A Month of Celebration
Posted on Nov 13, 2024 by Shari Van Baale
The month of November in the church calendar starts with All Saints Day and ends with or near Advent, depending on the year. Between those, Christ the King Sunday is also observed. We also have the American holiday of Thanksgiving, a time to gather with friends and family and celebrate our gratitude and blessings, and Election Day, which may or may not be a time to celebrate, depending if your chosen candidates were victorious.
All Saints Day commemorates all the saints we have known in our lives who have gone on to heaven. We light candles and say prayers in their memory each year on the first Sunday in November.
Christ the King Sunday commemorates that Christ is the true king of the universe and that his reign is eternal, unlike the temporary nature of governments. It also emphasizes that Christ's kingdom is supernatural and not political, which is fitting to remember every November, when Election Day occurs each year. We celebrate this on the last Sunday before Advent. It is the final Sunday in the liturgical calendar every year.
Advent is a time to slow down, to wait for the coming Christ child. This year our Advent theme will be “God's Love Made Real.” We invite you to take some time on Wednesday nights to come to our prayer services. We will learn about experiences from Salem's mission team in Guatemala, our companion ministries in Russia and Papua New Guinea, and our children sharing the Christmas story. We will have dessert and fellowship time following each service. Join us on Wednesdays (Dec. 4, 11, and 18) at 7:00 p.m. in the Overland Park Lutheran Church sanctuary. This is a great way to slow down in the busy season between Thanksgiving and Christmas and feel the presence of God at a time other than Sunday mornings.
Shari Van Baale
Salem Communications Coordinator