Dear friends and members of University UMC:
Here in central Texas, the summer weather has been hanging on all throughout October, but just recently we’ve been elated to pull out windbreakers and sweaters as temperatures drop below 80 degrees. Alleluia! There's even been some rain in the forecast, helping to set the mood for a cozy Halloween weekend.
This will be the first weekend my family observes in our new home in southwest Austin. We don’t know exactly what to expect. Will there be a ton of children trick-or-treating? Will we have teenagers ringing the doorbell in the late hours? Will it be eerily quiet as I eat all the candy we’ve bought? I’m not sure exactly what this weekend will hold, but I am hopeful it affords me more opportunities to connect with my new neighbors. It’s a curious thing about Halloween—this is perhaps the one time during the year when it’s socially acceptable to knock on your neighbor’s door and introduce yourself. Parents walk the streets with their children and get to know one another a little better. We learn each other’s names, or at the very least feel more connected to one another as we pass each other in the streets the following week.
This weekend we also celebrate All Saints Sunday.
