November 2, 2020 - Grace and peace from our brother Jesus, Amen. Sunday was All Saints Day. This important and vital Sunday is the day Christians remember all those souls in the local church who died this past year, and all those who helped the church and us as individuals grow to become what we are. It is a day to remember the past, rejoice in the present, and anticipate the future.
We are coming to the end of the Christian year this month. Christ the King Sunday will end our November, and the first Sunday in December will begin a new year with Advent. I think most of us are ready to see 2020 getting smaller and smaller in our rear-view mirror. But with the pandemic growing by leaps and bounds, we wonder if 2021 is going to be much different than the last eight months. I sure hope so. But for that to happen, we all must practice our patriotic duty: wash our hands regularly, practice safe distancing, and yes, wear a mask in public. On November 11, we will remember and give thanks for all the veterans who made the patriotic decision to defend our nation. Every generation has had to make sacrifices for the nation and for future generations. We must do our part right now and right here.
Paxton Methodist Church is meeting each Sunday wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Shelby County has had a big increase in Covid cases just as the nation as a whole has seen a huge spike in cases and deaths. Our music is only on piano and CD—no singing to spread germs. Today Mrs. Hilda’s leg was giving her trouble, so she skipped her usual piano solo. Instead, we listened to Willie Nelson’s “Where the Soul of Man Never Dies.” (Today is also called All Souls Day.)
This past month we collected peanut butter and jelly for Community Christian Services. I delivered all the goodies, along with checks from some of our members. In November we will collect rice and beans. Community Christian Services has had several extra-large food giveaways during October, with long lines of vehicles coming for food boxes. This has really helped out during a very difficult time. The volunteers are such hard-working people doing good works! The pandemic has caused eight million more people to fall under the poverty line. Texas has the highest number of uninsured people in the United States, which has added to the burden of providing medical care to those in need. So CCS is definitely meeting an important demand.
Today’s Sunday School lesson urged us to look for God’s presence in unlikely places and critical times. This was quite an undertaking for the author; he used four different Old Testament scriptures to emphasize that God will meet us anywhere and at any time.
The Gospel lesson for Sunday came from the Jesus Manifesto. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains who is truly blessed and living in the Kingdom of God. The 2020 All Saints Day landed on a Sunday, which I think we needed this year. So many saints have died from Covid 19, leaving so many people grieving, with just memories of their loved ones.
We also celebrated communion today. Last week’s Sunday School lesson said communion brings together the past, the present, and the future. When we commemorate the love of God through communion, we are joining Christians worldwide in this important rite. All Saints Day reminds us that those of the past and the future are also part of our worshipful remembrance.
Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here. Paxton United Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.” Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist, you can send your email address to the Paxton email address, and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.
