When the Jews observed the Passover, it is said that at each of the meals an empty chair was intentionally placed at the table as a reminder that someday the Messiah would come. The empty seat represented both the longing and hope of the faithful who gathered.
 
Holidays are a difficult time for many. Too many of us have empty seats at the table. For many of us, the empty seat is a stark reminder of both our longing and of our hope that someday "the circle will be unbroken" in that Kingdom which only the imagination can envision.
 
For those of you who find yourselves with an empty seat, I invite you to a special Worship Service of Remembrance, Sunday, December 6, at 4:00 p.m. in Hunt Chapel.  We will remember those whom we have commended to God, even as we wait in this "Advent season" for the coming of Christ. The service will conclude by processing to the Faith Center where you will you be invited hang an ornament, one per family, on the "Tree of Remembrance." This tree will then become a part of our annual Hanging of the Greens; and in future years at a similar service, additional ornaments will be added in memory of loved ones. Mourning is hard, very hard. Rather than be alone with your loss, I invite you to be strengthened by your faith and by others in your faith-community.