Good day! I say that instead of ‘Good Morning!', because who knows when you will read this. I hope that you are grateful for the rain we are receiving; we really needed the moisture we are getting! Hopefully, after the rain we will once again have the sun and maybe cooler weather. Rainy days are a necessity in our lives, whether they come at a convenient or inconvenient time for us.

            Happy Halloween! Halloween has eclipsed the more important day that it precedes – ALL Saints Day! Traditionally, it is an ancient feast day in the church. November 2nd is All Saints at our Church. It is an occasion to remember and celebrate the lives of faithful followers of Jesus who have died and are now in His presence in Heaven. In order to be a faithful follower of Jesus they died to the world’s standards and values and adopted the standards and beliefs of the Kingdom of God. As the apostle Paul stated they fought the good fight and finished the race. They poured out their lives as a sacrifice to the Lord. If we are to enter the eternal Kingdom of God, when we depart from this world, we must also fight the good fight and finish the race set before us!

            Thanksgiving is coming soon (November 27th). Monticello First UMC will have its annual Thanksgiving meal, after morning worship, on Sunday, November 16th. The church will provide ham, chicken and tea for the meal. Please come to this Thanksgiving meal and also bring some of your favorite foods and desserts. This is an excellent way for us to gather together and give thanks to God for His blessings. After the meal we may consider taking a special offering for the Jasper County Care corps. The holiday season is one of their busiest and most expensive times of the year. What better way is there for us to show our gratitude than to help those who have real family needs during this holiday season?

            Practice sessions for Monticello’s 101st Community Christmas Cantata “Carols from Around the World” are underway. Practices are every Sunday at MFUMC. The time is 1:30 to 3:00 p.m in the Sanctuary. Thanks to all those who make the sacrifice of their time every Sunday and are willing to use their musical talent to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Cantata will be held on December 14, 2025. There are two performances: the first at 4 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m. Please plan to attend one or both of these performances. This event is a very pleasant way to get into the real spirit of Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the Season – without Christ there would be no Christmas!

            We will have our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight service on Wednesday, December 24th in the Sanctuary at 4 o’clock. We will have carols and a short Christmas meditation. We will also celebrate Holy Communion. I really enjoy this service and hope to see many of our church family in attendance. The service will be over in plenty of time for you to have family Christmas Eve traditions and to get to sleep with visions of sugarplums in your head!

            I hope to see you in Church this Sunday. It is not the same without your presence and you will not be the same if you are not here!

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Grace and Peace, Ben