Because we know that God will bring to completion the good work of the salvation of the human race, we get to celebrate that triumph far in advance, this year and every year on the Feast of All Saints. Pity the pundits and pollsters who have only the (supposed) demise of the Church to celebrate. We Christians know better. Happy All Saints’ Day!
949.644.0463
stmikescdm.ladiocese.org
JOURNEY TO GENEROSITY Dear Fellow Parishioners:
O
ctober 2017 was a busy month for St. Michael’s - it included the Commissioning of the Choirs, the Blessing of the Animals, and the Cavalcade of Saints. We also explored together how we could live more generously as individuals and as a community of faith during our annual Stewardship Campaign. As the Stewardship Vestry person and on behalf of the parish, I would like to thank everyone who joined this year’s Campaign and made a pledge for the coming year. Your commitment to the continuing life of this community is deeply appreciated. Without all of you St. Michael’s would not be the warm and wonderful place that is it. Your generosity, in response to the abundance in your life, represents a vote of confidence in the parish that will fund the mission and ministry of Saint Michaels and All Angels and transform lives as we journey forward in this time of transition. The Vestry expressed the hope of receiving pledge commitments from 100% of our worshiping community. If you are still considering pledging, please know that all pledges are welcome. Please turn in your pledge cards as soon as you are able. The Vestry will soon be considering the budget for 2018, and having accurate information will be very helpful during this process. Yours in Christ, Stacie Tibbetts Stewardship Commissioner SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE! SET UP DIRECT GIVING TO SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS: Pledge payments can now be scheduled using web banking. For details and instructions call our bookkeeper, Maile, in the Parish Office, 949-644-0463, ex. 15. She will be happy to help you simplify your life!
BUILDING OUR F AITH: L OVING CHRIST AND SER VING OUR COMMUNITY FAITH: LO SERVING