All Saints Day With Saints

In Korea, Halloween came and marked the beginning of my yearly bout of homesickness and it would last until I got ready to go home to the USA for Christmas. I anticipated Halloween this year almost as much as when I was little. At least until the year I was scolded for being an adult trick or treater--I was like 8 or 9 years old! So after great anticipation this year the day arrived—Halloween--and can you guess what I was missing? Korea. Yesterday I had Korea on the brain! 

 I built Halloween up in my head to be some GRAND day this year. Was I waiting for the Grim Reaper to come out from behind a tree? Was I expecting to meet Casper the friendly ghost? Maybe I wanted a pumpkin coach to carry me to the “Grand Korean Ball”.  None of that happened. To my surprise yesterday was like most any other fall day. The only difference was the few random costumes during the daytime and at night kids came by asking for candy. It was fun and I enjoyed the company of the evening but it was nothing whimsical.

Today, however, was magic. It far surpassed all expectations. It was All Saints Day and I spent the day with saints. No, not the saints who dawn glittering halos and white gowns.  Those are the people we saw last night collecting candy! These saints were just everyday people like me who are trying to work out what it means to be Christ bearers.  (real saints) 

I’ve been looking forward to All Saints Day but admittedly not as much as Halloween. I spent the morning with new friends from church. The conversation was great fun and real! I am loving the people I’m getting to know and they have no idea how much I appreciate the depth of conversation.

As I grappled with reverse homesickness today I decided to call my Benedictine friend from Korea who now lives in the USA. I called to wish her “Happy All Saints Day”. I knew she would appreciate a special phone call on this special day. It is the first time we’ve talked since we’ve both arrived from Korea to the USA. This phone call was long overdue. Talking to Sr. Anna Marie was like retuning home.  Today I was reminded that “home” is not found in the places we live but in the company we share.

I ended All Saints Day in a Taize Worship service at Prairie Baptist Church. Any notions I once had of the “Baptist Church” were challenged tonight. My church horizons continue to expand! I had expected to find young people at this Taize service but instead I found a group of middle-aged men and women sitting in silence waiting for 5pm. Awesome! I knew as soon as I entered into the silence of the service that I had found “home”. The service was so simple. I heard the reading of the Beatitudes. “Blessed are those who mourn” and “Blessed are the Peacemakers” caught my attention especially tonight. The prayers of the people struck me by surprise too. Prayer sure reveals the LIFE going on in us. I sensed a great LIFE at work in this group as they prayed. The company we find in prayer sure brings us home. It sure brought me home tonight. What a great way to celebrate All Saints Day—with saints.