“Rejoice in God’s saints, today and always; a world without saints forgets how to praise.”*
As we approach All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1, Bishop Ward reminds us that saints are those who’ve gone before us and persons who still walk among us.
* Words: Fred Pratt Green (C) 1973, 1980 Hope Publishing Company
Grace and peace to you saints of God.
In this week, we celebrate all God’s saints. November 1 is All Saints Day and in the life of the church. this is the time when we give thanks to God for all those who have gone before us, who are now in heaven. All those who have been our parents and grandparents and great grandparents, those who have been our pastors and teachers and mentors and friends and encouragers. We give thanks for the way they poured their lives into our own. For every memory, we hold deep, deep gratitude.
Also on All Saints Day, we give thanks for the saints we can see, like this wonderful friend named Charley. Here, you see him at age 91, participating in his 151st Volunteers- in-Mission work team. We are inspired by his witness and we step into the circle of all God’s saints, giving thanks that God generously gives us this beautiful name.
May we with grateful hearts celebrate All Saints Day, those in heaven and those on earth, God’s great company of the saints of light.