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The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Cearley
Lead Pastor of Congregational Life
Dear Montview Community,
Greetings on this All Hallows' Eve day! Though the roots of this day lie in Ancient Celtic practices, through the years this day has come to be associated with the Christian Festival of 'All Hallows Day" or 'All Saints Day'. Both days call us to contemplate the thin veil between the living and those who have gone before us in death. For Protestants, 'All Saints' has come to be observed as a day to remember and honor those who have died in the past year.
As 'All Hallows' Eve" reminds that there are thin places - spiritual passages between the living and those who have died. In God 's gracious love we trust that God cares for us "beyond all imaginings" and that God's care for us crosses the boundaries of mortal life and death.
This Sunday, at the end of worship, the congregation will recess to the Columbarium behind the front of the Sanctuary. We will say prayers, sing praise and hear scripture as we name those we love and miss. This is a time of family grief, but also a time to remember with fondness the 'ordinary' saints of Montview and the many gifts they have given to our community. This week think about the Montview saints you have known - give thanks to God for them - and honor them with your prayers.
Remember, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose...For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 28, 38-39) Amen. May it be so for each of us.
Blessings,
Cindy
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The Rev. Ian Gregory Cummins
Lead Pastor of Spiritual Life
Hi Everyone,
The Lectio Divina passage for this week is:
"One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
Mark 12: 28 - 31
Lately I've been reading about St. Benedict of Nursia, the 6th century Christian monastic who gave us the Rule of Benedict (and Lectio Divina, by the way) that is still used as a spiritual guide by thousands around the world. Benedict's Rule begins with the simple words, "Listen carefully, my child..."
So it caught my attention when I read the familiar text from Mark this week, wherein Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is and he quotes Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel..." - a central text in the Jewish faith known simply as the Shema (Hebrew for 'Hear').
Is it coincidence, I wondered, that words so important to Jews (the Shema) and words so important to many Christians (the Rule of Benedict) both begin with the word 'listen' or 'hear'?
When we start our day, before we rush headlong into all that will be asked of us...before we start talking, texting, calling, emailing, writing and otherwise shaping our day...maybe the first thing, the most important thing, the one thing we should not neglect to do is to take a minute...
and listen.
Grace and goodness,
Ian
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