Happy All Saints Day, Hope, and my first book signing.

I woke in the middle of the night and remembered Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration talking to Moses and Elijah. The ancient Celts observed a day near November 1 when they observed a time when a "thin place" exists between our world and the next. Surely transfiguration's mountain moment was such a thin place--Jesus being counseled by a couple of Old Testament heroes who had been gone for several centuries.

Today we wake to a new month and new Sunday. I pray both will be thin places for you. I pray you will know peace with your tomorrows, and a fearlessness in the face of mystery. I pray we can hold confidence in the most trying of times that there is the One who can speak "Come forth!" And that at the end of the journey there will be a "Well done." This morning I long to instill such hope in some dear people.

(Seems "hope" is an abused word...one that has become hollow and less sacred. I wish we could reserve it for use amongst people of faith. I wish it were a word we shared amongst friends and heard only from poets. It should be the domain of intimacy, not fifth avenue.)

Today I'll have my first book signing. The entire process goes against my nature. I've never wanted an autograph, though I guess I have enjoyed a signed book from a few friends. I hope I'll be able to encourage a few friends with some written words in the front of a book.

I hope you will know peace today.

Halloween, Hanging Out with the Dead and All Saints Day

I once had a mentor and friend who is a Roman Catholic Sister to tell me I should ask my deceased friend to pray for me. That was a square peg in my round brain. Didn't fit. And I responded by asking how I could possibly speak to, or pray to someone who was dead? "Is he?" she asked. I explained that I had performed his funeral, and I was absolutely certain that he was indeed dead.

She just stared at me, as if I were not getting it. And then I did.

"OK, I believe my friend still lives...but in Heaven."

And she followed with, "Do you believe he is in the presence of Jesus...of God?"

"Yes."

"Then he can speak to God?"

"Yes."

"Ask him to speak to God for you, David," she smiled then, as if maybe she had gotten through to a very slow student.

I'm not positive she did. We just don't teach that in our church. OR DO WE?

This week we will recite together The Apostle's Creed, including that we believe in "the communion of the saints." Hmmm. We'll sing the hymn entitled The Church's One Foundation which includes these cryptic lyrics: "Yet we on earth have union with God the Three-In-One. And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won..." :-0 Then we will read from Hebrews 12:1 about how we are "surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses." I can't see them. Can you?

In my book there is a character that Trent meets in the desert. If you've read The Runaway Pastor, what do you think of Father Timothy?

Just what do we believe about such mysteries?

Oh, well. Just some observations on All Saints Day, which is why we have "All Hollow's Eve," or "Halloween..."