For All the Saints

Scripture

John 14:1-4

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going.”  (NRSV)

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.  (NRSV)

Devotion

 Today is All Saints Day--the day in which we give thanks for all the saints who came before us, all who will come after us, and our own place among them.   Presbyterians believe that Christ gathers all God's faithful and sanctifies us so that they may be saints in God's perfect Kin-dom.  In our tradition, All Saints Day is an opportunity for us to remember the reflect upon the witness of ordinary believers of every time and place.  As we do so, we look forward to the day when we join the great Cloud of Witnesses that have taken up residence in our divine Father's house.

As the Companion to the Book of Common worship states:

[All Saints’ Day] reminds us that we are part of one continuing, living communion of saints. It is a time to claim our kinship with the “glorious company of apostles … the noble fellowship of prophets … the white-robed army of martyrs” (Te Deum). It is a time to express our gratitude for all who in ages of darkness kept the faith, for those who have take the gospel to the ends of the earth, for prophetic voices who have called the church to be faithful in life and service, for all who have witnessed to God’s justice and peace in every nation....In the knowledge that others have persevered, we are encouraged to endure against all odds (Hebrews 12:1-2). Reminded that God was with the faithful of the past, we are reassured that God is with us today, moving us and all creation toward God’s end in time.

This year I feel even more drawn into the spirit of All Saints Day than I usually do.  All day, I have been struck by memories of friends and loved ones who await me in the life beyond.  And I find my mind particularly drawn to memories of the ways they showed God's love to others. Family Members.  Fellow Churchgoers.  Friends.  So many people have lived in ways that quietly taught me how to share Christ's love.  These people were part of what Paul called the Great Cloud of Witnesses.  I know they await me in mansions in glory.  

What I don't know is if these people realized the impact they had on my own spiritual journey.  My personal list of saints did so much that I should have thanked them for.  They deserved more time and attention than I gave them.  And don't even get me started on the ways that I hurt some of them over the years.  

I know that I will see these people again in that realm of perfect joy that awaits us.  Still, it pains me to realize how many opportunities I missed to let folks know how much they meant to me and how important their witness was while they were still here on Earth.When I finish my race, I will have a lot of making up to do to certain folks who helped me along the way. 

This All Saints Day, I encourage you to learn from my mistakes.  Let someone know how you can see Christ working through them and how important their ministry is to them.  Make sure that they realize that you count them among the Great Cloud of Witnesses that you are grateful for all the ways that their life of faithful service to Christ gives your guidance and encouragement.  And when you have a moment, make sure to thank God for all the saints who have already finished their race after helping you along the way.  

Most of all, don't forget to keep running the race Christ has set before you.  For the day will come when you cross the finish line.  And when you rejoin that Great Cloud of Witnesses in God's mansions of Glory, what a joyful homecoming it will be.

Prayer 

Jesus, thank you for your grace and for sanctifying me along the way as I join the Great Cloud of Witnesses on the path to salvation.  Help me to be better at expressing my gratitude for everyone who has run, is running, or will run the race with me.  And when I come to your mansions of glory, may I be joyfully reunited with all those who have helped me along the way.

Works Cited

Bower, Peter C, Peter C Bower, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Companion to the Book of Common Worship. 1st ed. Louisville, Ky.: Geneva Press, 2003.  150-151.