Tues., October 22, 2024
The Rev. AARON B. JENKYN
In This Thin Place, We Remember.
"In this thin place, we remember."
In these autumn days, with the changing of the light and the trees dropping their leaves and creatures big and small all around us settling into the cooler months ahead I can't help but think we are entering into a thin place, a holy and liminal space where heaven and earth feel almost within reach of each other. This is a place of memory and hope, of sorrow and joy, a special space where we honor those who have gone before us and remember our own calling within the communion of Saints.
As the days grow shorter and our hearts begin longing for the light, longing for what has been but is no more, this season often stirs something deep within us. Within our hearts and our souls we make space and time for introspection, remembrance, and perhaps for some grief.
In her poem "Remember," 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and Mvskoke/Creek Nation member Joy Harjo invites us to honor the stories of those who came before, and the vast network of life that surrounds us. Harjo calls us to remember not just with our minds, but with our hearts to see ourselves as beings woven into a sacred tapestry that spans time and space.
This is at the heart of All Saints day, remembering those who have gone before us not as distant figures but as essential parts of our living faith. Their lives and stories shape us even now. We are here because of those who came before us; those who loved, sacrificed, struggled, and hoped. By remembering them, we honor the holy connection that binds us all.
The Rev. Aaron Jenkyn preaches on Sunday, November 3, 2024, the Feast of All Saints.