submitted by Rev. Chadwick Anderson
“Once you’ve sat down, share with all of us who you’re lighting the candle in remembrance of, and how that person impacted your life. Please only one person lighting at a time, and wait until that person has finished speaking before going forward to light yours. We’re not in a hurry, and have plenty of time to hear each other. In these moments, we literally “re-member” others. We piece together thoughts, words, and moments from their lives…and they exist in our hearts and minds right here tonight.”
The above was an excerpt from my very first “experiment” where I invited teenagers to participate in something their peers and their culture were not asking of them. It was near October 31st, and so they were coming from a week of bonfires, haunted houses, and all the usual pressures of teenage years. I was unprepared for how welcome our moments of reflection would be. Even teens visiting with us that night, stepped forward to light a candle, and tell us about the love of a grandparent they missed. I was excited, and wondered what it could look like to share such a moment beyond the Youth Room in following years.
Growing up, we participated in the annual ritual of pretending to care about holidays just enough to get some more free candy. When I was very young, I donned the appropriate Scooby-Doo or Speed-Racer mask, and knocked on any door mom would drive us to since we lived out in the country. As I grew older, I would throw together a “costume” just in time to accompany my younger siblings. At some point, we all grew out of it.
I knew there was something more to that season, and in my nerdier moments probably even discovered “All Hallows Eve,” but nothing became of it.
Then I became a pastor.
Tasked with guiding and shaping a people in our communal response to what God is doing, there had to be something more we could do beyond Hayrides, Bonfires, and Trunk-or-Treats, right? Note: Not hating on any of these. I love me some bonfires, and as a Michigander I know that Fall is Apple Orchard season.
I “knew” in my experience that most things involving “All Saints’ Day” were viewed as those things from which we’ve been “protesting” since 1517. (Although protestants, Lutherans, Anglicans, et al continued to practice it.) Here was an annual moment that invited us to do that which God’s people were asked to do over and over again in the Old Testament:
To purposefully do something in the direction of remembering those who’ve come before us, and to name how their stories have shaped our own.
In the basement moments of youth ministry, I often found freedom to experiment with things I wasn’t bold enough to try in “big church” just yet. Our first experiment was such a success, God smiled on us, and I knew we needed to move these experiences to a place of inviting others. The pastors I served with agreed, and we tried out some new things.
I wouldn’t say what we have done over the years will work for every church. Serving as a missionary in Hungary now, I know that we wouldn’t do these things in the same way here. The best I can do is share with you a couple ways we’ve tried it, and have seen great results. I think the heart of what these experiences invited is what I’d recommend, however that might look for your home, group, church, or neighborhood.
One moment we experienced was within the walls and sanctuary of the church. We invited all generations, from our senior citizens to our pre-schoolers to attend a worship service shaped by the season. The lights were set low, and we shared in singing a few songs about faithfulness, and great cloud of witnesses, and so on. There were a couple scripture readings, and prayers offered. We explained that even though there were “Saints” canonized by the Catholic church for amazing stories of faith, Paul used the word throughout his writings to refer to anyone who’d begun to share in the Holiness of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Then we invited anyone interested to come and light a candle, sharing a name and a short description of how that saint had influenced that person’s faith.
It was a beautiful moment of sharing our stories, re-membering loved ones, and having our identity affirmed and shaped as a community. In a world where so many people are trying to figure out who they are, it offers an important experience. It’s an experience that forms and transforms us, and we are only beginning to appreciate it as science reflects on patterns God invited us to long ago.
As Dr. Curt Thompson writes,
Even now, as modern science learns more about memory, Scripture reminds us that over three thousand years ago our ancestors were sure of what neuroscience is now confirming. For when we remember all of the benefits of the Lord—his forgiveness, healing, redeeming, crowning, satisfying, and renewing—in the fullness of our regenerated memories, our future, and the future of our children and of others with whom we are in relationship, will be changed.
Anatomy of the Soul, 2010
Not wanting to completely “de-mystify” the beautiful mystery of such liturgical moments, we have come to new appreciations even from a neurological viewpoint, as Jim Wilder writes
Our character is formed by imitating those to whom we are attached. Our brain processes images and memories of relational events to form our inner person. Hesed relationships are the conduit for the flow of these relational examples of mature character to a less mature person.
The Other Half of Church, 2020
But it’s not only for the sake of younger generations. It’s an important part of worship for all ages, as we are formed as people living in gratitude. I was reminded of this as we experimented with our “take home” version.
Halloween has always seemed an obvious moment to leverage as people who want to share the love of God with people who may not visit a church. As we lived in a neighborhood downtown, those 2 hours brought over 200 people to our front porch. I’d created laminated “placemats” for moments of All Saints’ moments to take place for church members, and even offered cheap tea-lights for anyone who wanted them. What I hadn’t realized, for our neighborhood at least, was how quickly the average person comes by the house. They’d quickly come to our front porch, say the magic words, and walk away with more candy. This was already the ritual, and my invitation to change it was not very impactful. It seemed like a failure for our location.
That is, until my neighbor wandered over from his home. He was of a generation that gave out homemade popcorn balls to those who stopped by, and most parents weren’t as willing to allow their kids to receive such a treat. He’d turned his lights off, and brought his lawn chair over to sit with me. He looked down at my placemat, with candles and the lighter. I gave a brief explanation of what I was trying to do, with the enthusiasm of someone who knows what they’re doing isn’t working. His eyes began to water, as he lit a candle on behalf of his wife who’d passed away earlier that year. He sat down by me, and we talked about her cookies, and her love of family. It was worth every ounce of the awkwardness that comes from trying something new. I prayed a prayer of gratitude with him, as we welcomed the next 6-year old vampire requesting sugar.
All of this to say, as with any “Work of the People,” we don’t always know what to expect. All Saints’ Day is definitely a moment built into our Church calendar, that we can invite God’s children to celebrate in new ways. Depending on your location and congregation, you may need to do some short teaching. Don’t pretend you “know” it will be impactful and transformational. But as with anything we do that invites the Holy Spirit, humbly offer what you do, to be indwelled. May God be with you and yours as you seek how the heart of such moments can take shape, for the life of the world, in your community.
Rev. Chadwick Anderson (MDiv) has served pastorally for 17+ years, roasts his own coffee, & passive-aggressively brags about winning Wheel of Fortune. He and his family are currently serving as Free Methodist missionaries in Hungary. He can be reached at pastorwick@gmail.com
Listen to his spoken word audio recording on All Saints