Description
1 John 3:1-3
Little kids have it great. When they do good or just look cute, we are quick to praise and coddle. When they make a mistake we forgive and help teach. They are taken care of unconditionally and have little worry of things to come. Oh to be a kid forever.
In fact, this day we celebrate exactly that – we are God’s kids forever. Our Baptisms have brought us into God’s family as his beloved kids. We are perfectly cared for, even through physical death. On this All Saints Day we celebrate the victory Christ has won for us – a victory we enjoy because of our baptisms into His family.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
[Begin your worship service with this music in a triumphant way. Avoid announcements or introductions at this time. Distinctly show that worship is beginning by ending preservice music and having a fanfare or dramatic introduction to this first piece.
Consider holding or repeating the final verse and/or chorus of the final song after the Opening Sentences.
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
Wilbur Chapman, Mark Hall, & Michael Bleecker, © 2009 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) My Refuge Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Songs LLC)
Friend Of God
Israel Houghton & Michael Gungor, ©2003 Integrity’s Praise! Music/Vertical Worship Songs
Everlasting God
Brenton Brown & Ken Riley, ©2006 Thankyou Music
[Traditional Options]
For All The Saints
BH75 144; BH91 355; CH 767; CHH 637; EH 287; ELW 422; HWC 546; HFG 614; HLC 533; HGP 25; LBW 174; LSB 677; LW 191; NCH 299; PH 526; RH 667; STTL 685; TFWS 2283; WC 751; UMH 711; WAR 529; WHM 597; WIS 310
All Christians Who Have Been Baptized
LSB 596
Lord Jesus Christ Be Present Now
ELW 527; LBW 253; LSB 902; LW201; NCH 324
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Based on Psalm 149
Pastor We begin this celebration of Christ’s victory in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL AMEN! Praise the LORD!
Pastor Sing to the LORD a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His people!
ALL Praise Him for He has created us! He has adorned us with salvation!
Pastor Praise the Lord!
ALL Praise the Lord! Amen!
[Optional: repeat verse and/or chorus of final song here.]
Opening Prayer
Pastor Almighty and everlasting God, You gather together Your chosen people of all times and places into the body of Jesus Christ. We pray that You would keep us in the true faith, living faithfully in the love You abundantly give to us, that we would enjoy the heavenly peace enjoyed by the saints who have gone before us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
ALL Amen.
Time of Greeting
Welcome those gathered, reminding them that in this worship service we are gathered together with all the faithful – regardless of time or place. If a member has recently died, this can be a time to remind folks of this celebration day as a day when we rejoice for those who have gone before us.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate locations: preceding Gospel, or following Message]
Pastor It is right for us to purify ourselves. We have been called children of God through our Baptism and have a place prepared for us in heaven. Trusting in His grace and mercy, looking forward to our victory in heaven, let us humble ourselves before the Lord, our heavenly Father.
Moment of silence for self-examination
ALL Father, we have sinned in thought, word, and deed. We have not loved You with our whole heart, we have not loved our neighbors as Your son has loved us. We humble ourselves before you, laying our sins at the feet of Your son Jesus.
Pastor Jesus came to proclaim forgiveness to all who come to Him broken and lowly. He has come to you this day to lift you up in His glory. Victory over sin has been won for you on the cross. As your Pastor, by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins. We are God’s perfect and pure children!
ALL Thanks be to God!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Revelation 7:9-17
The Lord grants John this vision of what is to come for all the saints. Heaven is a place of perfect peace and worship, a place with no pain or struggle. This is vision is for you and me – a very real picture of what is prepared for us when Jesus calls us on that last day.
Reader 9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice,
ALL “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Reader 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying,
ALL “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Reader 13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying,
Pastor “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
Reader 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me,
Pastor “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
