1 November - Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost – Year A All Saints Day

The Faith Action Programme would like to thank Rev Dr Conor Fegan, Minister of Edinburgh New Town Church, for his thoughts on the Lectionary readings for All Saints Day.

Introduction

Preparing to lead worship can be a daunting task, no matter how often we do it. Thankfully, there is no shortage of material to help us, there are commentaries, lectionary resources, and many, many websites that can offer insight and inspiration.

Nevertheless, the best place to begin is with the appointed readings themselves. Read them prayerfully, read them more than once, and maybe even read them aloud. Notice which words keep coming back to you, which images stay with you, or the parts that make you uncomfortable. Ask yourself what have you never noticed before? Or what does not make sense? What is challenging you? And, most importantly, where is the good news?

Questions like these do not immediately give us a sermon or an order of service, but they help us to listen for what the Lessons are saying this week. And they may also keep us from forcing the passages to say what we have already decided they should say. If we begin with the texts, then we are well on the way to preparing worship which is challenging and comforting, rooted in scripture and able to speak into the lives people are living now.

This week's Lessons are particularly appropriate for a Church of Scotland living through a period of considerable change. We can easily become bogged down by questions of numbers, buildings, finances, plans and decline, and all of these things matter, but they can become so consuming that we begin to see problems before we see people. on this All Saints Sunday, we are given a real opportunity to see the saints, not just as a spiritual elite, but the whole people of God, ordinary and flawed, but all known and loved by God. The very people we have the privilege of speaking to.

As I read the passages for this week, one word kept returning: see. In Revelation, John sees a huge crowd where nobody is lost. The psalm invites us to taste and see the goodness of God. The epistle begins by asking us to see the love by which we are called God's children. In the Gospel, Jesus sees those that the world overlooks and names them blessed. And together they ask us to think about, not only how God sees us, but how we see one another.

It is my practice to preach principally from one of the lectionary texts while drawing upon the others, and so I have offered individual reflections below. Nevertheless, the theme of seeing and being seen runs throughout them all. In a Church facing difficult choices, these readings remind us that people are never simply numbers, problems or resources, they are children of God, held in a love where no one is beyond God's care.

Revelation 7:9-17

The first thing John sees is a crowd, a great multitude that can't be counted, people drawn from every nation, tribe, and language, it is a vision of the whole of God's people in all their wonderful diversity. Nobody is asked to give up what makes them distinct before standing before God. They remain distinct, yet they are one in their worship and confession.

The palm branches suggest that this is a scene of celebration or victory, although maybe not like those of the world, for at its centre stands the Lamb, the one who conquers through His own suffering and self-giving love. The white robes washed in the Lamb's blood are a strange and probably deliberately unsettling image, and it should be allowed to remain so rather than explained away or justified. The people have come through the trials and tribulations but they are not left there, they are brought into the eternal care and love of God where hunger, thirst and scorching heat are brought to an end.

The passage then moves from the vast crowd to the individual. God shelters them, the Lamb becomes their shepherd and leads them to springs of living water. Then God wipes away every tear. What an image, the cosmic scene becomes intimate, everyone is seen, no grief is overlooked and nobody is beyond this divine care. In a sense this is a perfect accompaniment to All Saints, for it holds together the breadth of the communion of saints and the personal care of God, we are one and many, and all are seen.

Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Our psalm might begin almost as a personal act, but it doesn't stay private for long. Almost at once others are drawn in and the one voice becomes the worship of a whole community. Here faith is not presented as something individualistic, instead it is shared, even if it is one person giving words to another until together they are all able to praise God.

There is a lot of activity and sensory engagement in these few verses, speaking, hearing, looking, tasting, seeking and taking refuge. In particular the invitation to taste and see is interesting, it shows us that faith is not only something to be understood but something encountered and lived. The goodness of God should not be held at a safe distance but embraced. And in this vein, it is always worth reminding folks that the use of the word ‘fear' in this psalm is not intended to be read as terror before an unpredictable God, but reverence, trust, and a willingness to turn towards God for refuge.

Similarly, the claim that those who seek God lack no good thing needs to be handled carefully. It cannot mean that faithful people will never face hunger, fear, or trouble, for all of these are present within the psalm itself. Nor should it be allowed to become a promise of health, comfort, or success. The promise of the psalm instead rests in the conviction that God hears, receives, and remains close by and with all those who seek refuge.

This makes it a fitting reading for All Saints. The saints are not a separate class of spiritual heroes who have secured their place through exceptional faith. They are the whole people of God, people who have learned to seek, trust, worship and take refuge in a love that is greater than their own. The psalm begins with one voice and ends with a people held by God, we are many, our experiences are all different, but none who take refuge in God are condemned or forgotten.

1 John 3:1–3

Our epistle begins with an invitation to look, to see the love we have been given in how we have been called God's children. Before there is any talk of duty or what we might become, there is this statement of who we are now. This truth of who we are is not earned through good behaviour or exceptional faith, it is given in love. Grace comes first, and everything else in these verses has to be read in that light.

The whole focus of this reading is centred around the present; we are God's children now, in the middle of lives that are still unfinished. What we will become has not yet been revealed, there is no detailed description of the life to come and no attempt to answer every question. Instead, what we have is our relationship with Jesus. What we do know is that we will see Him as He is and, in seeing Him, we will be changed. Here, in this short passage, is the very best of the mystery at the heart of our faith, we know something but not everything, and within that mystery we can trust in our Saviour, and that trust does not need every question to be answered.

The claim that the world does not know God's children because it did not know Christ needs some care. It should not be used to create a simple divide between a good Church and a hostile world, or to suggest that Christians are better than everyone else. Our place as God's children remains a gift. Instead, the verse may remind us that lives shaped by Christ may not always be recognised or valued by a world which measures people differently.

Similarly, the language of purification should not become a demand for moral perfection or a way of policing other people's lives and bodies. We should take note of the fact that it comes at the end and not the beginning – we are loved first – and that hope we are given begins to change how we live now. For All Saints, this might remind us that we and all the saints are neither complete nor flawless people, but God's children now, loved, living with mystery and still being made more like Christ.

Matthew 5:1-12

In my church there is a truly beautiful stained-glass window of the Beatitudes. It faces the pulpit, which means the congregation generally has their backs to it and I am usually the only one who sees it. I sometimes wonder if it is there especially for the preacher, a reminder, intentional or not, of what we are being called to proclaim, of the life we are called to lead, and the message and mission that is ours to share.

The Beatitudes are so familiar that they can easily lull us into a false sense of security, or sound like a list of qualities good Christians are expected to develop. But Jesus does not begin by setting entrance requirements for the Kingdom of Heaven, but by naming people as blessed; the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful and the peacemakers. These are not the people the world would usually call fortunate or successful, and Jesus is not claiming that grief, poverty, or persecution are good things, but He is declaring that none of these lives, none of these people fall beyond the reach of God's blessing.

To call these people blessed is not to say that they are cheerful or that their lives are easy. Nor is Jesus saying that mourning, hunger or persecution are good things, instead He is declaring that these people already belong within the Kingdom of Heaven and the first and eighth Beatitudes make that promise in the present tense. The promises between them look ahead to comfort, mercy and fullness still to come. The blessing lies not in what people are enduring, but in the presence and promise of God, who sees them, is with them, and will never abandon them.

Towards the end of the reading Jesus moves from speaking about those people to speaking directly to us. it is hard to hear the word ‘you' attributed to Jesus and not feel Him speaking directly to us, we are drawn into the story. We cannot simply admire the merciful or praise the peacemakers from a safe distance. For All Saints we might see this as a sign that the saints are not flawless heroes displayed for our admiration, but the whole people of God, held by grace and learning to live by mercy, hungering for justice and taking the path of peace.

Sermon ideas

Each week I try to search for some linking theme between the appointed readings. There is no doubt that some weeks this is no easy task, but this week one word seemed to return again and again to me, ‘see.' These passages are concerned with how God sees us, but also with how we are called to see one another. Revelation gives us a huge crowd of people, but within it, nobody is lost. The psalm moves from one voice to the worship of a community. The epistle invites us to see that we are already called God's children, and Jesus sees those the world might overlook and calls them blessed.

This seems a useful theme for All Saints especially if we think of the saints not as a spiritual elite raised above the rest of us, but the whole people of God, ordinary and unfinished. At a time when the Church of Scotland is so often preoccupied with numbers, buildings, plans and decline, these readings ask us to look again. People are not numbers, problems to be solved, or resources to be used. They are seen, known and loved by God, and the Church is called to recognise what God already sees.

Revelation 7:9–17
Revelation offers the widest possible picture of what the Church is, the people of every nation, tribe and language, distinct but gathered in in God's own love. A sermon might hold together the great crowd and the intimate final image of every tear being wiped away. The Church is always wider than our experience of it, yet within that great communion nobody becomes anonymous or forgotten no matter who or what they are.

Psalm 34:1–10, 22
The psalm, as is so often the case, offers us a more personal way into the same theme. One voice begins the praise, but others are invited to join in. Faith is shared, and sometimes we need another person to give us words until we can speak or sing for ourselves. This could lead into a reflection on the Church as a community in which praise, trust and refuge are never only individual possessions.

1 John 3:1–3
The epistle places grace before achievement. We are God's children now, not when we have resolved every doubt or made ourselves impressive. For All Saints, this offers a way of speaking about holiness without pretending that the saints, that we, are flawless. We are loved in the middle of our unfinished lives and, within that love, we are held and still being changed.

Matthew 5:1–12
The Gospel too speaks to the theme, Jesus names as blessed people the world doesn't recognise as fortunate, never mind blessed. Then He goes from speaking about those people to speaking directly to "you". A sermon might end there, asking not only whether we can see the merciful, the grieving and the peacemakers, but whether we are willing to be drawn into that life ourselves.

Prayers

Give joyful thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share the heritage of God's people, in the realm of light. (Colossians 1: 12)

Prayer of Adoration
God of constant love,
God of unending grace,
God of every nation and people,
God of the powerful and powerless,
God of all,
we join together this day,
(in this building and in our homes)
giving thanks that You see us,
know us
and call us Your children.

God who shelters,
God who guides,
God who hears the voice
of those who cry out,
You see our whole selves,
not just the parts which we allow others to see.

You know our strengths
and our weaknesses,
our faith and our doubt,
our hope and our fear,
and still You remain with us.

God of the merciful,
God of those who mourn,
God of the peacemakers
and those who hunger for justice,
speak to us today.

Open our hearts
to the great variety of people
You have gathered into Your Church.
Help us to see one another as You see us,
not as problems to be solved
or numbers to be counted,
but as people loved by You.

We present ourselves before You,
just as we are,
unfinished and imperfect,
searching and seeking,
trying and sometimes failing.

Take us and transform us
in the way only You can,
through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who taught us to pray

Our Father…

Prayer of Confession
Living God,
in penitence
and in the sure knowledge
of Your immeasurable grace,
we come seeking Your healing care.

Forgive us, merciful God,
for all that we have done
that we know we should not,
and for all we have not done
that we know we should.

Forgive us
when we have failed to see
the people in front of us,
when we have made quick judgements,
or treated others as problems,
strangers,
or people who do not belong.

Forgive us
when we have admired power and overlooked the meek,
when we have turned away from those who mourn,
when we have spoken about peace but held on to division,
and when we have asked for mercy without offering it to others.

And now in the silence,
we bring before You
all the things we need to lay down:

Hold a time of silence

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Hold a time of silence

Hear the good news:
God sees us as we are
and still calls us beloved.

In Jesus Christ,
we are forgiven,
renewed by the Holy Spirit
and set free to begin again.

Accept this gift
and let it transform us
and the world.

Hold a time of silence

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Hold a time of silence

God, guide us today
and every day
as we seek to do Your will
in this ever-changing world.
Open our eyes
to the blessings and opportunities
which You have poured out upon us.
Drive out our sense of helplessness
and free our minds
to love and be loved,
to show mercy,
to seek justice
and to make peace.
In Jesus' name
and for His sake,
we pray.

Amen

Collect for the Day
Almighty God,
You have knit together Your elect in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of Your Son.
Give us grace to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come to those inexpressible joys
which You have prepared for those who love You;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Loving God,
into the reality
of inequality, pain, fear,
hurt and greed,
Your light continues to shine,
offering hope to those who are lost,
comfort to those who mourn
and love to the whole world.

We give thanks today
for Your people
of every age and place,
for the great crowds
from every nation, tribe,
people and language.

We thank You
for those who have shown us
something of the life of Jesus,
for those who have acted with mercy,
worked for justice,
made peace
and remained faithful when it was difficult.

We thank You
that sainthood does not belong
only to the exceptional,
but to the whole people of God,
ordinary and unfinished,
loved and held by grace.

Today we pray for the whole world,
Your entire creation:

Pause

As creation continues to face
seemingly insurmountable challenges
around climate change, war,
inequality, poverty and disease,
help us not to become overwhelmed
or to believe that nothing can change.
Give wisdom and courage
to all those with the power to make a difference,
and help each of us to make the changes,
large and small,
which are ours to make.

We pray for all those
caught up in war and violence,
for those forced to leave their homes,
for people living under occupation,
persecution or fear,
and for all who work
for justice and peace:

Pause

Protect the vulnerable,
challenge the powerful
and help us never to look away
from the suffering of others.

As our country and communities
continue to face problems and struggles,
we pray for the people
on the edges and margins:
for those experiencing poverty, or homelessness,
people who are excluded, lonely,
grieving and broken.

Pause

Help us to see people
before we see problems.
Make us willing to listen,
slow to judge
and ready to offer whatever help we can.

We pray for Your Church
here and the world over,
in this time of uncertainty and change:

Pause

When we become caught up
in questions of numbers,
buildings, money and decline,
remind us why we are here.
Help us to see the people
already among us,
to recognise their gifts,
to make room for questions
and difference,
and in all things
to seek first to serve You.

As we each face
the challenges of our own lives
and the lives of those we love,
we bring before You now
the people and situations
which lie heavily on our hearts:

Pause

Merciful God,
each of us gathered here
brings our own weaknesses,
our own pain
and our own unfinished story.
When we feel challenged
help us not to turn away.
Remind us that we are Your children now,
that Your grace is already given
and that, through You,
change is always possible,
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen

Prayer for All Saints – from Common Order
God of all people,
not only the achievements of the great,
but also the kindness of the humble
has touched and influenced our lives for good.
For the ordinary saints
who helped Your kingdom
take root and grow among us,
we praise You:
mothers and grandmothers,
fathers and grandfathers,
common heroes
and unsung servants of the kingdom,
who have let us see Jesus.

We bless You for our fellowship with those
whom You have called to greater life,
and we prize the company
of those who still live around us.
Lord, find a place for all of them in paradise,
and bring us with Your saints
to glory everlasting.
Amen

Offertory Prayer
In Your love O God,
You create all
and give all.
Take the offerings we make
of ourselves, our time,
our talents and our money.
Take them and transform them and us,
so that through all we give
others might be seen,
mercy might be shared
and peace might be made;
in and through Your Son,
our Saviour.
Amen

Benediction
We came to worship as God's children.
We stayed in love and community.
We go in peace and faith,
sent to see others as God sees them.

(Followed by a blessing)

Musical suggestions

God Welcomes All (GWA) is the new supplement to Church Hymnary Fourth Edition. This exciting new collection features over 200 hymns and songs in a wide range of styles by writers from Scotland and around the world.

The full music and words-only versions are now available; and digital resources, including the expansion of the existing Church of Scotland music website, will be published in due course, with streaming functions and further information on each song; backing tracks; and lyric videos. God Welcomes All is available to order from https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9781786225573/god-welcomes-all

Our online music resource is on the Church of Scotland website; you can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship. You will also find playlists for this week and liturgical seasons and themes on the Weekly Worship and Inspire Me tabs.

You can find further musical suggestions for this week in a range of styles on the Songs for Sunday blog from Trinity College Glasgow.

• There is a helpful ‘Communion of Saints' category on the Church Hymnary part of the website that offers a variety of appropriate and well known hymns
• CH4 27 – "I will always bless the Lord" (Psalm 34) – a sung option for today's psalm
• GWA 133 – "Thank God for Saints of seasoned age" – a particularly topical hymn for today's readings
• GWA 134 – "Called to be Saints!" – a new hymn to a very familiar tune to many, again would work well with today's readings.

Reflecting on our worship practice

Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the way we worship has changed and we need to reflect on the changing or newly established patterns that emerged and continue to emerge as a result of the disruption.

We can facilitate worship for all by exploring imaginative approaches to inclusion, participation and our use of technologies in ways that suit our contexts. This is not an exhaustive list, but some things we could consider are:

• Framing various parts of the worship service in accessible language to help worshippers understand the character and purpose of each part. This is essential for creating worship for all (intergenerational worship) that reflects your community of faith.
• Holding spaces for reflection and encouraging prayer to be articulated in verbal and non-verbal ways, individually and in online breakout rooms.
• In online formats the effective use of the chat function and microphone settings encourages active participation in prayer, e.g. saying the Lord's Prayer together unmuted, in a moment of ‘holy chaos'.
• While singing in our congregations is still restricted, we can worship corporately by using antiphonal psalm readings, creeds and participative prayers.
• Using music and the arts as part of the worship encourages the use of imagination in place of sung or spoken words.
• Use of silence, sensory and kinaesthetic practices allow for experience and expression beyond regular audio and visual mediums.

The following questions might help you develop a habit of reflecting on how we create and deliver content and its effectiveness and impact, and then applying what we learn to develop our practice.

• How inclusive was the worship?
  Could the worship delivery and content be described as worship for all/ intergenerational?
  Was it sensitive to different "Spiritual Styles"?
• How was the balance between passive and active participation?
• How were people empowered to connect with or encounter God?
  What helped this?
  What hindered this?
• How cohesive was the worship?
  Did it function well as a whole?
  How effective was each of the individual elements in fulfilling its purpose?
• How balanced was the worship?
  What themes/topics/doctrines/areas of Christian life were included?
• How did the worship connect with your context/contemporary issues?
  Was it relevant in the everyday lives of those attending and in the wider parish/ community?
  How well did the worship connect with local and national issues?
  How well did the worship connect with world events/issues?
• What have I learned that can help me next time I plan and deliver worship?

Useful links

You can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship in our online hymnary.

You are free to download, project, print and circulate multiple copies of any of this material for use in worship services, bible studies, parish magazines, etc., but reproduction for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Please note that the views expressed in these materials are those of the individual writer and not necessarily the official view of the Church of Scotland, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly.