A Concord Pastor Comments: Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 11/8

November is the month of All Souls, a special time to pray for family and friends who have died. I don't know how people without faith face the death of a loved one. I couldn't have dealt with the loss my parents, other family members and friends without the hope, the trust, the belief I have that death is not the end. The words below, adapted from the Rite of Funerals, give voice to the faith that sustains me.

Before you pause for prayer today, take a moment to remember, by name, those who have died and for whom you want to pray...

Lord,

I believe that all the ties of friendship and affection
which knit us as one throughout our lives
- do not unravel with death...

I'm confident, Lord,
that you always remember the good we have done
and forgive our sins,
so I pray, today,
asking you to gather my loved ones into your arms...

Their passing recalls our human condition
and the brevity of our lives on earth.
But for those who believe in your love,
death is not the end,
nor does it destroy the bonds you forge
in our lives...

Image source

Strengthen the faith and hope that is mine
in following your Son, Jesus.
Bring the light of Christ's peace to my heart
as I remember the loss of my loved ones
and as I pray for them
and for all who loved them...

Amen.

Our God knits us as one throughout our lives in ties of love and affection. Not even death can unravel what God has knit together. God forges bonds of love between us that cannot be destroyed. Neither loss nor pain nor grief nor sadness can separate us from the love of God and the love of those who have gone before us.