All Saints Day

While Germany is less churched than the US, the vast majority of their public holidays center around the Church calendar. Sadly, the traditions of Christmas and Easter have mostly been reduced to St Claus and the Easter bunny but that's a topic for another post. As we are more aware of the holidays, our church tends to follow the liturgical calendar more than a typical Methodist church. One of the perks was getting an opportunity to talk in Kids' Church about All Saints' Day. Without further ado, my mini sermon:

Does anyone know what we’ll be celebrating next Sunday? 

Halloween! 

Yes, kids are encouraged to dress up and we’ll go trick or treating during Sunday school. 

Does anybody know what comes the day after Halloween? 

Nov 1 is all Saints Day. What does that mean? What is a Saint? 

In the Methodist tradition - all saints day is a day to give thanks to the saints in our lives both living and passed. We Are thankful to people who are officially recognized in the church and also people in our own lives. 

Just like Christmas, where all the lead-up, and decorations and presents distract from the real meaning of the holiday - that the savior of the world is born - all saints day can get lost in Halloween. 

So, this week let’s remember someone we know personally or in the church who has been a Saint to us and let’s reach out to that person if she or he is still living or talk to a friend about that person if he or she is not. And either way, thank God for the blessing of this person’s influence in our life. 

We’re going to sing peace like a river. This song is special to me as I sang it a lot as my mom, who was a Saint to me in some ways, was very sick. 

Song: Peace like a River 

Prayer: God thank you for the saints still among us and for those who have died. We pray that you will help us encourage the saints who are with us and comfort us as we miss the saints we’ve lost. Amen. 

--

I mentioned my mom in the mini sermon because even before her doppelgänger came to live with us, I of course would think about her every day.

Baby Mommy Connie seen here holding on to a gold baby ring.

Baby Carmen seen here holding on to something of equal value to her.

We actually attempted to have a circle conversation with the little kids before the Sunday School devolved into the usual crazy of Hugo accidentally getting his lolly pop stuck in another kid's hair while jumping on the trampoline. (Safety note: clearly he wasn't jumping on the trampoline with the lolly in his mouth, I mean, how then would it get in her hair?) Anywho, I talked about my Grandpa who we call "Grandpa Robert Ralph" to remind our little Ralpher of his roots.

Sniff...this was the last snuggle before my grandpa passed.

I talked about how my Grandpa was such an inspiration in how devoted he was to my Grandma. As a child I saw him always put her first. 

Best impromptu wedding speech. There's ugly crying and I present to you...ugly laughing. 

Some of the kids opened up and talked about people in their lives. One Sunday school family from Syria talked about a teen friend who just died in an explosion earlier that week. For the older kids (and adults), it was a sobering reminder of the continuing conflict and hardship so many continue to endure. One little girl talked about her grandpa who just died. Our conversation also prompted our friend Agata to head with her family to Poland to visit her Grandparents' grave. I'm thankful for these meetings of meeting in person, before heading back online. Speaking of which, I need to pop online for our zoom fellowship.