All Saints Day in 2019 will forever be seared in my memory. Just days before, my grandmother died. Still in grief, and having not yet traveled home to Wisconsin to join my family, I honored and celebrated my grandmother with you all in worship. In truth, as I led worship that morning, I was barely holding back tears. And yet, as I looked up and saw your faces, and then as I looked down and looked at our prayer cross aglow with candle after candle after candle, it was clear to me that in that moment not only was my grandmother gathered with all the saints…but I was as well.
This coming Sunday, as a congregation we will be celebrating All Saints Day. In the Lutheran tradition, we honor and remember those saints who have died in the past year, and those saints who have been baptized in the past year. For some, All Saints Day is one of joy as we remember and celebrate the gift of baptism, through which all God’s children are given life. And for others, All Saints Day is one filled with mixed emotions as the realities of death and life intermingle together.
Mindful of the various ways in which each of us approach All Saints Day, and mindful of the number of our Shepherds who have lost a family member or friend in the past year, I encourage you to approach our upcoming worship service with reverence. As you’re able, offer compassion to those remembering those who have died. And, for all of us – whether or not you are remembering a specific saint – engage in worship knowing that you are not alone…but are surrounded by so many saints who walk alongside you in faith.
In confidence that we are gathered with Christ, and with the whole communion of saints, we gather this Sunday in hope…and we approach each of our days in the promise of Christ’s resurrection. So today, even as you prepare for our joint celebration of All Saints Day, offer your thanks to God for the saints that surround you. Bring to God your tears and grief for those who have gone before, and offer your praise for the life that has been given to you – and all God’s saints – through Jesus Christ.