Doll Can Create

Remembering with gratitude, living with hope

There are people we can still hear singing.

We remember where they sat, the sound of their voice, and the way they greeted us. Sometimes a familiar hymn brings them close again. Sometimes it is the smell of coffee in the church kitchen or the kindness of someone who reminds us of them.

On All Saints and Anniversary Sunday, we give thanks for those people—the ones whose faith and love helped shape our own.

As Linden Park and Binbrook gather for a combined celebration, we bring the stories of two congregations. We bring gratitude for the people who sustained these communities, tenderness for those we miss, and hope for the ministry still unfolding among us.

Their faith has helped bring us here. Now, it is our turn.

Remembering those who helped us grow

Hebrews 12 describes a great cloud of witnesses: people whose lives testify to faith through uncertainty, hardship, and hope.

We have our own witnesses to remember.

Perhaps yours was a grandparent who prayed with you, a Sunday school teacher who welcomed your questions, or a friend who sat beside you during a difficult season.

Some people shared their faith through words. Others showed it through meals delivered, rides offered, promises kept, and quiet companionship.

They were imperfect people, just as we are. Yet God’s love reached us through them.

Psalm 145 speaks of one generation telling another about God’s works. That telling continues whenever we share a story of hope or show someone what mercy looks like.

Whose example helped you understand that you mattered?

Finding our place today

An anniversary invites us to celebrate the past and consider what we are offering now.

That can feel daunting, especially when energy is limited and responsibilities are many. But Hebrews directs our attention to Jesus. We receive our part in the church’s life within the grace he gives.

There are many ways to participate.

We can listen. Pray. Encourage someone. Welcome a newcomer. Share a skill. Accept help when we need it.

When two congregations worship together, we experience the gift of adding our voices to one another’s. When someone needs to take a breath, the song continues.

We take turns carrying and being carried.

Our place in Christ’s community continues through changing seasons of strength, ability, and need.

Carrying kindness forward

In the Beatitudes, Jesus blesses those who mourn, the merciful, and the peacemakers. His words help us recognize where our next faithful step might lead.

Perhaps it is toward someone whose grief has grown lonely.

Perhaps it is toward a strained relationship that needs patience and an honest conversation.

Perhaps it is toward someone standing at the edge of our community, wondering whether there is room for them.

The gifts we received from others can become gifts we offer.

If someone listened to you, give another person your attention.

If someone encouraged you, speak a word of encouragement.

If someone made room for you, help someone else feel at home.

These small actions matter. They help shape the community another generation will inherit.

A little light to share

As we remember those who came before us, we entrust them to God’s enduring love. We also give thanks for the light they shared—a light that still helps us find our way.

Christ continues to guide us. We can take the next step with hope, even when we cannot see the whole road ahead.

This week, remember one person who helped shape your faith. Thank God for something you received through them. Then choose one act of kindness that carries their gift forward.

Let gratitude become an action. Let remembrance give rise to love.

Their faith has helped shape us.

Now, by the grace of God, it is our turn.

Who helped you grow in faith, and what gift from their life would you like to pass on?

— Rev. Barbara Creelman