To say that All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are more meaningful to me this year than in prior years is an understatement. Like so many people, the pandemic has caused me to spend more time thinking about, talking about, and even writing about mortality.
Death and dying are topics nearly every person I know have struggled with during the pandemic. This is understandable considering that COVID-19 has claimed the lives of nearly 750,000 American and more than 5,000,000 people worldwide. And, it is important to note that these deaths are far from the only ones we’ve experienced as deaths from all other causes have continued during the pandemic.
Today, I pause to share three meaningful experiences I’ve had over the past week. As you read them, I invite you to reflect on your experiences in recent days and about how your understanding of mortality and the role of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day have evolved during the pandemic.
Commemoration of All Faithful Departed & Requiem Concert
On Tuesday night, I attended Trinity Episcopal Church‘s (Fort Worth, Texas) All Souls’ Day evening service: A Commemoration of All Faithful Departed & Requiem Concert – Eternal Light by Howard Goodall. After a full day of work, my wife and I hurriedly drove to this service in the rain. We managed to arrive and settle in to our seats just before the service began.
I was overwhelmed by the length of the list of names (four full 8 1/2 x 11 pages, single spaced, using three columns) of those who had passed since the congregation last gathered together in person for an All Soul’s Day service two years earlier. And, I was moved by the reading of each name by Rev. Dr. Robert Pace and Rev. Amy Haynie as part of the Liturgy of Remembrance.
I am not deeply attached to this congregation, but was present in 2018 for the world premier of Requiem for the New World, and have attended a handful of regular Sunday services in recent years. While this year’s attendance was significantly less than in 2018, those present seemed fully focused on the service. All of us were blessed by a musical experience that created an extended thin place.
All Saints’ Worship Service
On Sunday morning, I attended Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ (Dallas, Texas) Sunday morning worship service focused on All Saints’ Day. Everything about the Sunday morning experience was altered to create a focus on All Saints. Rather than following the traditional order of worship, the liturgy presented the day’s message in word in song alternating between readings and music, building to the world premier of The Field of Light by the church’s sanctuary choir and orchestra.
The Rev. Dr. Neil G. Thomas, Rev. Dr. Michael Diaz, Rev. Erin Wyma, and Rev. Andria Davis guided the service along with thoughtful words and passages from the eleventh chapter of John’s Gospel. And, they creatively wove the sacrament of communion into the service both in keeping with the congregation’s tradition of weekly celebration and as a tangible sign of hope.
As a member of this congregation, I’m used to the regular routine. I appreciated the many transitions that made today special, including shifting the musicians from their normal location to the front of the sanctuary. And, I found myself transfixed on the screen as each new musical piece played so that I could view the names of all of those who had passed as each displayed on screen for a few seconds. Throughout the longer than usual service, I knew I was standing on holy ground.
Memorial Service for Mizti Royer
This afternoon I attended the memorial service for Mayme Clint Weber Royer known to most simply as “Mitzi.” The service was held in the gym of Bethel Lutheran Church (Dallas, Texas) since their sanctuary is currently undergoing renovations. And, it was officiated by the Rev. Chris Holder who serves as the congregation’s Interim Lead Pastor and who also serves as a Board member at the White Rock Center of Hope where Mitzi served as a volunteer from its founding in 1988 until the onset of the pandemic.
Earlier this year, I became the Executive Director of the White Rock Center of Hope (Dallas, Texas). A few months ago, I had the blessing of chatting with Mitzi by phone just hours before she passed from this life to life eternal. During that phone conversation, she shared with me her love of the Center and her certitude that it would continue to have an outsized impact on the wellbeing of the East Dallas community. And, she let me know that she had much, much more to tell me.
This service was traditional, and marked by the hope of resurrection. It included verses from the eleventh chapter of John’s gospel that had been skipped over in my morning worship experience. And, it included other familiar passages of Scripture alongside popular hymns. In the worship and in the conversations that followed, I gained new appreciation for the life and legacy of Mitzi – especially regarding her love for and investment in the White Rock Center of Hope.