All Saints’ Day 2020
Pentecost 22 All Saints 2020 Printable PDF
ALL SAINT’S DAY
NOVEMBER 1, 2020
ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH, VA
SERVICE OF WORD AND PRAYER
✠ ✠ ✠
PRELUDE For All the Saints Setting: Richard Heschke
WELCOME
ENTRANCE 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 Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
4 Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
5 And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
6 The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
7 But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
8 From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
In the name of the Father, and of the ✠ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
(Silence for reflection and self-examination)
O almighty God, merciful Father,
I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for His sake God forgives us all our sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ He gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit. May the Lord, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
KYRIE (melody is available on the PDF)
Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS #947 All Glory Be to God on High (melody is available on the PDF)
1 All glory be to God on high
And thanks for all His favor;
No harm can touch or terrify
A child of God forever.
God shows His good and gracious will
And grants His peace, the world to fill—
All strife at last has ended.
2 We praise and laud and worship You;
We give You thanks forever,
O Father, for Your rule is true
And just and changes never.
With boundless pow’r, Your mighty reign
Fulfills whatever You ordain.
Lord, grant us ev’ry blessing!
3 O Jesus Christ, the only Son
Begotten of the Father,
Your saving death has made us one
With God and with each other.
O Lamb of God, to You on high
In our distress we sinners cry,
Have mercy on us, amen!
4 O Holy Spirit, our delight
And source of consolation,
Protect us from the devil’s might
Through Jesus, our salvation,
Who by His death upon a tree
Has rescued us from misery:
To this we hold forever.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God,
You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
FIRST LESSON Revelation 7:9–17
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 149
Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.
Let the godly exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands,
to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples,
to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron,
to execute on them the judgment written!
This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the Lord!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SECOND LESSON 1 John 3:1–3
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
GOSPEL Matthew 5:1–12
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 5th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ
SERMON
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
Today we give thanks for the saints. All of them.
The Festival of All Saints has a long and complicated history, with origins in the remembrance of the martyrs and the desire to make sure people who lived the faith well get recognized. It may have become part of the church’s calendar simply because the calendar was already filled with individual saints and there was no room for new ones.
We Lutherans are not that concerned about making sure everyone gets their day. And for that matter, we don’t spend much effort thinking about who is worthy to be considered a saint or not. But All Saints’ Day does still have great meaning for us. In fact, having a day dedicated to all the saints works well for us in many ways.
First, it allows us to think about the people who have been saints to us. These are the people who either passed on the message of the faith to us directly, or who lived the faith so well that they served as an example and an inspiration to us.
I’m guessing that you, like me, have people in your life that have done both of these things for you.
For me, I think particularly of my mother’s family as the ones who passed on the substance of the faith. My maternal grandfather was a pastor, as were two of my grandmother’s brothers. Family gatherings always involved time and attention to church matters, church teachings and prayer. And while both my mom and my dad taught the faith to me, my mom did it in a way that spoke to me in a very deep and emotional way – through music.
My dad’s family, on the other hand, may not have been as outwardly involved in the passing along of the church’s doctrine, but they still shared the faith with me. They shared it through their kindness and acceptance, their generosity and their commitment. My grandmother had the best smile and the kindest wink you ever saw. My grandfather was always very generous to his beloved grandchildren. And my father has been and continues to be a solid rock of commitment to faith and family.
These people are saints to me. Today I remember them with great affection. And you have people you are remembering as well. We remember, and we give thanks.
A second reason the All Saints’ celebration works well for us is that it reminds us of the many different characteristics that can make one saintly.
We in the Lutheran church lift up Biblical figures as saints, remembering them with festival days in our calendar. When we remember different people, we are reminded of the different ways they lived the faith. Paul was different than Peter, as we know. John and Thomas and Mary all brought their own unique personalities and gifts and callings to the faith. We are grateful for such an assortment of saints. They give us a fuller picture in our minds of what saintly living truly is.
Our entrance hymn today – the great classic “For All the Saints” – also gives us a picture of sainthood. Notice that it is focused mostly on one characteristic: a saint is strong. Stanza five declares this most clearly by remembering those times when “hearts are brave again and arms are strong.”
And as an aside, those particular words of the hymn are the ones that always prompt me to declare to one of our families – the Armstrong family – that this is their song!
According to the hymn, saints exhibit strength in two ways. First, the saint is strong in confessing their faith. We see this right away in the first stanza: “Who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.” Saints are not ashamed of the Gospel but proclaim it loud and clear.
Saints also exhibit strength by fighting. Stanza two of the hymn references the “well-fought fight.” Stanza three prays for “soldiers” who will “fight as the saints who nobly fought of old.” Stanza five tells of times when “the fight is fierce, the warfare long.” These verses echo the language of St. Paul when he said at the end of his life “I have fought the good fight.”
Saints must fight. But how? Aren’t saints to be people of love? Yes, of course. Saints will show their love in many ways, including defending the faith, but also by fighting against temptation. Saints fight against the temptation to sin. And they fight against the temptation to lose faith.
These are big fights and not to be taken lightly. They require great strength—strength which must come from one’s relationship with God. The hymn makes this clear by calling God our captain, our rock, our fortress and our might. God will strengthen us for the fight when we follow his leading and put our trust in him.
If today’s entrance hymn highlights the saintly characteristic of strength, today’s Gospel reading highlights the saintly characteristic of humility. “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are they who mourn. Blessed are the meek.” Etc.
The church has always read this great text on All Saints’ Day. The text describes for us a life that knows how to accept and live with pain and suffering. And it describes a life that has a heart of compassion for others. Hear again how it calls us to “hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and accept persecution.”
The fulfillment of these callings will not be seen as strong and powerful in the eyes of the world. But it will, nonetheless, accomplish great things.
Those who live this way are to be called “blessed.” They are to be recognized. They are to be celebrated and lifted up as examples for us all. They are to be known as saints. They will change the world through their service, their deference, their kindness. They will encourage the choosing of what is right. They will promote truth and honesty among us.
And yet, these verses from Matthew – the Beatitudes, we call them – are not just a listing of saintly characteristics. They are also, and primarily, a listing of promises from God.
According to these verses, God sees us in our poverty and need – and promises to do something about it. He sees us when we are poor in spirit – and promises that we will receive the kingdom. He sees us when we mourn – and promises to comfort us. He sees us when we are meek – and promises that we will inherit the earth. He sees us when we are hungering and thirsting for righteousness – and promises that we shall be satisfied.
These great promises of God are all aspects of the salvation he gives to his people. One other aspect of his salvation that he gives… is to make us holy. To make us saints.
None of us are deserving of the title “saint.” We have all fallen short of God’s measure of holiness. We have all sinned.
And yet, when we place our faith in Christ Jesus as our Savior, God sees us as holy. God regards the sacrifice of his Son Jesus on the cross as payment for our sins. And because of this, Christ’s holiness becomes ours.
Revelation seven describes this as having our robes washed and made white by the blood of the Lamb. First John three describes this as us becoming God’s children.
Jesus describes it as people being blessed. “Blessed are those…” he says of us in our weakness. We are blessed by his actions. We are blessed through what we are receiving, for we are receiving salvation.
Jesus concludes the Beatitudes by saying “great is your reward in heaven.” And this reminds us of another reason the Festival of All Saints’ is so beloved. When we think of saints, we not only think of those people who were good examples and those who have been made holy by Jesus, but we also think of those who now live with the Lord in heaven. They are the saints who from their labors rest. They are the saints who stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb.
The Festival of All Saints’ is a day to remember those who have died in the faith. We will toll the bell at St. Paul’s and remember our brothers and sisters who have died during this past year. And we will all be remembering others from years past who still linger in our memories and fill us with feelings of love.
Those who are now in the Lord’s presence singing praises together are known as the Church Triumphant. Our hymn of the day comes from the section of the hymnal bearing that label and it is a glorious description of what life is like for the saints who have gone before us and what it will be for us when we arrive.
May you be blessed as you consider this vision articulated in the hymn. And even more, may you be blessed as you remember all the saints… including the sainthood given to you, by Christ Jesus. In his holy name, amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY #671 Sing With All the Saints in Glory
1 Sing with all the saints in glory,
Sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story,
To the former days belong.
All around the clouds are breaking;
Soon the storms of time shall cease;
In God’s likeness we awaken,
Knowing everlasting peace.
2 Oh, what glory, far exceeding
All that eye has yet perceived!
Holiest hearts for ages pleading
Never that full joy conceived.
God has promised, Christ prepares it;
There on high our welcome waits.
Ev’ry humble spirit shares it,
Christ has passed the_eternal gates.
3 Life eternal! Heav’n rejoices:
Jesus lives who once was dead.
Shout with joy, O deathless voices!
Child of God, lift up your head!
Life eternal! Oh, what wonders
Crowd on faith; what joy unknown,
When, amid earth’s closing thunders,
Saints shall stand before the throne!
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING Sing with All the Saints in Glory Setting Walter L. Pelz
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
In our time of prayer, we remember with thanksgiving those who have gone before us with the sign of faith. God gave new life to them through Holy Baptism, nourished them in the company of His people at His holy table, and in His mercy summoned them to His eternal presence so that they may continue to serve Him forever.
Those members of St. Paul’s receiving Christian burial this past year:
Carol, Dorothy, Richard
also in our prayers are the former members and loved ones of our parishioners
who died this past year:
Steve, Carol, Julie, Phyllis,
Claude, Hugo, Charles, Albert, Terri
Standing with the great multitude of saints before the throne of God and the Lamb, let us join in prayer, praise and thanksgiving to the God of our salvation.
Brief silence
Mighty and eternal God, we remember before You the saints and martyrs of every generation, who trusted in You in the face of terror and threat. Grant that when facing persecution and trial in our own day, we may be steadfast in faith. Deliver those whom You have washed in Baptism, granting the new life that death cannot overcome. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, You established the Church and have granted her Your aid and protection through these many years. Continue to pour out upon us Your Spirit and Your grace, that we may accomplish Your bidding and proclaim Your saving name to every corner of the earth. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, although we are unworthy of Your blessing, you continue to pour out your mercies upon us each day. Give us the will and desire to care responsibly for all that You have entrusted to us and lead us to be generous in supporting Your Church and those who are in need. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, bless the leaders of our nation, including the president, the Congress, our governor, the legislature and all local officials, that pursuing the path of justice they may act with humility and honor for the good of all people. Give wisdom to all who vote this week, and bless its result, that our nation may elect our leaders peacefully and orderly. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, show forth Your kindness to the poor and Your compassion to those who suffer injustice. Deliver us from the scourge of racism and prejudice and help us to acknowledge our common life from Your creative power and our common redemption in Christ, our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, we rejoice that You have rescued us from the power of death and raised us in Christ to dwell with Him in everlasting life. Give to those who grieve the comfort that comes from the promise of the resurrection and the joy of eternal life. Bless especially the family and friends of those among us who have gone into glory this past year, including Carol, + Dorothy, + Richard, + and Steve, Carol, Julie, Phyllis, Claude, Hugo, Charles, Albert and Terri +. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, You have made us Your children, and You continue to guard us as Your own possession. According to Your will, give healing to the sick, calm to the troubled in mind, and patience to those facing sorrow and struggle. Give health and peace to our nation, and hear us especially on behalf of _____________. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Mighty and eternal God, bring us to that day when every tear shall be wiped from our eyes, when we shall hunger and thirst no more, and when we shall know You face to face. And until that day, keep us steadfast in faith through Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd and Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make His face shine on us
and be gracious to us.
The Lord look upon us with favor and ✠ give us peace.
SENDING HYMN #670 Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
1 Ye watchers and ye holy ones,
Bright seraphs, cherubim, and thrones,
Raise the glad strain: “Alleluia!”
Cry out, dominions, princedoms, pow’rs,
Virtues, archangels, angels’ choirs:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”
2 O higher than the cherubim,
More glorious than the seraphim,
Lead their praises: “Alleluia!”
Thou bearer of the_eternal Word,
Most gracious, magnify the Lord:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”
3 Respond, ye souls in endless rest,
Ye patriarchs and prophets blest:
“Alleluia, alleluia!”
Ye holy Twelve, ye martyrs strong,
All saints triumphant, raise the song:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”
4 O friends, in gladness let us sing,
Supernal anthems echoing:
“Alleluia, alleluia!”
To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Ye Watchers and Ye Holy One Setting: Ralph C. Schultz
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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