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Readings
Revelation 7
The Multitude from Every Nation
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 singing,
‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honour
and power and might
be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.’
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’
Psalm 34
Praise for Deliverance from Trouble
Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your[a] faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
1 John 3:1-3
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes
When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Homily
Poem
All Saints
Though Satan breaks our dark glass into shards
Each shard still shines with Christ’s reflected light,
It glances from the eyes, kindles the words
Of all his unknown saints. The dark is bright
With quiet lives and steady lights undimmed,
The witness of the ones we shunned and shamed.
Plain in our sight and far beyond our seeing
He weaves them with us in the web of being
They stand beside us even as we grieve,
The lone and left behind whom no one claimed,
Unnumbered multitudes, he lifts above
The shadow of the gibbet and the grave,
To triumph where all saints are known and named;
The gathered glories of His wounded love.
Reflection
Quotations on Trust.
From W.E. Sangster
The recurrent needs of every day are all known to God. A full reliance can be put upon all His promises… We have reached that stage in human development when we are able to ask the questions, but are not always able to understand the answers. God expects us to trust His love.
From Henry Ward Beecher
You can trust and rest in God simply because He has said, you may and you must.
And from A.W. Robinson
We can trust Him wholly with His world. We can trust Him with ourselves. We are sure He cares far more to make the best of us, and to do the most through us, than we have ever cared ourselves.
Prayer
A Prayer for All Saints Day
O God, Heavenly Father, we thank you today for every Christian who has helped us on our journey, encouraging us to keep believing when we felt like giving up. Thank you for those who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to ensure others could hear of your love in Christ.
We think of the saints in heaven, released from the burden of sin and death in this life, especially remembering those from our community who have died in the past year. Give comfort to all those who grieve over loved-ones no longer with us on earth. Give them the hope only your word can offer.
We pray for your church on earth, that it may remain faithful to the apostles’ teaching and that it will strive for unity. We pray for all Christians suffering persecution that they may be strengthened and encouraged in bold witness to the Gospel.
We pray for those who are not yet part of your church and for those who have left it. May they be convinced of your love for them by the compassionate working of your Holy Spirit.
Bring peace to those nations in conflict and where there is political instability. Protect those who are poor and hungry and give them hope. Move those with plenty, to share with those who have little, and help all people to love their neighbour as themselves. God of life, we give thanks for the love you have shown to the world through all your saints and we celebrate our continuing communion with them whenever we worship.
Keep us looking to Jesus, helping us give a clear witness to him, living the holy lives you have called us to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen
Godly Play
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