For All The Saints

All Saints Day Worship - Nov 1

Hymn 677 - "For All the Saints"

1 For all the saints who from their labors rest, who Thee by faith before the world confessed;

Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia, Alleluia!

2 Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;

Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia, Alleluia!

3 O blest communion, fellowship divine! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;

yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. Alleluia, Alleluia!

4 And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long, steals on the ear the distant triumph song,

and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia, Alleluia!

5 But then there breaks a still more glorious day: the saints triumphant rise in bright array;

the King of glory passes on His way. Alleluia, Alleluia!

6 From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast, through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,

in praise of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia, Alleluia!

Today we observe "All Saints Day," in which we remember those loved ones who have gone before us during the past year (or years). We mourn their loss, but as the hymn notes, we praise their salvation, we join them briefly in the Lord's Supper (v 3 - see explanatory notes below), will be with them in Christ's presence when our time comes, and will join them in the resurrection on that final day.

Christ was their rock and fortress as he is ours. Given that, we praise their eternal rest in the church triumphant and their victory over death secured by faith in Christ.

"Saints are all those who are set apart by God's grace in Christ, who trust in His forgiveness and confess His name by faith, who are enabled to do this by His Spirit through His Word and Sacraments. The hymn addresses Jesus, and the first two stanzas speak about the saints who have gone before and attained their heavenly rest. While stanzas 1 and 2 speak of the great cloud of witnesses, stanzas 3 through 6 bring the story around to believers on earth. The military imagery begun in stanza 2 continues, as earthly saints are called soldiers who are fighting to win the victor's crown (2 Timothy 2:5), the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)."

"The final two stanzas proclaim the second coming of Christ. We gain a glimpse in the poet's words of the awesome event when the countless host of believers streams into paradise sounding the praises of the Holy Trinity. This glimpse is given each Sunday during the Eucharist (Holy Communion) when we hear in the liturgy, "Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name every more praising you and saying, "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth." What follows is nothing less than a foretaste of the feast to come with Christ, as heaven touches earth in the Holy Supper."

"Lutheran Service Book, Devotional Edition," CPH, St. Louis, 2024

"For All the Saints" Text - William How, 1823 - 1897

Hebrews 12; Revelation 2, 14, 17