Hebrews 12:1-3 "All Saints' Remembrances"

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         I love that phrase from our Biblical book of Hebrews, the one that attests to the idea that we are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.”  It makes me realize that you and I are not alone in this church sanctuary on this special morning, on this day when we look back and remember those people in our congregation and in our families who passed away during the year even as we look forward and make our pledged commitments to the future of our church. 

         Oh yes, I can imagine faces looking down on us – faces that reflect the love and power of the Holy One, faces that are perhaps the face itself of God.  I can imagine faces of not only those who have gone before who loved this church so dearly, but I can also imagine the faint outline of those who are yet to come, the ones who will carry on the ministries of welcome and education and mission that we have worked so hard to create and perpetuate here in our small church with its big heart.  For me, those words from Hebrews offer such a wonderful image of, and link to, everyone who made  - and will make - their lifetime journey in faith and in great high hope.         

         And somewhere within that “great cloud of witnesses” are mothers and grandmothers, church elders, aunts, and friends.  Somewhere within that “great cloud of witnesses” are the ones who saw to it for years that our Advent poinsettia tree was filled with those red winter blooms, who sang in our choir, who collected porcelain dolls, who skied into their nineties, who gave generously to church and family.

         And now, as we do each All Saints’ Sunday, let us take a few moments to remember those in both our church and our nuclear families who died this past year but whose presence we will always feel in that special place in our hearts because they are part of that amazing and comforting “great cloud of witnesses.”

VIRGINIA DAY – Virginia is Dick Day’s mother.  She was 103 when she died, but, as her obituary stated, she “lived to the very end.”  Ginny (as she was known) was one of 13 children, graduated from Penn State as a physical education major, and later taught English in Yarmouth and Presque Isle.  She bore five children who, in turn, blessed her with 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 3 great great-grandchildren. Ginny remained physically active well into her nineties, down hill skiing until an injury sidelined her at 76 when she took up cross country.  Ten years later, at 86, she hiked part of the Appalachian Trail with one of her sons.  She loved to garden and was a founding member of the Walnut Hill Gardening Club and a longtime member of the North Yarmouth Congregational Church.

ARLENE GORDAN – Arlene is Scott Gordan’s mother.  She was one of five siblings and was a Mainer through and through, living her entire life in Westbrook.  She married the love of her life in her mid-twenties, and, as we all do, she wished for the long and full lifetime with him that they surely both deserved.  Though they were only given 20 years together, they lived it well.  At his death, Arlene’s inner strength blossomed as she did a fine job being both mother and father to Scott and his brother – and later being “Grammy” to her four granddaughters and two great-grandsons.  Arlene worked hard all her life – first at the old A&P store, then at Fairchild, and finally at Art’s Variety.  And guess what?  Well into retirement, she went back to school and took classes in order to receive her high school diploma at age 75.

SALLY MACAUSLAN – Some of you long timers here in our church may remember Sally.  As a child, Vicki remembers her as “one of the most amazing sopranos” she has ever heard.  Born in 1924, Sally was a life-long learner with endless curiosity about the natural world.  She studied geology and geography in college, graduating from Mount Holyoke in three short years.  She did geological fieldwork in the Rocky Mountains and was employed by Harvard University for the American Geological Society.  Sally was also passionate about music.  She took singing and piano lessons as a teenager and more formally developed her gift in college and at the New England Conservatory of Music, sharing her talents in the years to come through the Maine Opera Guild and the Maine Choral Arts Society.  Sally worked as a librarian in Bridgton and at Bridgton Hospital.  She volunteered with the Girl Scouts and American Field Service. She was a founding member of the Deertrees Theater Foundation and worked to preserve MacLaughlin Garden in South Paris.  “Life is too short,” she said, “you have to live it to the fullest, making every day count.”

 KATHY STEPHENS – Kathy returned to this church about seven or eight months ago. Probably her most defining characteristic was her energy.  She had lots of it! She was happiest being busy doing something, working at something.  It might have been a job – like the 15 years she worked at Liberty Mutual Insurance, or the years she was employed after retirement as an ed tech in the Gray-New Gloucester schools, or the years that she owned and operated the Village Store in New Gloucester.  Here at church it was cataloguing hundreds of books and DVDs for the church library that we are establishing – as well as figuring out just how and where each book and movie should be shelved.  Kathy seemed to know everybody too – but in a friendly and not gossipy sort of way.  Her favorite hangout was at Chute’s in Windham, and people loved running into her there, soaking up her positive vibes, and laughing because had an incredible and quick sense of humor.  She was independent, determined, and oh so strong, particularly as she lived with her rare form of cancer, always focusing on living the best that she could, putting on her positve face, and thinking optimistically.  

PATRICA STULTS – Pat is Lynn Gagne’s mother and Bekah’s grandmother. Pat’s life was rich with experiences of love and community and extended family.   She graduated from Deering High School, married Shep, the love of her life, after graduation, and was blessed with 62 wonderful years at his side – with quite a few of them spent square and round dancing.  Pat was a Girl Scout leader, active in the Windham Garden Club, and a lifetime member of Deering 59, Portland, Order of the Easter Star.  She delighted in creating porcelain dolls and demonstrating her craft at schools and nursing homes.  Her three sons and four daughters will surely remember all the clothing she sewed for them and the pizza dough she made.  They will remember her sitting in the stands at all their baseball games and track meets and all the 4H projects she supported. They will remember the love she had for her 16 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Friends and family will also remember the wedding cakes she made, her dedication to the church as her children were growing up, and even her job as ticket taker at the local drive-in. 

MURIEL TRAFFORD – Muriel was an active associate member of our church for many years.  She cherished the strong and loving relationships she had with people in our congregation, especially her friendship with Ann Harriman.  Singing was a big part of Muriel’s life.  She sang in one church choir or another for over 35 years as well as adding her voice to the Portland and South Portland Community Choruses.   I believe she was also an eager and talented participant in the summer musicals and revues that were part of our church’s annual summer agenda in decades gone by.  A few years after her husband died, Muriel moved to Cape Elizabeth to live with, as she termed it, a “dear and loving companion.”  She and Harold shared a caring and supportive relationship for a number of years.  I knew Harold, and I can say without a doubt that they loved each other dearly. As Muriel once wrote, “I feel very fortunate to be here with him.  We are happy.  I have a feeling our former mates would not mind, knowing we are caring for each other.”

ROSEMARY TRIPP – Rosie never missed a Sunday here at church – unless it was to watch and/or cheer on a grandchild at a sporting event, concert, or play.  She was a true matriarch – having a strong commitment to and love for her family. She was the glue that held them all together, and she and her husband, Charles, always put her family’s needs before their own. She was a great cook and, more than anything else, she loved to feed her family.  It is said that no one could put a meal together better or faster than she could. Rosemary had a strong work ethic and impeccable values. “Kill them with kindness” was her philosophy – that and helping others because “it is the right thing to do.”  Rosie was a fixture for over 50 years at Raymond and Windham School events and had the reputation of baking the best cookies, pies, and cakes to support any event in which any of her four children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren participated. As Vicki said, she “believed you showed love and support by being physically there, clapping and cheering the loudest, and showing “on the spot” how proud’ you were. Here at church where she was a devoted member for nearly 60 years, Rosie made sure we had poinsettias to decorate our sanctuary at Christmas.  She supported in a variety of mission projects, taught nursery school, and worked on church suppers.  In recognition of her ongoing support of this church, she was elected an Elder in 2006. As Vicki recalled, Rosemary” lived a Christian life of service – to her family, to her friends that needed her, and to the broader community.  This church was her foundation and she loved the people in it – particularly her Golden Girls (Muriel Yeager and Ann Harriman) who brought great joy to her life.  She was a fixture here – in her pew on the left side – and (her family) is sure she is still here in spirit every Sunday.”  It’s that “great cloud of witnesses” again!

         Surely Vicki is right!  I mean, can you feel the ongoing presence of these seven strong and independent women all around us?  Wherever you turn, can you sense them instilling us with faith and whispering their hope for the church and for this world?  They are indeed part of the “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us – their invisible (though perhaps not so invisible) faces looking down upon us.  If you ever wondered what the Almighty was like, if you ever wondered what the Holy One looked like, then remember these seven extraordinary women and the essence of their lives, for surely they are the face of God and a whispering hope for all of us.

by Rev. Nancy Foran, Raymond Village Community Church (United Church of Christ), Raymond, Maine