All the Saints of St. Columb's
We had a great feast of All Saints this past Sunday as we remembered those who have come before us and the contributions they made of their time, talent, and treasure which have made the church what it is today. To continue in the language of stewardship, our ancestors walked the road and brought us to the crossroads. We stand on their shoulders and benefit from their ministry as we worship God and love one another.
As I said in my sermon, one of the challenges the church has faced (the church in general and this church in particular) is how to cope with the loss of our leaders. When we lose those how have been such an integral part of our community, it creates a void which can be difficult to fill. The church can struggle to maintain its identity as a community and lose the inspiration and passion of it’s leaders which have entered into glory.
So how is the church to deal with that loss? One answer is… we make them saints. That is to say, we remember them intentionally by highlighting their deeds as inspirational Christian witness. This is a less formal practice than going through the church councils to have a saint canonized. It’s more of a parish practice of lifting up local saints whose memory serves us as examples of how to do Christian ministry well.
Therefore, in this season of remembering all the saints, I’ll be hoping to hear stories from you about our local saints who had an impact on St. Columb’s. I listed a couple of examples in my sermon, Dick Largel as a mentor to younger men in the church, Lib Allison as the founder of IONA House who started by sharing groceries in the neighborhood from the trunk of her car, and Jane Brooks whose biscuits were heavenly and whose faith was unshakable. Of course, these three only scratch the surface of a parish whose faithful people have shown the love of God in ways innumerable.
If you have a moment, please fill out this form to share the saints of St. Columb’s who impacted your faith and inspire you to continued ministry.
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