All Saints Sunday

Here are the readings for All Saints Day, which was actually Tuesday, November 1, but which we celebrated this morning in church. It was a day for singing and for weeping. Before the service began we learned that our wonderful associate pastor is being transferred in January to do special outreach work with migrant workers. He's a good preacher and a good priest, and we'll miss him very much.

Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 34:1-10, 221
Ephesians 1:11-23
Matthew 5:1-12

The processional hymn was For All the Saints.
The text was written by William Walsham How in 1864. The wonderful hymn tune Sine nomine was composed by Ralph Vaughn Williams. What a glorious hymn! After the first three verses the singing paused, and the names of all parishioners who had died during the past year were read out. Candles were lit as each name was read. Unfortunately, we had an awful lot of candles this year. Many of our faithful old members died this year.

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

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!

For the apostles' glorious company,
who bearing forth the cross o'er land and sea,
shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
is fair and fruitful, be thy Name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
saw the bright crown descending from the sky,
and seeing, grasped it, thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O 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!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
we feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
and hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

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!

From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
and singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

The second hymn was I Sing a Song of the Saints of God written by Lesbia Scott. The hymn tune is Grand Isle by John H. Hopkins. In years past the children's choir members would dress up like some of the saints in the hymn and process and sing.

1. I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too.

2. They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and his love made them strong;
and they followed the right for Jesus' sake
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
and there's not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn't be one too.

3. They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still.
The world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
in church, by the sea, in the house next door;
they are saints of God, whether rich or poor,
and I mean to be one too.

One Eucharistic hymn was
This Is the Feast of Victory for Our God
The text was written by John W.Arthur © Concordia Publishing House
The hymn tune is called Festival Canticle and was composed by Richard Hillert
© Richard Hillert. The link is to a recording of a church choir singing the anthiphon for this hymn. We don't use it at communion very often. I love it.

This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.

Power and riches and wisdom
and strength and honor and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.

Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation:
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.

Blessing and honor and glory
and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.

This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who slain has begun his reign. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.

The second Eucharistic hymn was For the Bread, Which You Have Broken
The text was written by Louis F. Benson in 1924. The hymn tune is by V. Earle Copes.

For the bread, which you have broken,
for the wine which you have poured,
for the words which you have spoken,
now we give you thanks, O Lord.

By this pledge, Lord, that you love us,
by your gift of peace restored,
by your call to heaven above us,
hallow all our lives, O Lord.

As our blessed ones adore you,
seated at our Father's board,
may the Church still waiting for you
keep love's tie unbroken, Lord.

In your service, Lord, defend us;
in our hearts keep watch and ward,
in the world to which you send us
let your kingdom come, O Lord.

The final hymn was Natalie Sleath's wonderful Hymn of Promise

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

The closing voluntary was a jazz trio playing When the Saints Go Marching In just in case anyone missed the point about what the day was.