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! – William Walsham How
On November 1, Christians celebrate All Saints Day. This special day is celebrated in many ways around the world. It is a time to celebrate all the faithful people who followed Christ and now rest from the labors in the kingdom eternal. All Saints Day is significant because it is a reminder to us that our faith is much bigger than ourselves and our local congregation. We are part of a large body of believers, both on earth and in heaven. All Saints Day is a reminder to us that we are not alone in our faith, and the people who have gone before us have helped to lay a foundation of hope and grace that we now build our lives upon.
One important part of this day is gratitude. We pause to offer our gratitude for the faithful who have gone before us. They established the practices we still use today. They built the buildings we now use. They passed on the stories of faith. We have so much to be thankful for when we consider these saints who have gone before us.
When we offer our gratitude for these saints, we are reminded that we have inherited a wonderful gift. It is a gift to be cherished. It is a gift that demands our time and efforts to maintain. It requires our dedicated commitment to grow this wonderful gift from the saints and make sure it continues to make a difference in our world.
I hope you will take time to give thanks for the saints who have gone before us. In prayer, lift the names of the faithful who helped bring you closer to God. Give thanks for the saints who you do not even know, but who preserved the faith and lived out a faithful witness of love and hope to the world. These servants of God have paved a road for us to travel. We give thanks and look forward to the day we join with them in the great hymn of heaven. Until that day, we will lift our gratitude to God, “For all the saints, who from their labors rest.”
-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
