Today was a special day at St. James, with believers having an opportunity to express gratitude to God for our ancestors during our Holy Eucharist service by lighting a candle in remembrance. This is a very meaningful act for Christians in Taiwan, especially around Lunar New Year celebrations.
Our preacher, Annie Tsai, explained during the sermon:
“We do not worship our ancestors. Worship belongs to God alone. But we give thanks for those through whom God granted us life, protection, sacrifice, memory, and for many of us, faith itself.
To remember them is not to turn backward. It is to recognize that we stand within a living story of grace, a story God has been writing across generations. And when Christ is seen clearly, we learn how to remember rightly.”
None of us would be here if not for those who came before. And so every candle you see lit is a testimony to God’s grace and care for us, which we recognize began long before we were even born.
新年快樂! Happy New Year!
