Amen! As we mark this All Saints Day, it is tempting to put saints, literally, on a pedestal. Holy hands (877) 899-2780, Discipleship Ministries is an agency of The United Methodist Church© 2020 Discipleship Ministries. As stated on the Planning Worship page for this service, you will have to determine the mood for this All Saints Day service. Privacy & Terms. Where your name was lifted and adored. Halloween is celebrated by hosting costume parties, playing 'trick-or-treat', watching horror films, visiting haunted houses or carving lanterns out of pumpkins. In the name of the Risen One we pray: Amen. Of course, the day is also All Saints Day, a Christian solemnity heavily honored in the Catholic influenced Louisiana. give us grace to follow them All Saints Day is an opportunity to give thanks for all those who have gone before us in the faith. Year after year, he commented on the celebration of the saints. (https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/a-prayer-meditation-for-all-saints-day), Let us pray (in silence) [as we rejoice and keep festival in honor of all the saints]. (Kenneth G. Phifer, A Book of Uncommon Prayer, Upper Room Books, 1981, pp. (https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/04/words-of-assurance-revelation-21-1-6.html). Amen. John Wesley considered it one of the greatest celebrations in the life of the church. This heaven,this city, this river, this treeare a vision of your life reborn, restored, and renewed. in the world you have made and the people you have called. God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, © Time and Date AS 1995–2020. People: And we persuade ourselves that they are fools, or meddlers or incompetents. It falls on Sunday, November 1, 2020 and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in the United States. It is always a time of remembrance, a way of celebrating the witness of those who bore your name in the past. While now observed in November, All Saints' Day was originally celebrated on May 13, although the origin cannot be traced with certainty, according to … A candle is lit as each person's name is called out, followed by a prayer offered for each soul. in the mystical body of Christ: leading us to share the shelter of your abundant life. It is a time to celebrate our history, what United Methodists call the tradition of the church.. From the early days of Christianity, there is a sense that the Church consists of not only all living believers, but also all who have gone before us. John Wesley considered it one of the greatest celebrations in the life of the church. (Wheadon United Methodist Church, Illinois, Flames of the Spirit, Ruth Duck Ed., Pilgrim Press, 1985, p.55.). Many Latin American communities in the United States hold celebrations around November 1 and 2, linking with All Saints’ Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). Symbols commonly associated with All Saints’ Day are: The liturgical color is white on All Saints' Day. We diligently research and continuously update our holiday dates and information. Behold:there is a new heaven, a new earth and a new city,where the river of life flows,where the tree of life bears fruit in every season. But let the flame represent the Spirit as well as the spirits of those who are still a part of us in the mystery that is eternity. Why Do We Celebrate All Saints' Day? May we learn how to walk wisely from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love. God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, People: To worship the God of our mothers and fathers. All Saints Day falls on a Sunday this year. “How superstitious are they who scruple giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints!” said Wesley in 1756. That one that I loved, O God, is now with you.I can say that, not knowing “how” or “where,”but say it because it makes no sense that so rich and full a life would come to an abrupt end … except for memories.Still, I am bereft for she is not with me.I listen to all the clichés of my friends, spoken to console me: “She is better off.” “She is past her pain and suffering.” “She is in heaven,” whatever that means.I listen and am not consoled.My grief is selfish.I want to feel her touch and hear her voice and see her smile.I am confident she is with you, and I am just as confident, O Lord, you understand how it is with me.I cannot help recalling times I might have been gentler, softer, more thoughtful.I wish I could live some hours over.I wish I could say “I love you” just one more time.These failures I must accept.