**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction to the day
In holy baptism God makes saints out of sinners. In holy communion God forgives the sins of all the saints. In worship today we give thanks for all the saints “who from their labors rest.” In the same breath we petition our God for the strength to hear and to heed the admonitions of Jesus in today’s gospel. Sealed by the Spirit and sustained by the Savior’s body and blood, we live with joy as God gives us breath, to the praise of God’s glory.
Confession
and Forgiveness
Blessed
be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who
is eager to forgive
and
who loves us beyond our days.
Amen.
Dear
friends, together let us acknowledge
our
failure to love this world as Jesus does.
God
of mercy and forgiveness,
we
confess that sin still has a hold on us.
We
have harmed your good creation.
We
have failed to do justice,
love
kindness,
and
walk humbly with you.
Turn
us in a new direction.
Show
us the path that leads to life.
Be
our refuge and strength on the journey,
through
Jesus Christ, our redeemer and friend.
Amen.
Rejoice
and be glad!
God
hears the prayers of all who cry out,
and
restores us to life through the death
and resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
Therefore,
I declare to you the forgiveness of all your sins,
in
the name of the Father,
and
of the ☩ Son,
and
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
REMEMBRANCE
OF ALL SAINTS
Let us remember all the saints before God.
All
are welcome forward to light a candle as prayer or in memory of a loved one.
These candles are a sign of the hope of New Life we have in the living Christ.
We praise and bless you, O holy Trinity. You have taught your church that it is an ageless communion of saints. We thank you for gathering those who faithfully waited in hope for the redemption you promised, and now for adding us who celebrate the love of Christ for the redemption of the world. Prepare a place for us among those who are already with you. Help us remember them as an encouragement to saintly living, exciting us to love, in anticipation of an eternal reunion. With them we praise and bless you, O holy Trinity. Amen.
Jesus
says, Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for
I am gentle and humble in heart,
and
you will find rest for your souls.
For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
And you will find rest for your souls.
Gathering
Song – Shall
We Gather at the River (ELW #423)
Greeting
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and
the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Kyrie
Canticle
of Praise
Prayer of the Day
Let
us pray.
Almighty
God, you have knit your people together in one communion in the mystical body of
your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints
in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have
prepared for those who love you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Readings
A
reading from the Book of Daniel. (7:1-3, 15-18)
In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had
a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream:
I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the
great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one
another.
As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: “As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever – forever and ever.”
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm
149
Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
God’s praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in their maker;
let the children of Zion be joyful in their ruler.
Let them praise their maker’s name with dancing;
let them sing praise with tambourine and harp.
For the Lord takes
pleasure in the people
and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;
let them sing for joy on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to wreak vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles with links of iron,
to inflict on them the judgment decreed;
this is glory for all God’s faithful ones. Hallelujah!
A
reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians. (1:11-23)
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been
destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according
to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on
Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him,
were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of
our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his
glory.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Acclamation
The
Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. (6:20-31)
Glory
to you, O Lord.
Then [Jesus] looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you,
and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap
for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their
ancestors did to the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did
to the false prophets.
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes
you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your
coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and
if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you
would have them do to you.”
The Gospel
of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
God you are my light and my salvation. You are my hope. Come into my heart, forgive all my wrongs, and give me your wonderful gift of eternal life. Help me be an instrument of your love and cause your light to shine on others through me.
All
Saints Sunday is a day set aside each year to honor our dead and honor our
grief; to celebrate their memories and to also celebrate our hope in God’s
mercy.
Many
of us have come here today with hearts that are heavy with the loss of someone
dear to us, our own saints.
Now, I’m
sure you’re wondering why these candles are set up here. Well, they’re here
because I have a story to tell you.
Four
candles slowly burn in a chapel. The flames flicker, dancing on their wicks
despite no air moving in the room.
There
is nothing but silence, so quiet you can hear the candles talking to each
other…
The
first candle says, “I am Peace!”
“The
world is full of anger and fighting. Nobody can keep me lit. I believe I’ll go
out.”
Then
the flame of peace rapidly diminishes and goes out completely.
The
second candle says, “I am faith!”
“Most
of all I am no longer indispensable. It doesn’t make sense that I stay lit
another moment.”
When
it finished talking a breeze softly blew on it, putting it out.
Sadly,
the third candle began to speak “I am love!”
“I
have not got the strength to stay lit. People don’t understand my importance,
so they simply put me aside. They even forget to love those who are nearest to
them.”
And
waiting no longer love’s flame went out.
Just
then, a young girl, shy and hesitant, enters the room and saw the three unlit
candles.
Surprised,
she says “Why aren’t you burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end.”
Saying
this, the child begins to cry.
Then
the fourth candle cries out “Don’t be afraid! While I am still burning, we can
re-light the other candles. I am hope!”
With
glistening eyes, the young girl takes the candle of hope and lights the other
three candles.
The
greatest of these four is love…but the flame of hope should never go out in
your life!
“Hope”
is a much-misunderstood word. For some, hope denotes a lack of certainty.
Often, hope is mistaken for wishful thinking. At other times, hope is confused
with having a glass-half-full kind of attitude.
But
hope, in the theological sense of the word, is not any of these things.
So,
what is hope, then?
The
author of Hebrews says that hope is the sure and certain anchor of the soul.
For
Thomists, hope is the virtue that orders our actions to a difficult but
desirable goal.
A Methodist
might simply sing that hope is the blessed assurance that Jesus is mine, a
foretaste of glory divine.
For
Paul, hope is what keeps him fighting the good fight. Hope is what keeps him
praying and praising even while in prison.
For
us, hope is that death is not the end; that there is more after death; that
because of our faith in Jesus, we will have eternal life.
For
those whom we celebrated today, death was not the end, it was the beginning of
eternal wonders that we can’t even begin to imagine.
Without
hope, our lives would be full of darkness. We would be untrusting of our
neighbours. We would be unwilling to let others into our lives. We would be
bitter towards those who have joy in their lives.
But hope
pushes out all of these negative emotions – discouragement, depression, fear,
anxiety, bitterness.
Hope
does not coexist well with these feelings. But when hope is abounding, and
overflowing, it pushes these emotions out.
We
must put our hope in Jesus Christ, to bank our hopes on him. Not yourself, not
your intelligence, not your health, not your money, not your job, not your
reputation. None of these can sustain your hope.
God
means for us to put our hope in Jesus so that it is firm and unbreakable. Jesus
is at the root of our faith and our hope in him has the strength to carry us
and support us through all of our troubles and uncertainties.
Hope
gives rise to joy and peace through our faith in God and the Holy Spirit.
The
fullness of this hope is never-ending, it can always grow and abound more and
more. By having an abundance of hope in God we are made to see greatness and
beauty.
We
must pray for God to fill us with joy and peace so that by the power of the
Holy Spirit we may abound in hope.
We
must turn to our hope in Jesus to help us put aside the fear of the stranger
and of the unknown. For without fear there can be love. And with love there can
be peace.
And
today, on a day we commemorate all of the faithful departed, we have hope that
our loved ones who have gone before us are resting in peace with God and with
Jesus.
All
four of these candles – peace, faith, love, and hope – are so closely
intertwined that a person cannot possibly feel whole without them all.
But in a world where love, faith, and peace can easily burn out…hope must stand strong for us all.
And
for that strength, we must dare to hope in Christ. Amen.
Hymn
of the Day
– For All Your Saints, O Lord (ELW #427)
Nicene’
Creed
Let us declare the faith of our baptism as we say together
the 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,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
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,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who 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.
Prayers of Intercession
United with your saints across time and place, we pray for our shared world.
Silence
Holy
One, your church rests on the faithful who came before us. Give bishops,
pastors, deacons, and lay leaders the will to carry the church forward and
discern your will for the future.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Holy
One, the earth is yours and all that dwells within it. Care for places ravaged
by natural disasters. Quell raging fires and halt destruction caused by
flooding.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Holy
One, you raise up leaders to guide your people. Kindle in them a passion to
care for others, a desire to seek the common good, and the courage to love
their enemies.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Holy
One, you bless those who are poor, hungry, and reviled. Provide food, housing,
and security to all who are vulnerable or in crisis. May those who have more
than enough give generously.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive
our prayer.
Holy
One, hold us in community with one another. Nurture a spirit of abundant
hospitality and intentional inclusion among us, welcoming the gifts of adults
and children. Inspire creative visions for our life together.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Holy
One, we remember in thanksgiving all those who have died. Wipe away our tears
and comfort us with the promise of everlasting life in you.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Accept
these prayers, gracious God, and those known only to you; through Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
Amen.
Peace
The
peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Offering
Hymn – Blessed
Assurance (ELW #638)
Offering
Prayer
Let
us pray.
Blessed
are you, Maker of all things.
As
you have entrusted us with all that you have created,
now
gather our gifts,
nourish
us with this sacrament,
and send
us to those who hunger and thirst,
for
the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.
Dialogue
The Lord
be with you.
And also with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Preface
It
is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that
we should at all times and in all places
give
thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through
our Savior Jesus Christ;
who on
this day overcame death and the grave,
and
by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.
And
so, with all the choirs of angels,
with
the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Thanksgiving at
the Table
With
all the saints of Africa and Asia, India and the islands, Europe and the
Americas,
we praise you, O God, for you create the worlds.
With
all the baptized, the old and the young, the weak and the strong, the famous
and the forgotten,
we bless you, O God, for you provide us with water and food.
With
all the faithful in cities and on farms, in mansions and huts, past and
present,
we worship you, O God, for you shelter the generations.
With
all your holy people, those who ministered in the church, those who served the
poor,
and all who walked the way of the cross,
we glorify you, O God, for in Jesus you journeyed with us on
earth.
With
Paul and the evangelists, we remember the meal of your Son:
In
the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do
this for the remembrance of me.
Again,
after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
With
Peter and all the martyrs, we honor Christ’s death, saying Amen. Amen!
With
Mary Magdalene and all the apostles, we proclaim his resurrection, shouting
Amen. Amen!
With
John and all the theologians and mystics, we look for his returning, pleading
Amen. Amen!
With
the Virgin Mary and all who sang of your greatness,
we pray for the power of the Spirit.
Visit
this gathering, this bread and this cup,
with the presence of the body and blood of Christ.
Form
us into a communion of service,
and infuse your earth with the wholeness we seek.
With
grandparents and godparents, with the church universal,
lead us to a future we cannot yet see,
and at the end draw all humanity to yourself.
Now
with all of the family you saved by your love,
we shout blessing blessing, glory glory,
wisdom wisdom, thanksgiving thanksgiving,
honor honor, power power,
might might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Amen!
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father
in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us
today our daily bread.
Forgive us
our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from
the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the
kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
Christ
invites you to this table.
Come, taste and see.
Sharing of the Eucharist
Table
Blessing
The
body and blood of our Lord
Jesus
Christ strengthen you
and
keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer
After Communion
As
we have feasted around the table, let us pray.
We
give you thanks, most gracious God,
that
you have fed us with the bread of heaven
and
given us a foretaste of Paradise.
Enliven
us to be your body in the world
and
to serve those who are in need;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
The
God of peace,
who
creates all things and calls them good,
who makes
us alive in Jesus,
and
who breathes on us the Spirit of hope,
☩ bless you now and forever.
Amen.
Sending
Song –
Dismissal
Go
in peace. Be a blessing in the world.
Thanks be to God.
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