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The Hymn #463 For All the Saints
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 24 p. 128
The Lections The Passion History
The Lections The Passion History
The Sermon – For All the Saints
The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
The Collect for Grace p. 45
The Hymn #554 Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadows
The Hymn #554 Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadows
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| Norma A. Boeckler For All the Saints The hymn is one of those beautiful descriptions of life for the Christian believer. The first thing I consider is the span from newborn to great-grandparent, then in-between. That covers so many areas of life. It is funny how "saint" gets set aside for many other titles and descriptions. The bad guys always say, "I'm no saint," and the famous people often become saints, which become titles of cities, which become sports teams. The basic name is "holy," which is perfect as a description by itself - through Justification by Faith, gaining access to God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Thousands of seriously warped people teach others that every single person on earthhas already been forgiven, even that they are guilt-free saints in Hell (an awkward, foolish claim). The glitterings of robes and special hats and expensive jewelry take away the meaning of holy or saint. All those expenses are the opposite of what Jesus taught and exemplified, because He had nothing - but gave away His healing and His forgiveness. Holiness is from the Son of God, and that makes us saints in belonging to Him. Our nature is to earn, to achieve, but faith is receiving what the Savior pours out on us. Parents and grandparents and great-grandparents say, "What a treasure! What a blessing! Look at how fragile and yet strong this baby is!" Just as the baby listens and responds to the adults, so the believer has the same attitude toward the Good Shepherd. In faith we listen and learn, no matter how old we are. The big strong disciples wanted to keep the children away from the Master, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me and do not forbid them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God." The greatest strength is not our experience, or honors, or anything else, but trust in Him who created heaven and earth as the Word, the Logos, the Son of God. My neighbor wanted to find a special flower in the midst of all the daffodils. She got down and said, "It is very short and perfumed." She knew about where it was but could not see it. Today I looked again there it was, tiny, fragile, almost invisible - Hyacinth!  We are experiencing an unusual windstorm. Tomorrow the long stretch on Joye street will be littered with the limbs that gave up. The smallest flowers now springing up will even be found around the fallen branches, and they will start the next step. |
by William W. How, 1823-1897
1. For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confess,
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. O 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. 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!
7. 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!
8. The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest.
Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hymn #463
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Heb. 12:1
Author: William W. How, 1864, cento
Composer: R. Vaughan Williams, 1906, arr.
Tune: "Sine nomine"
