This Week at Clyde Park
A Note from Pastor Ryan
This coming Sunday is All Saints Day!
If you have attended Clyde Park Church of the Nazarene, then you know that we celebrate All Saints Day (also known as All Hallows Day) just as western Christians have done for centuries. Unfortunately, many Christians do not know our own history, and as a result have let the world describe the point of this holy day. So lets learn some history.
As early as the 4th century, christians had a variety of feast days meant to commemorate and emulate the martyrs. Having gone through persecution, they saw those who gave up their lives for Jesus as brave people worth imitation. And since we often learn best through imitation, remembering the martyrs was not worshipping them, but rather a chance to be encouraged towards holiness. The greek word Martyr means witness, so remembering them was preserving their witness.
Eventually the bishop of Rome formalized a Holiday on May 13. As the church grew in prominence and influence, the memory of martyrs began to fade, so the emphasis of the day shifted towards Saints. The saints lived lives of holiness worth imitating. Somewhere between 731 and 741, with the change in emphasis, there was also a change in the date. They moved the holiday to November 1.
After the reformation and in conjunction with the Enlightenment, protestants no longer venerated "The Saints" as Catholics did. The Lutherans, Reformed, and Anglicans all saw the necessity of holidays- they set time. Without having saints, however, the emphasis of the holiday has shifted towards remembering those who have died in the faith. These are those who have lived lives worth imitating. This practice is a way of thanking God for sending ambassadors to us so that we can be ambassadors for God. In a way is simply recognizing that those who bring good news have beautiful feet. (Romans 10:15)
In America, most evangelicals gave up the practice. There was a thought that Christians shouldn't celebrate any holidays. Every day should be a day where we live holy lives. I 100% agree that we should live holy lives every day, but what we have learned is that in the absence of Godly holidays, secular ones have crept in.
Instead of inhabiting time by living the story of God, many Christians adopted the worldly calendar. Instead of telling time through the story of God, many Americans tell time through the story of America. Many have let their days be numbered by marketers, actually.
Have you noticed how many "holidays" there are? Each one becomes a moment to sell. Marketers and companies love these holidays because they are occasions to make money. The commercials and advertising have become the modern-day priests telling people what is good, how to spend their resources, and because that is how people expend resources, the holidays give meaning to many jobs which are otherwise drudgery.
The two years I worked as a marketer, we loved holidays. They were tools for selling. The world has done the same to All Saints Day. What was once a day to thank God for the holy people who held the faith, is now an evening of revelry. All Hallows Eve, or Halloween is no longer about how death cannot stop the gospel. It has become a mockery of death from a culture which largely denies death while all too often embracing deadly ways. And the companies love it. I don't remember 12 skeletons being sold at Menards 15 years ago, but today Halloween is big money.
While some Christians have attempted to fight a culture war against halloween, it doesn't look like they are winning. Instead of fighting culture, I believe we are to create culture. One of the ways we create culture is through celebrations. This Sunday we will remember those holy ones who have gone before. We mourn their loss, for we miss our loved ones, we do not mourn as those who have no hope. We know that in some sense those who die in the Lord are alive. And we know that on the day of the resurrection, we will be united with them. What a day that will be. until that day, because we love them, and because we love God, we should let God purge all of the sins which so easily entangle, we should run with perseverance the race marked out of each of us. We should live such holy lives that others see us and praise God. For we long to be in that number, when the saints go marching in.
Community Dinner: Spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the Youth Group
Sunday Open Choir (November 22nd)
We are starting an open choir! Anyone and everyone is invited to the platform to sing the 2 hymns…the only requirement is you make a joyful noise to the Lord and you smile. The 2 hymns this month are: I Will Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving, and Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.
Youth Ministry
10/28/26 5:30 p.m. Spaghetti Dinner
Prime Time Lunch
We will be having lunch at Russ’ on 28th St. at noon on Tuesday, November 3rd. This will be the last lunch of the season. We will continue our lunches in the spring!
The Food Pantry Needs Your Help
In the month of November, we would like to be able to provide families with a gift card to Aldi to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving. That would mean we would need an extra $600 for the month.
Women’s Ministry
We will be having a Christmas Craft on Saturday, November 7th, at 1:00 p.m.
We will be painting lighted wooden Christmas Village buildings. You are also welcome to bring your own craft to work on and join the group for a nice afternoon. Please sign up in the foyer so we can calculate the number of supplies we will need! Thank you!
Bridal Card Shower November 15th
We will be showering Megan Crawford with cards as she and Mark Metz will be getting married in December. Let’s show our love and blessings to them on their upcoming marriage.
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